A guide to Regency England for readers of classic literature or historical fiction set in the early 19th century.
England, as it was in the early 1800's, can sometimes be as confusing to a modern reader as travelling to a foreign country. Their clot...
"I shall perhaps essay a speech or two in the House when I return, but I am not ambitious of a parliamentary career, which is of all things the most degrading and unthankful." [Letter from Lord Byron to his mother, written at Constantinople, 1st July 1810]
The House of Lords was, and still is, the upper chamber of the British Government, where legislation passed in the House of Commons is scrutinised and sometimes amended before being passed to the monarch for Royal Assent. The Lords were one of the three parts of government, the other two being the House of Commons and the King.
Although hardly anyone reads Regency-set stories for the politics of the day, the House of Lords was an important influence within high society at the time.
In some years, the opening and closing of the two houses of Parliament matched closely with the beginning and end of the social season in London. The wives and families of peers and MPs accompanied their husbands to the capital and the various entertainments of the season kept them entertained, providing opportunities to mingle with other families of similar rank. So it's natural to wonder what all those Lords actually did while their wives and daughters were so busy socialising.
Where was the House of Lords?
The phrase "House of Lords" refers to the collective group of Lords rather than any building or chamber they met in.
The Lords occupied a room within the old Palace of Westminster, which sat on the banks of the Thames just south of Westminster bridge. It was also near to the east end of the Collegiate Church of St Peter—Westminster Abbey—and an area that is still called Old Palace Yard.
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Before 1801, the Lords met in the Queen's Chamber within the old palace, and had done so for hundreds of years. [coloured blue on the above map] However, throughout the 18th century they struggled to accommodate both the Lords, the administrative staff and the ever-increasing number of documents generated by their work.
Following the union with Ireland and the increase in the number of Lords that would be attending, more space was needed. The Lords, therefore, moved into a room called the White Chamber, a former banqueting chamber also known as the Lesser Hall, which had previously been used by the Court of Requests. [marked in red] In 1802, it was described as "a very handsome but not a splendid room; although it is said to be prepared merely for temporary use, a new parliament house being in contemplation." Despite regular discussions about replacing the Palace of Westminster, the Lords continued meeting in this room until the fire of 1834.
The chamber was 80 feet long, 40 feet wide and 30 feet tall. (24.3m x 12.2m x 9.1m) There were six semi-circular windows—three on each long side— that were six feet tall.
"The interior was ornamented with tapestry hangings, consisting of historical figures, representing the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. They were the gift of the States of Holland to Queen Elizabeth. The tapestry was divided into compartments by a framework of stained wood, and each design was surrounded by a border containing portraits of the several gallant officers who commanded in the English fleet at that important period." [The Royal Palace of Westminster, Old and New London: Volume 3, by Walter Thornbury pub. 1878 (British History Online)]
