Historians and Parliament

The essays in this collection, a special issue of Parliamentary History published to mark the fortieth volume of the journal, examine the different ways in which historians have understood and interpreted the history of parliament since the mid 19th century, beginning with the work of Bishop William Stubbs, the doyen of modern parliamentary historians, and including such significant figures as A.F. Pollard, Lewis Namier and G.R. Elton, down to the historians of our own time, among whom may be found two practising politicians of very different stripes, Conor Cruise O'Brien and Enoch Powell. The intention is not to attempt a comprehensive account of the historiography of British parliamentary institutions, but to focus on particular individuals and particular phases in the development of the subject. The 13 contributors take different approaches, some examining the work of a single historian or group of historians, others surveying the historiographical landscape more broadly. The essays not only explore the major issues which have exercised the minds of scholars involved in the writing of parliamentary history, but also reappraise important figures and make suggestions as to the directions in which future writing on the history of parliament might develop. The topics covered venture beyond Westminster, to include both Scottish and Irish parliamentary history, both of which have always formed an important element in the remit of the journal.