House of Commons of England

House of Commons of England
Name	House of Commons
Legislature	Parliament of England
Coa pic	St Edward's Crown (Heraldry).svg
House type	Lower house
Body	Parliament of England
Established	0 1341
Preceded by	Parliament
Succeeded by	House of Commons of Great Britain
Disbanded	0 1707
Leader1 type	Speaker
Leader1	Final: John Smith
Election1	1705
Seats	513 (at dissolution)
Meeting place	Palace of Westminster, Westminster

House of Commons of England. The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century until the political union with Scotland in 1707. It evolved from the practice of including representatives of the counties and boroughs alongside the Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal in the Model Parliament of Edward I. The Commons grew in political influence, particularly during the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution, becoming a central institution in the constitutional framework of the nation.

Origins and development

The Commons originated in the 13th and 14th centuries as Knights of the shire and burgesses were summoned to advise the Crown. Key developments included the Model Parliament of 1295 and the separation of the two houses during the reign of Edward III. Its authority was cemented by its role in granting taxation, notably through the principle of "redress of grievances". Landmark events like the Good Parliament of 1376 and the Merciless Parliament of 1388 demonstrated its growing assertiveness against the Crown and the House of Lords.

Composition and electoral system

Members were elected from geographic constituencies: two Knights of the shire from each county and two burgesses from each parliamentary borough. The franchise was extremely limited, with county voters requiring freehold property and borough franchises varying widely under royal charters. The distribution of seats, largely unchanged since the Tudor period, became highly unrepresentative, leading to so-called "Rotten and pocket boroughs". Major reforms would not occur until the Great Reform Act.

Powers and functions

The primary power of the Commons was its control over supply and taxation, formalized by the precedent that money bills must originate there. It held the power of impeachment against the King's ministers. Through legislation, it shaped major policies, including the Act of Supremacy and the Poor Law. Its most dramatic assertion of power was its central role in the conflicts leading to the English Civil War and the Execution of Charles I.

Relationship with the Crown and the Lords

Relations with the monarch were often contentious, exemplified by the Petition of Right in 1628 and the Grand Remonstrance of 1641. The Glorious Revolution and the resulting Bill of Rights permanently established parliamentary supremacy over royal prerogative. While the House of Lords remained the senior house, the Commons' financial leverage allowed it to gain primacy, a dynamic clear during the reign of William III and the War of the Spanish Succession.

Procedure and customs

Procedure was governed by precedent and evolving rules. The presiding officer was the Speaker, a member elected by the House but requiring royal approval. Debates were managed through formal motions and committees of the whole house. Traditions such as the independence of the Clerk and the symbolic search of the cellars before the State Opening of Parliament date from this period.

Notable members and historical events

Notable members included the parliamentarian John Pym, the diarist Samuel Pepys, and the philosopher John Locke. The Commons was the stage for pivotal events like the Putney Debates of the New Model Army, the Exclusion Bill crisis during the Popish Plot, and the drafting of the Act of Settlement. It opposed the policies of Thomas Wentworth and George Villiers.

Abolition and legacy

The House of Commons of England was abolished on 1 May 1707 by the Treaty of Union with Scotland. It was succeeded by the new House of Commons of Great Britain, which included English members joined by 45 representatives from Scotland. Its procedures, privileges, and central constitutional role were directly inherited by the new British Parliament, forming the bedrock of the Westminster system that spread across the globe through the British Empire.

Category:House of Commons of England Category:Defunct lower houses