List of Parliaments of England
This article is about Parliaments prior to union with Scotland in 1707.
For the current debate on a devolved parliament for England, see
Devolved English Parliament.
This is a list of Parliaments of England from the reign of King Henry III (when the Curia Regis developed into a body known as Parliament) to the creation of the Parliament of Great Britain in 1707.
For later parliaments, see the List of Parliaments of Great Britain. For the history of the English Parliament, see Parliament of England.
The Parliaments of England were traditionally referred to by the number counting forward from the start of the reign of a particular monarch, unless the Parliament was notable enough to come to be known by a particular title, such as the Good Parliament or the Parliament of Merton.
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Presiding Officer¹ | Note |
| 1st² | 1236 | n/a | 1236 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 1st² | 14 December 1241 | n/a | 27 January 1242 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 2nd² | ... | n/a | 9 February 1248 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 3rd² | 11 February 1254 | n/a | 26 April 1254 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 4th² | ... | n/a | 18 April 1255 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 5th² | ... | n/a | 9 June 1258 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 6th² | ... | n/a | 13 October 1258 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 7th | ... | n/a | 27 October 1258 | 4 November 1258 | ? | Peter de Montfort | This Parliament was at Oxford. It is sometimes known as the Mad Parliament. Knights of the shire (representing counties) were the only commoners summoned. They were not required to be chosen by election. |
| 8th² | ... | n/a | 9 February 1259 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 9th² | ... | n/a | 13 October 1259 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 10th² | ... | n/a | >30 April 1260 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 11th² | ... | n/a | 8 July 1260 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 12th² | ... | n/a | 13 October 1260 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 13th² | ... | n/a | c.23 February 1261 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 14th² | ... | n/a | 9 September 1263 | >18 September 1263 | ? | n/a | |
| 15th² | ... | n/a | 13 October 1263 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 16th | 4 June 1264 | n/a | 22 June 1264 | ... | ? | n/a | Knights of the shire were the only commoners summoned. They were not required to be chosen by election. |
| 17th | 14 December 1264 | 1264/65 | 20 January 1265 | 15 February 1265 | ? | unknown | This Parliament is sometimes known as Montfort's Parliament. This is the first Parliament to which representatives of cities and boroughs were summoned, as well as knights of the shires. It is also the first Parliament to which the representatives were required to be chosen by election. |
| 18th² | ... | n/a | 14 September 1265 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 19th² | ... | n/a | 9 February 1267 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 20th² | ... | n/a | 13 October 1268 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 21st² | ... | n/a | 24 June 1269 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 22nd² | ... | n/a | c.13 October 1270 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 23rd² | ... | n/a | c.>29 September 1272 | ... | ? | n/a | |
Notes:
- ¹ The presiding officer of the House of Commons was initially known as the "Prolocutor" and sometimes as the Parlour, but the term most often used was "Speaker" and this became the title always used from the 1540s onwards.
- ² No commoners were summoned.
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Presiding Officer¹ | Note |
| 1st | 16 February 1275 | 1275 | 25 April 1275 | ... | ? | unknown | For the first time since 1264-65 the representatives of the communities of the Realm are known to have been summoned to Parliament. |
| 2nd | 1 September 1275 | 1275 | 13 October 1275 | 24 October 1275 | ? | unknown | The knights of the shires only were summoned to this Parliament. |
