Social History Gallery

Charles I and Speaker Lenthall, c1850, (1947). Creator: Unknown

Charles I and Speaker Lenthall, c1850, (1947). On 4 January 1642, King Charles I (1600-1649, standing, in hat) entered the House of Commons to arrest five Members of Parliament for high treason. Speaker William Lenthall (1591-1662) defied the King to uphold the privileges of Parliament. The King had to leave without arresting the Five Members. No monarch has entered the House of Commons since then. After Speaker Lenthall Asserting the Privileges of the Commons Against Charles I when the Attempt was made to Seize the Five Members, painting by Charles West Cope in the Palace of Westminster in London. From "The House of Commons", by Martin Lindsay M.P. [Collins, London, 1947]

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Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, 1814-1815, (1944). Creator: Thomas Lawrence

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, 1814-1815, (1944). Portrait of Anglo-Irish soldier and future British prime minister Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (1761-1852) wearing Field Marshal's uniform and standing under a Roman style triumphal arch. He holds aloft the Sword of State (symbolising the sovereign's royal authority) in an heroic gesture. The portrait was commissioned by George IV in the summer of 1814 after the initial defeat of Napoleon. Painting in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. From "British Soldiers, by S. H. F. Johnston. [Collins, London, 1944]

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My First Sermon, 1863, (1947). Creator: John Everett Millais

My First Sermon, 1863, (1947). The Artist's Daughter in Winchelsea Church': portrait of Millais daughter Effie, aged about five, sitting upright and somewhat daunted, listening to the preacher's message. The location was probably All Saints Church at Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey. A companion piece, painted a year or so later, shows her fast asleep, the novelty of a church service having waned. Painting in the Guildhall Art Gallery, London. From "English Hymns and Hymn Writers", by Adam Fox. [Collins, London, 1947]

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