The House of Commons of Great Britain was the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. In 1707, as a result of the Acts of Union of that year, it replaced the House of Commons of England and the third estate of the Parliament of Scotland, as one of the most significant changes brought about by the Union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain.
The Honourable the Commons of the Kingdom of Great Britain in Parliament assembled
St Stephen's Chapel, Palace of Westminster, Westminster, London
Footnotes
See also: Irish House of Commons
In the course of the 18th century, the office of prime minister developed. The notion that a government remains in power only as long as it retains the support of Parliament also evolved, leading to the first motion of no confidence, when Lord North's government failed to end the American Revolution. The modern notion that only the support of the House of Commons is necessary for a government to survive, however, was of later development. Similarly, the custom that the prime minister is always a member of the lower house, rather than the upper one, did not evolve until the twentieth century.
The business of the house was controlled by an elected speaker. The speaker's official role was to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decided who may speak and had the powers to discipline members who break the procedures of the house. The speaker often also represented the body in person, as the voice of the body in ceremonial and some other situations. The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerford in the Parliament of England. By convention, speakers are normally addressed in Parliament as Mister Speaker, if a man, or Madam Speaker, if a woman.
The members of the last House of Commons of England had been elected between 7 May and 6 June 1705, and from 1707 they all continued to sit as members of the new House of Commons. The last general election in Scotland had been held in the autumn of 1702, and from 1707 only forty-five of the members of the Parliament of Scotland joined the new house. In Scotland there was also no new election from the burghs, and the places available were filled by co-option from the last Parliament.
Parliamentary constituencies
The constituencies which elected members in England and Wales remained unchanged throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain.
Table of Constituencies and Members of the Parliament
Country
Constituencies
Members
Borough /Burgh
County
University
Total
Borough /Burgh
County
University
Total
England
203
40
2
245
405
80
4
489
Wales
12
12
0
24
12
12
0
24
Scotland
15
30
0
45
15
30
0
45
Total
230
82
2
314
432
122
4
558
Sources:
Chris Cook & John Stevenson, British Historical Facts 1760-1830 (The Macmillan Press, 1980)
Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher, British Electoral Facts 1832-1999 (Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2000)
The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III
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