| 3rd² | ... | n/a | c.3 May 1276 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 4th² | ... | n/a | >29 September 1276 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 5th² | ... | n/a | 1 May 1278 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 6th² | ... | n/a | 8 July 1278 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 7th² | ... | n/a | 29 September 1278 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 8th² | ... | n/a | c.16 April 1279 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 9th² | ... | n/a | c.20 October 1279 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 10th² | ... | n/a | c.12 May 1280 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 11th² | ... | n/a | c.>29 September 1280 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 12th² | ... | n/a | c.11 May 1281 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 13th² | ... | n/a | c.>29 September 1281 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 14th² | ... | n/a | 4 May 1285 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 15th² | ... | n/a | c.>14 April 1286 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 16th² | ... | n/a | c.24 April 1286 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 17th² | ... | n/a | >25 December 1289 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 18th² | ... | n/a | >13 January 1290 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 19th | 13 June 1290 | 1290 | 15 July 1290 | ... | ? | unknown | Knights only summoned 13–14 June 1290. Assembled 23 April 1290 Lords and 15 July 1290 Commons. After this Parliament it became fairly usual for the representatives of the counties, cities and boroughs to be summoned to attend Parliament and from 1320 they were always included. |
| 20th | ... | 1290 | 27 October 1290 | ... | ? | unknown | |
| 21st | ... | 1290/91 | 7 January 1291 | ... | ? | unknown | |
| 22nd | 6 May 1291 | 1291/92 | 8 January 1292 | ... | ? | unknown | met at Norham Castle, Northumberland, in the Palatinate of the Prince-bishop of Durham. |
| 23rd² | Jan 1292 | n/a | 2 June 1292 | ... | ? | n/a | This Parliament included Scottish members; met at Westminster. |
| 24th² | ... | n/a | 13 October 1292 | 17 November 1292 | ? | n/a | This Parliament included Scottish members. |
| 25th | ... | ?1293 | >29 March 1293 | ... | ? | unknown | |
| 26th | ... | 1293 | 13 October 1293 | ... | ? | unknown | |
| 27th | ... | 1293 | >25 December 1293 | ... | ? | unknown | |
| 28th² | 24 June 1295 | n/a | 1–4 August 1295 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 29th | 30 September 1295+ | 1295 | 27 November 1295 | 4 December 1295 | ? | unknown | Model Parliament summoned 30 September, 1 and 3 October 1295. This is the traditional start of the regular participation of the Commons in Parliament. |
| 30th | 26 August 1296 | 1296 | 3 November 1296 | 29 November 1296 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 31st² | 26 January 1297 | n/a | 24 February 1297 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 32nd² | ... | n/a | 8 July 1297 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 33rd | 6 October 1297 | 1297 | 15 September 1297 | 14 October 1297 | ? | unknown | Summoned 30 September 1297 (peers) and 6 October 1297 (knights of the shire). Assembled 9 October 1297 Lords and 15 October 1297 Commons. Met in London. |
| 34th | 15 March 1298 | March 1298 | 30 March 1298 | ... | ? | unknown | Met in York. |
| 35th | 10 April 1298 | 1298 | 25 May 1298 | ... | ? | unknown | Summoned 10, 11 and 13 April 1298. |
| 36th² | 6 February 1299 | n/a | 8 March 1299 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 37th² | 10 April 1299 | n/a | 3 May 1299 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 38th² | 21 September 1299 | n/a | 18 October 1299 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 39th | 29 December 1299 | 1299/00 | 6 March 1300 | 20 March 1300 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 40th | 26 September 1300 | 1300/01 | 20 January 1301 | 30 January 1301 | ? | unknown | Met in Lincoln. Dissolved 27–30 January 1301. |
| 41st² | 2 June 1302 | n/a | 1 July 1302 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 42nd | 14 July 1302 | 1302 | 14 October 1302 | 21 October 1302 | ? | unknown | Summoned 14, 20 and 24 July 1303. Met in London. |
| 43rd | 12 November 1304 | 1304/05 | 28 February 1305 | 20 March 1305 | ? | unknown | |
| 44th² | 15 July 1305 | n/a | 15 September 1305 | ... | ? | n/a | |
| 45th | 5 April 1306 | 1306 | 30 May 1306 | 30 May 1306 | ? | unknown | Assembled and dissolved 30 May 1306. |
| 46th | 3 November 1306 | 1306/07 | 20 January 1307 | 19 March 1307 | ? | unknown | Met in Carlisle. Deemed dissolved when writs de expensis were issued 20 January 1307 (burgesses only) and 19 March 1307 (knights only). |
Notes:
- ¹ The presiding officer of the House of Commons was initially known as the "Prolocutor" and sometimes as the Parlour, but the term most often used was "Speaker" and this became the title always used from the 1540s onwards.
- ² No commoners were summoned.
