The House of Commons 1509–1558: Personnel, Procedure, Precedent and Change

The House of Commons 1509–1558 offers readers a ground–breaking examination of the role and significance of the British House of Commons during the Tudor period. Written by a noted scholar, it utilizes new scholarship, archival research, and never–before–published images to enhance our understanding of the time. The book details all aspects of this political institution, including elections and electoral practice, membership, organization, the House in session, and legislative issues. It addresses a surprising number of innovations in the conduct and management of the House by speakers and members during this time, such as the introduction of divisions and increasing bureaucratization. With an emphasis throughout on the turbulent nature of the House during this period, this book re–evaluates a number of important political issues of the time, including the nature of institutional change and opposition.

Alasdair Hawkyard is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Historical Society. He was formerly Co–editor and Principal Research Assistant on the 1509–1558 section of the History of Parliament. His long–standing interest in architectural, social, and political history is reflected in a range of articles published in Parliamentary History as well as other academic journals. He is the co–editor of Sir Thomas Duppa s Commonplace Book (Wiley Blackwell, 2015) and co–author of The Counties of Britain: A Tudor Atlas by John Speed (1988).