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Jane Julia Bennett, Keeper of the Keys of the House of Lords

Painting showing monarch on throne and Lords assembled in grand space with high ceilings and large paintings on wall

Guest blog by Dr Elizabeth Hallam Smith Jane Julia Bennett, née Wright, Deputy Housekeeper and then Housekeeper to the House of Lords, holds a remarkable place in the history of Parliament.  For she was the only woman to occupy a …

Pasting the Proclamation: Helen Fox and Barbara Duval

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A woman pastes a Proclamation poster onto a wall, on top of another poster titled Hackney Carriages. Another women stands nearby with a bunch more posters,.

By Mari Takayanagi, Senior Archivist The Parliamentary Archives recently acquired a wonderful new suffragette photograph! It shows suffragettes from the Women's Freedom League (WFL) pasting a Proclamation on a board advertising Hackney Carriage Prices. The two women are Barbara Duval …

Margaret Wintringham, first Liberal woman MP

Event for women MPs celebrating Megan Lloyd George's 20th anniversary in Parliament, 31 May 1949.

By Mari Takayanagi, Senior Archivist  On 22 September 1921, Margaret Wintringham (1879-1955) was elected MP for Louth in Lincolnshire in a by-election, becoming the first ever Liberal woman MP.  She was the third woman MP ever elected, following Constance Markievicz in 1918 and …

Thoughts of a collaborative PhD student in Parliament

Guest post by Amy Galvin Political culture and ideals have been a constant element of my studies from my school days; whether carefully crafting a presentation for my French oral exam on the environmental policies of Nicolas Sarkozy, or arguing …