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Presiding Officer¹ | Note |
| 1st | 26 August 1307 | 1307 | 13 October 1307 | 16 October 1307 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 2nd | 19 January 1308 | 1308 | 3 March 1308 | ... | ? | unknown | ... |
| 3rd² | 10 March 1308 | n/a | 28 April 1308 | ... | ? | n/a | ... |
| 4th² | 16 August 1308 | n/a | 20 October 1308 | ... | ? | n/a | ... |
| 5th | 4 March 1309 | 1309 | 27 April 1309 | 13 May 1309 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 6th² | 11 June 1309 | n/a | 27 July 1300 | ... | ? | n/a | ... |
| 7th² | 26 October 1309 | n/a | 8 February 1310 | 12 April 1310 | ? | n/a | ... |
| 8th | 16 June 1311 | 1311 | 8 August 1311 | 18 December 1311 | ? | unknown | Met in London. |
| 9th | 3 June 1312 | 1312 | 20 August 1312 | 16 December 1312 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 10th | 8 January 1313 | 1313 | 18 March 1313 | 9 May 1313 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 11th | 23 May 1313 | 1313 | 8 July 1313 | 27 July 1313 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 12th | 26 July 1313 | 1313 | 23 September 1313 | 15 November 1313 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 13th | 29 July 1314 | 1314 | 9 September 1314 | 27/28 September 1314 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 14th | 24 October 1314 | 1314/15 | 20 January 1315 | 9 March 1315 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 15th | 16 October 1315 | 1315/16 | 27 January 1316 | 20 February 1316 | ? | unknown | Parliament of 1316. Met in Lincoln. |
| 16th | 24–25 August 1318 | 1318 | 20 October 1318 | 9 December 1318 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 17th | 20 March 1319 | 1319 | 6 May 1319 | 25 May 1319 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 18th² | 6 November 1319 | n/a | 20 January 1320 | ... | ? | n/a | ... |
| 19th | 5 August 1320 | 1320 | 6 October 1320 | 25/26 October 1320 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 20th | 15 May 1321 | 1321 | 15 July 1321 | 22 August 1321 | ? | unknown | Known as the Parliament of Whitebands |
| 21st | 14 March 1322 | 1322 | 2 May 1322 | 19 May 1322 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 22nd | 18 September 1322 | 1322 | 14 November 1322 | 29 November 1322 | ? | unknown | Met in York. |
| 23rd | 20 November 1323 | 1323/24 | 23 February 1324 | 18 March 1324 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 24th | 6 May 1325 | 1325 | 25 June 1325 | ... | ? | unknown | Only MPs for the Cinque Ports were summoned. Met in London. |
| 25th | 10 October 1325 | 1325 | 18 November 1325 | 5 December 1325 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 26th | 28 October 1326 | 1326/27 | 7 January 1327 | ... | ? | William Trussell | This Parliament continued after the deposition of the King, into the next reign. See 1st Parliament of King Edward III of England for further details and duration. |
Notes:
- ¹ The presiding officer of the House of Commons was initially known as the "Prolocutor" and sometimes as the Parlour, but the term most often used was "Speaker" and this became the title always used from the 1540s onwards.
- ² No commoners were summoned.
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Presiding Officer¹ | Note |
| 1st | ... | ... | ... | 9 March 1327 | ? | William Trussell | Continued from the last reign. |
| 2nd | 7 August 1327 | 1327 | 15 September 1327 | 23 September 1327 | ? | William Trussell | ... |
| 3rd | 10 December 1327 | 1327/28 | 7 February 1328 | 5 March 1328 | ? | unknown | Met at Lincoln. |
| 4th | 5 March 1328 | 1328 | 24 April 1328 | 14 May 1328 | ? | unknown | Met at York. |
| 5th | 28 August 1328 | 1328 | 16 October 1328 | 22 February 1329 | ? | unknown | May have met at New Sarum (Salisbury), York or Northampton, as it is uncertain which meeting was of this Parliament and which were gatherings of lesser status. |
| 6th | 25 January 1330 | 1330 | 11 March 1330 | 21 March 1330 | ? | unknown | Met at York. |
| 7th | 23 October 1330 | 1330 | 26 November 1330 | 9 December 1330 | ? | unknown | Met at New Sarum (Salisbury). |
| 8th | 16 July 1331 | 1331 | 30 September 1331 | 9 October 1331 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 9th | 27 January 1332 | 1332 | 16 March 1332 | 21 March 1332 | ? | Henry de Beaumont | Met at Winchester. |
| 10th | 20 July 1332 | 1332 | 9 September 1332 | 12 September 1332 | ? | Sir Geoffrey le Scrope | ... |
