THEME Government, power and politics
Arthur James Balfour Prime Minister 1902-1905
Arthur James Balfour was a Prime Minister cut from the old aristocratic mould, an intelligent man who perhaps lacked emotional intelligence to match. Educated at Eton and Cambridge, nephew of Lord Salisbury, his mother’s brother. He would serve in coalition during WWI alongside Lloyd George more than strange bed-fellows. It was then that his now infamous Balfour Declaration would be declared and continues to cited as the root cause of the troubles between the Arab and Zionist causes in Palestine. and modern Israel. Unsuccessful Prime Ministers can be even more important it would seem than those that succeed and the failures may also be greatest when they are no longer in the top job.
Read MoreConstitutional Crisis People’s Budget 1909
What would cause a king to contemplate the end of the Monarchy and that his son might be the last King? When his Barons, the Lords would rise-up and revolt against the rule of democracy and seek to reinvent the will of the people via its commons from being fulfilled. Lloyd George and Winston Churchill would be the advocates for the poor and common man. Asquith would seek to calm the rage and the King would plead with the Lords to let the Bill pass but it would take two General Elections and never again would this unwritten convention be relied upon without statute to support it.
Read MoreCorn Laws Economic History and Big Data
Learn a little and want to know more then this video by Cambridge University Expert D’Mariss Coffman can help. Find out how this humble grain and cereal returns lead to the “birth of political economy” and the start of Big Data as evidence for economic outcomes. Lecture given as part of the excellent Gresham College series.
Read MoreWinston Churchills Legacy a balanced perspective
How can you get a balanced view and perspective about this British Prime Minister and what his real legacy is on this (2015) the 50th Anniversary of Winston Churchill’s state funeral. The historians and politician’s literature never mind Winston’s own writings are huge. He never did a single TV interview Professor Vernon Bogdanor does us all proud with this excellent video lecture, in his roles as Emeritus Professor of Law and Visiting Professor of Political History at the excellent Gresham College find a little time and get an excellent balanced view and appraisal of the legacy left to us all by Winston Churchill.
Read MoreThe Agricultural Revolution
What was the Agricultural Revolution and would the Industrial Revolution have taken place without it?
Read MoreWorkhouse and Poor Law Data.
What Poor Law and workhouse records can you use to add contextual colour to your family history? How can you find out more about the events that shaped our pauper ancestors. How many of your family were in the workhouse?
Read MoreThe Owain Glyn Dwr Rebellion 1400-1408
Owain Glyn Dwr, the last native Prince of Wales
Read MoreStatute of Labourers 1351
In 1351 following Plague and pestilence there was a shortage of Labour and the ruling elite were not happy to have to ‘suffer’ the inflationary costs that resulted as workers for the first time had the power to refuse to work for low wages. Was this the distant start of organised labour in Britain and a capsule that reflects the uneasy relationship between the monarch, parliament and the people…Will the Peasants Revolt?
Read MoreSir Robert Peel 1st Baronet a Prime Minister’s Father
What makes a Prime Minister? Why does the wealth health and education not ensure the success and happiness of future generations? Famous families as a reflection of our own and national history. Sir Robert Peel the first baronet certainly leads us into some intriguing connections…
Read MoreIntriguing Relationships Presidents and Prime Ministers
An intriguing snippet from David Reynolds (Professor of History at Cambridge University ) and No 10 on the special relationships between prime Ministers and Presidents
Read More