Hanover, Pensions and the ‘Poor Lords’, 1712–13

On the Radar: The House of Lords Comes in from the Cold

“…59 Who was in the party of the crown? Some are obvious, including those holding government office or court places, 60 but two other less prominent groups can also be identified: the poor lords and the Scottish representatives. The peers in receipt of pensions from the crown were often known as the 'poor lords', because their financial problems were such that without assistance they were unable to undertake a regular political role.…”

“…The peers in receipt of pensions from the crown were often known as the 'poor lords', because their financial problems were such that without assistance they were unable to undertake a regular political role. 61 When provided with some help they could be relied upon to attend regularly andhardly surprisingly -to vote with the government. The other group consisted of the 16 Scottish representative peers who sat in the Lords as part of the deal brokered over the 1707 Act of Union.…”

“…Taylor had previously been both Namier's friend and colleague: see Cannadine, 'History of Parliament', 373-4. 74 Cannadine, 'History of Parliament',373;Colley,Namier,21,61,[72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89] The History of Parliament: The House of Commons, 1660-1690, ed. B.D.…”