| 11th | 20 October 1332 | 1332 | 4 December 1332 | 27 January 1333 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 12th | 2 January 1334 | 1334 | 21 February 1334 | 2 March 1334 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 13th | 24 July 1334 | 1334 | 19 September 1334 | 23 September 1334 | ? | unknown | Met at York. |
| 14th | 1 April 1335 | 1335 | 26 May 1335 | 3 June 1335 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 15th | 22 January 1336 | 1336 | 11 March 1336 | 20 March 1336 | ? | unknown | Met at York. |
| 16th | 29 November 1336 | 1336/37 | 3 March 1337 | c.16 March 1337 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 17th | 20 December 1337 | 1337/38 | 3 February 1338 | 14 February 1338 | ? | unknown | Met at Northampton. |
| 18th | 15 November 1338 | 1338/39 | 3 February 1339 | 17 February 1339 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 19th | 25 August 1339 | 1339 | 13 October 1339 | c.3 November 1339 | ? | unknown | Met at Northampton. |
| 20th | 16 November 1339 | 1339/40 | 20 January 1340 | 19 February 1340 | ? | William Trussell | ... |
| 21st | 21 February 1340 | 1340 | 29 March 1340 | 10 May 1340 | ? | William Trussell | ... |
| 22nd | 30 May 1340 | 1340 | 12 July 1340 | 26 July 1340 | ? | William Trussell | ... |
| 23rd | 3 March 1341 | 1341 | 23 April 1341 | 27–28 May 1341 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 24th | 24 February 1343 | 1343 | 28 April 1343 | 20 May 1343 | ? | William Trussell | ... |
| 25th | 20 April 1344 | 1344 | 7 June 1344 | 28 June 1344 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 26th | 30 July 1346 | 1346 | 11 September 1346 | 20 September 1346 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 27th | 13 November 1347 | 1347/48 | 14 January 1348 | 12 February 1348 | ? | William de Thorpe | ... |
| 28th | 14 February 1348 | 1348 | 31 March 1348 | 13 April 1348 | ? | William de Thorpe | ... |
| 29th | 25 November 1350 | 1350/51 | 9 February 1351 | 1 March 1351 | ? | William de Shareshull | ... |
| 30th | 15 November 1351 | 1351/52 | 13 January 1352 | 11 February 1352 | ? | William de Shareshull | ... |
| 31st | 15 March 1354 | 1354 | 28 April 1354 | 20 May 1354 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 32nd | 20 September 1355 | 1355 | 23 November 1355 | 30 November 1355 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 33rd | 15 February 1357 | 1357 | 17 April 1357 | 8–16 May 1357 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 34th | 15 December 1357 | 1357/58 | 5 February 1358 | 27 February 1358 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 35th | 3 April 1360 | 1360 | 15 May 1360 | ... | ? | unknown | ... |
| 36th | 20 November 1360 | 1360/61 | 24 January 1361 | 18 February 1361 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 37th | 14 August 1362 | 1362 | 13 October 1362 | 17 November 1362 | ? | Sir Henry Green | ... |
| 38th | 1 June 1363 | 1363 | 6 October 1363 | 30 October 1363 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 39th | 4 December 1364 | 1364/65 | 20 January 1365 | 17 February 1365 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 40th | 20 January 1366 | 1366 | 4 May 1366 | 11 May 1366 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 41st | 24 February 1368 | 1368 | 1 May 1368 | 21 May 1368 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 42nd | 6 April 1369 | 1369 | 3 June 1369 | 11 June 1369 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 43rd | 8 January 1371 | 1371 | 24 February 1371 | 29 March 1371 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 44th | 1 September 1372 | 1372 | 3 November 1372 | 24 November 1372 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 45th | 4 October 1373 | 1373 | 21 November 1373 | 10 December 1373 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 46th | 28 December 1375 | 1375/76 | 28 April 1376 | 10 July 1376 | ? | Sir Peter de la Mare | Known as the Good Parliament. Met at London. |
| 47th | 1 December 1376 | 1376/77 | 27 January 1377 | 2 March 1377 | ? | Sir Thomas Hungerford² | Known as the Bad Parliament. |
Notes:
- ¹ The presiding officer of the House of Commons was initially known as the "Prolocutor" and sometimes as the Parlour, but the term most often used was "Speaker" and this became the title always used from the 1540s onwards.
- ² Hungerford was the first presiding officer of the Commons to be recorded as having the title of Speaker.
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Speaker | Note |
| 1st | 4 August 1377 | 1377 | 13 October 1377 | 5 December 1377 | ? | Sir Peter de la Mare | ... |
| 2nd | 3 September 1378 | 1378 | 20 October 1378 | 16 November 1378 | ? | Sir James Pickering | ... |
| 3rd | 16 February 1379 | 1379 | 24 April 1379 | 27 May 1379 | ? | unknown | ... |
| 4th | 20 October 1379 | 1379/80 | 16 January 1380 | 3 March 1380 | ? | Sir John Guildesborough | ... |
| 5th | 26 August 1380 | 1380 | 5 November 1380 | 6 December 1380 | ? | Sir John Guildesborough | ... |
| 6th | 16 July 1381 | 1381 | 3 November 1381 | 25 February 1382 | ? | Sir Richard Waldegrave | ... |
| 7th | 24 March 1382 | 1382 | 7 May 1382 | 22 May 1382 | ... | Sir Richard Waldegrave | ... |
| 8th | 9 August 1382 | 1382 | 6 October 1382 | 24 October 1382 | ? | Sir Richard Waldegrave | ... |
| 9th | 7 January 1383 | 1383 | 23 February 1383 | 10 March 1383 | ? | Sir James Pickering | ... |
| 10th | 20 August 1383 | 1383 | 26 October 1383 | 26 November 1383 | ? | Sir James Pickering | ... |
| 11th | 3 March 1384 | 1384 | 29 April 1384 | 27 May 1384 | ? | Sir James Pickering | ... |
| 12th | 28 September 1384 | 1384 | 12 November 1384 | 14 December 1384 | ? | Sir James Pickering | ... |
| 13th | 3 September 1385 | 1385 | 20 October 1385 | 6 December 1385 | ? | Sir James Pickering | ... |
| 14th | 8 August 1386 | 1386 | 1 October 1386 | 28 November 1386 | 1 | Sir James Pickering | Known as the Wonderful Parliament. |
| 15th | 17 December 1387 | 1387/88 | 3 February 1388 | 4 June 1388 | 2 | Sir James Pickering | Known as the Merciless Parliament or the Miraculous Parliament. |
| 16th | 28 July 1388 | 1388 | 9 September 1388 | 17 October 1388 | 1 | Sir James Pickering | ... |
| 17th | 6 December 1389 | 1389/90 | 17 January 1390 | 2 March 1390 | 1 | Sir James Pickering | ... |
| 18th | 12 September 1390 | 1390 | 12 November 1390 | 3 December 1390 | 1 | Sir James Pickering | ... |
| 19th | 7 September 1391 | 1391 | 3 November 1391 | 2 December 1391 | 1 | unknown | ... |
| 20th | 23 November 1392 | 1392/93 | 20 January 1393 | 10 February 1393 | 1 | unknown | ... |
| 21st | 13 November 1393 | 1393/94 | 27 January 1394 | 6 March 1394 | 1 | Sir John Bussy | ... |
| 22nd | 20 November 1394 | 1394/95 | 27 January 1395 | 15 February 1395 | 1 | Sir John Bussy | ... |
| 23rd | 30 November 1396 | 1396/97 | 22 January 1397 | 12 February 1397 | 1 | Sir John Bussy | ... |
| 24th | 18 July 1397 | 1397 | 17 September 1397 | 31 January 1398 | 2 | Sir John Bussy | ... |
| 25th | 19 August 1399 | 1389 | 30 September 1399 | 30 September 1399 | 1 | unknown | ... |
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Speaker | Note |
| 1st | 30 September 1399 | 1399 | 6 October 1399 | 19 November 1399 | 1 | Sir John Cheyne | Known as a Convention Parliament. |
| John Doreward |
| 2nd | 9 September 1400 | 1400/01 | 20 January 1401 | 10 March 1401 | 1 | Sir Arnold Savage | ... |
| 3rd | 19 June 1402 | 1402 | 30 September 1402 | 25 November 1402 | 1 | Sir Henry Redford | ... |
| 4th | 20 October 1403 | 1403/04 | 14 January 1404 | 20 March 1404 | 1 | Sir Arnold Savage | ... |
| 5th | 25 August 1404 | 1404 | 6 October 1404 | 13 November 1404 | 1 | Sir William Esturmy | Known aa the Unlearned Parliament, the Lawless Parliament[1] , the Parliament of Dunces or the Parliamentum Indoctorum. |
| 6th | 21 December 1405 | 1405/06 | 1 March 1406 | 22 December 1406 | 3 | Sir John Tiptoft | ... |
| 7th | 26 August 1407 | 1407 | 20 October 1407 | 2 December 1407 | 1 | Thomas Chaucer | ... |
| 8th | 26 October 1409 | 1409/10 | 27 January 1410 | 9 May 1410 | 2 | Thomas Chaucer | ... |
| 9th | 21 September 1411 | 1411 | 3 November 1411 | 19 December 1411 | 1 | Thomas Chaucer | ... |
| 10th | 1 December 1412 | 1412/13 | 3 February 1413 | 20 March 1413 | 1 | unknown | ... |
Parliaments of Henry V
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Speaker | Note |
| 1st | 29 September 1422 | 1422 | 9 November 1422 | 18 December 1422 | 1 | Roger Flower | ... |
| 2nd | 1 September 1423 | 1423 | 20 October 1423 | 28 February 1424 | 2 | Sir John Russell | ... |
| 3rd | 24 February 1425 | 1425 | 30 April 1425 | 14 July 1425 | 2 | Sir Thomas Walton | Parliament of 1425 |
| 4th | 7 January 1426 | 1426 | 18 February 1426 | 1 June 1426 | 2 | Sir Richard Vernon | Parliament of Bats. Met at Leicester. |
| 5th | 15 July 1427 | 1427 | 13 October 1427 | 25 March 1428 | 2 | Sir John Tyrrell | ... |
| 6th | 12 July 1429 | 1429 | 22 September 1429 | 23 February 1430 | 2 | William Alington | ... |
| 7th | 27 November 1430 | 1430/31 | 12 January 1431 | 20 March 1431 | 1 | Sir John Tyrrell | ... |
| 8th | 25 February 1432 | 1432 | 12 May 1432 | 17 July 1432 | 1 | Sir John Russell | ... |
| 9th | 24 May 1433 | 1433 | 8 July 1433 | >c.18 December 1433 | 2 | Roger Hunt | ... |
| 10th | 5 July 1435 | 1435 | 10 October 1435 | 23 December 1435 | 1 | John Bowes | ... |
| 11th | 29 October 1436 | 1436/37 | 21 January 1437 | 27 March 1437 | 1 | Sir John Tyrrell | ... |
| William Burley |
| 12th | 26 September 1439 | 1439 | 12 November 1439 | c.15–24 February 1440 | 2 | William Tresham | ... |
| 13th | 3 December 1441 | 1441/42 | 25 January 1442 | 27 March 1442 | 1 | William Tresham | ... |
| 14th | 13 January 1445 | 1445 | 25 February 1445 | 9 April 1445 | 4 | William Burley | ... |
| 15th | 14 December 1446 | 1446/47 | 10 February 1447 | 3 March 1447 | 1 | William Tresham | ... |
| 16th | 2 January 1449 | 1449 | 12 February 1449 | 16 July 1449 | 3 | Sir John Say | ... |
| 17th | 23 September 1449 | 1449 | 6 November 1449 | c.5–8 June 1450 | 4 | Sir John Popham | ... |
| William Tresham |
| 18th | 5 September 1450 | 1450 | 6 November 1450 | c.24–31 May 1451 | 3 | Sir Willian Oldhall | ... |
| 19th | 20 January 1453 | 1453 | 6 March 1453 | c.16–21 April 1454 | 4 | Thomas Thorpe | ... |
| Sir Thomas Charlton |
| 20th | 26 May 1455 | 1455 | 9 July 1455 | 12 March 1456 | ? | Sir John Wenlock | ... |
| 21st | 9 October 1459 | 1459 | 20 November 1459 | 20 December 1459 | ? | Sir Thomas Tresham | Parliament of Devils. Met at Coventry. |
| 22nd | 30 July 1460 | 1460 | 7 October 1460 | c.4 March 1461 | ? | John Green | ... |
| 23rd | 15 October 1470 | 1470 | 26 November 1470 | c. 11 April 1471 | ? | unknown | This Parliament was held during a period when King Henry VI was restored to the throne. It ended when King Edward IV deposed Henry for the second time. |
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Speaker |
| 1st | 23 May 1461 | 1461 | 4 November 1461 | 6 May 1462 | ? | James Strangeways |
| 2nd | 22 December 1462 | 1462/63 | 29 April 1463 | 28 March 1465 | ? | John Say |
| 3rd | 28 February 1467 | 1467 | 3 June 1467 | 7 June 1468 | ? | John Say |
| 4th | 19 August 1472 | 1472 | 6 October 1472 | 14 March 1475 | 7 | William Alington |
| 5th | 20 November 1477 | 1477/78 | 16 January 1478 | 26 February 1478 | 1 | William Alington |
| 6th | 15 November 1482 | 1482/83 | 20 January 1483 | 18 February 1483 | 1 | John Wood |
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Speaker |
| 1st | 9 December 1483 | 1483/84 | 23 January 1484 | 20 February 1484 | 1 | William Catesby |
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Speaker |
| 1st | 15 September 1485 | 1485 | 7 November 1485 | c. 4 March 1486 | 1 | Thomas Lovell |
| 2nd | ... | 1487 | 9 November 1487 | c. 18 December 1487 | 1 | John Mordaunt |
| 3rd | ... | ?1488/89 | 13 January 1489 | 27 February 1490 | 1 | Thomas fitzWilliam |
| 4th | 12 August 1491 | 1491 | 17 October 1491 | 5 March 1492 | 1 | Richard Empson |
| 5th | 15 September 1495 | 1495 | 14 October 1495 | 21–22 December 1495 | 1 | Robert Drury |
| 6th | 20 November 1496 | 1496/97 | 16 January 1497 | 13 March 1497 | 1 | Thomas Englefield |
| 7th | ... | ?1503/04 | 25 January 1504 | c. 1 April 1504 | 1 | Edmund Dudley |
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Speaker |
| 1st | 2 August 1547 | 1547 | 4 November 1547 | 15 April 1552 | 4 | Sir John Baker |
| 2nd | 5 January 1553 | 1553 | 1 March 1553 | 31 March 1553 | 1 | James Dyer |
Parliaments of Mary I
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Speaker |
| 1st | 14 August 1553 | 1553 | 5 October 1553 | 5 December 1553 | 1 | Sir John Pollard |
| 2nd | 17 February 1554 | 1554 | 2 April 1554 | 3 May 1554 | 1 | Robert Broke |
| 3rd | 3 October 1554 | 1554 | 12 November 1554 | 16 January 1555 | 1 | Clement Higham |
| 4th | 3 September 1555 | 1555 | 21 October 1555 | 9 December 1555 | 1 | Sir John Pollard |
| 5th | 6 December 1557 | 1557/58 | 20 January 1558 | 17 November 1558 | 2 | William Cordell |
Parliaments of James I
The Long Parliament, which commenced in this reign, had the longest term and the most complex history of any English Parliament. The entry in the first table below relates to the whole Parliament. Although it rebelled against King Charles I and continued to exist long after the King's death, it was a Parliament he originally summoned. An attempt has been made to set out the different phases of the Parliament in the second table in this section and in subsequent sections. The phases are explained in a note.
Note:
- (a) Speakers of the Long Parliament (including times when it sat as the Rump Parliament): Lenthall 3 November 1640 – 26 July 1647; Pelham 30 July 1647 – 5 August 1647; Lenthall 6 August 1647 – 20 April 1653 (restored to the Chair by the Army and sat until Oliver Cromwell dissolved the Rump Parliament) and 26 December 1653 – 13 January 1660 (when the Rump was restored); Say 13 January 1660 – 21 January 1660 and Lenthall 21 January 1660 – 16 March 1660.
The Long Parliament (Royalist phases)
Note:
- (a) Phase 'a' of the Long Parliament was when it functioned as a conventional Parliament, requiring the assent of King Charles I to legislation. An unusual feature was that a law was enacted providing that this Parliament could not be lawfully dissolved without its own consent. This phase ended when the King raised his standard (22 August 1642) and commenced the English Civil War. The day before this event is the date inserted in the Dissolved column.
- (b) Phase 'c' of the Long Parliament was the King's Oxford Parliament. The King was unable to lawfully dissolve the Long Parliament, without its consent, so he summoned the members to meet at Oxford. Royalists and those interested in trying to settle the Civil War by compromise attended the meetings, which were in opposition to the revolutionary body (phase 'b' of the Long Parliament, see below) sitting concurrently at Westminster. The date of the first meeting is given in the Assembled column and of the last sitting in the Dissolved column.
Parliaments of the Revolution and Commonwealth
Note:
- (a) This was phase 'b' of the Long Parliament, when it functioned as a revolutionary Parliament, after the start of the English Civil War. Parliament assumed the power to legislate by Ordinance, without needing Royal assent. This phase ended with Pride's Purge, which converted the Long Parliament into the Rump Parliament. In 1644 the King summoned the Long Parliament to meet at Oxford. Those members who responded constituted the King's Oxford Parliament (phase c of the Parliament, see the previous section), in opposition to the revolutionary Parliament which continued to sit at the Palace of Westminster. The date in the Assembled column is the day when King Charles I raised his standard and commenced the English Civil War. The date in the Dissolved column is the day before Pride's Purge, when the full Long Parliament last met (until the Purge was reversed on 21 February 1660).
- (b) This was phase 'd' of the Long Parliament, known as the Rump Parliament. During this period the Army only permitted selected members to continue to participate. The House of Lords was abolished (6 February 1649) as was the monarchy (7 February 1649). Thereafter the Rump of the House of Commons was the only remaining element of Parliament. It legislated the Commonwealth of England into existence on 19 May 1649. The date of Pride's Purge is given in the Assembled column and the date when Oliver Cromwell dissolved the Rump by force is in the Dissolved column.
- (c) The Little or Barebone's Parliament was an appointed body.
These parliaments included representatives of Scotland and Ireland.
Note:
- (a) This was phase 'e' of the Long Parliament. The Army restored the Rump Parliament, to liquidate the Protectorate and re-establish the Commonwealth regime.
Parliaments of the Commonwealth
Note:
- (a) This was phase 'f' of the Long Parliament, with the Rump Parliament running the restored Commonwealth regime.
- (b) This was phase 'g' of the Long Parliament. Pride's Purge was reversed and the full Long Parliament made arrangements for a Convention Parliament and then dissolved itself.
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Speaker | Note |
| 1st | 29 December 1688 | 1688-89 | 22 January 1689 | 6 February 1690 | 2 | Henry Powle | The Convention Parliament of 1689 was not summoned by King James II, who was outside the country, but by the future William III. On February 12, 1689, the Convention decided that James had abdicated by fleeing the capital on 18 December 1688 and by throwing the Great Seal of the Realm into the River Thames and offered the throne jointly to William III and Mary II, who accepted it. The Convention converted itself to a formal parliament the next day (February 13), and legal records use that date (February 13 rather than the original assembly date of January 22) as the official start date of the parliament.[13] |
| 2nd | 6 February 1690 | 1690 | 20 March 1690 | 11 October 1695 | 6 | John Trevor | |
| 3rd | 12 October 1695 | 1695 | 22 November 1695 | 7 July 1698 | 3 | Paul Foley | |
| 4th | 13 July 1698 | 1698 | 24 August 1698 | 19 December 1700 | 2 | Thomas Littleton |
| 5th | 26 December 1700 | 1700/01 | 6 February 1701 | 11 November 1701 | 1 | Robert Harley |
| 6th | 3 November 1701 | 1701 | 30 December 1701 | 2 July 1702 | 1 | Robert Harley |
- Note: The Convention Parliament of 1689 is usually referred to as the 1st Parliament of William & Mary and thus the 1690 parliament is referred to as the "Second Parliament".[14] The very first act of the 1690 parliament (2 Will. & Mar., c.1) [15] was to legitimize the Convention parliament as a lawfully-summoned parliament.
- Note: Queen Mary II died in December 1694, during the sixth session of the second parliament. Subsequent parliamentary sessions are labelled as "William III" alone (rather than "William & Mary"), but their numbering is not reset. The next parliament (1695) is conventionally called the "third parliament", the 1698 parliament the "fourth parliament" etc.
Parliaments of Anne
| No. | Summoned | Elected | Assembled | Dissolved | Sessions | Speaker |
| 1st | 2 July 1702 | 1702 | 20 August 1702 | 5 April 1705 | 3 | Robert Harley |
| 2nd | 2 May 1705 | 1705 | 14 July 1705 | 3 April 1707 | 3 | John Smith |
On the 29 April 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain was constituted. The members of the 2nd Parliament of Queen Anne became part of the 1st Parliament of Great Britain.
See also
Notes
- ↑ Jeaffreson, John Cordy (1867). A Book about Lawyers, 2. Hurst and Blackett. p. 93. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
- ↑ Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts Relating to English Affairs Existing in the Archives and Collections of Venice, and in Other Libraries of Northern Italy, section 679 3. Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer. 1869. p. 318. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thrush & Ferris 2010, Appendix II: Officers of the Commons and Chairmen of standing committees
- ↑ Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Cassell. 1970. p. 1120.
- ↑ Statutes at Large (1 William & Mary c.1)
- ↑ e.g. A Parliamentary History of England (1809 vol. 5)
- ↑ 2 Will & Mar, c.1 in Statutes at Large (note: legal year is given here, not historical year).
References
- Coke, Edward; Littleton, Thomas; Hargrave, Francis (1817), The ... Part of the Institutes of the Laws of England; Or, a Commentary Upon Littleton: Not the Name of the Author Only, But of the Law Itself : Including Also the Notes of Lord Chief Justice Hale and Lord Chancellor Nottingham, and an Analysis of Littleton, Written by an Unknown Hand ..., 3 (19 ed.), Clarke, p. ii
- Thrush, Andrew; Ferris, John P., eds. (2010), The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1604-1629, Cambridge University Press (available online from Website of The History of Parliament Trust:1604-1629, The History of Parliament Trust, retrieved September 2013 )
Further reading
- Laundy, Philip (1964), The Office of Speaker, Cassell & Company
- Powell, J. Enoch; Wallis, Keith (1968), The House of Lords in the Middle Ages, Weidenfeld and Nicolson