Duration of English, British and United Kingdom Parliaments from 1660

This article augments the lists of Parliaments to be found elsewhere (see links below) with additional information which could not be conveniently incorporated in them.

The No. column in this table counts backwards from the Parliament elected in 2005. This is not the conventional way of numbering Parliaments. The NP number is the number counting forward from the creation of the United Kingdom in 1801, Great Britain 1707-1800 and the accession of particular monarchs of England before 1707.

The duration column is calculated from the date of the first meeting of the Parliament, to that of dissolution, using a year-month-day format.

Parliaments from 1705

No	NP	Elected	Opened	Dissolved	Duration
1	UK54	5 May 2005	11 May 2005	12 April 2010	4-11-1
2	UK53	7 June 2001	13 June 2001	11 April 2005	3-9-29
3	UK52	1 May 1997	7 May 1997	14 May 2001	4-0-7
4	UK51	9 April 1992	27 April 1992	8 April 1997	4-11-12
5	UK50	11 June 1987	17 June 1987	16 March 1992	4-8-28
6	UK49	9 June 1983	15 June 1983	18 May 1987	3-11-3
7	UK48	3 May 1979	9 May 1979	13 May 1983	4-0-4
8	UK47	10 October 1974	22 October 1974	7 April 1979	4-5-16
9	UK46	28 February 1974	6 March 1974	20 September 1974	0-6-14
10	UK45	18 June 1970	29 June 1970	8 February 1974	3-7-10
11	UK44	31 March 1966	18 April 1966	29 May 1970	4-1-11
12	UK43	15 October 1964	27 October 1964	10 March 1966	1-4-11
13	UK42	8 October 1959	20 October 1959	25 September 1964	4-11-5
14	UK41	26 May 1955	7 June 1955	18 September 1959	4-3-11
15	UK40	25 October 1951	31 October 1951	6 May 1955	3-6-6
16	UK39	23 February 1950	1 March 1950	5 October 1951	1-7-4
17	UK38	5 July 1945	1 August 1945	3 February 1950	4-6-2
18	UK37	14 November 1935	26 November 1935	15 June 1945	9-6-20
19	UK36	27 October 1931	3 November 1931	25 October 1935	3-11-22
20	UK35	30 May 1929	25 June 1929	8 October 1931	2-3-13
21	UK34	29 October 1924	2 December 1924	10 May 1929	4-5-8
22	UK33	6 December 1923	8 January 1924	9 October 1924	0-9-1
23	UK32	15 November 1922	20 November 1922	16 November 1923	0-11-27
24	UK31	14 December 1918	4 February 1919	26 October 1922	3-8-22
25	UK30	3–19 December 1910	31 January 1911	25 November 1918	7-9-25
26	UK29	15 January-10 February 1910	15 February 1910	28 November 1910	0-9-13
27	UK28	12 January-8 February 1906	13 February 1906	10 January 1910	3-10-28
28	UK27	1–24 October 1900	3 December 1900	8 January 1906	5-1-5
29	UK26	13 July-7 August 1895	12 August 1895	25 September 1900	5-1-13
30	UK25	4–26 July 1892	4 August 1892	8 July 1895	2-11-4
31	UK24	1–27 July 1886	5 August 1886	28 June 1892	5-10-23
32	UK23	24 November-18 December 1885	12 January 1886	26 June 1886	0-5-14
33	UK22	31 March-27 April 1880	29 April 1880	18 November 1885	5-6-20
34	UK21	31 January-17 February 1874	5 March 1874	24 March 1880	6-0-19
35	UK20	17 November-7 December 1868	10 December 1868	26 January 1874	5-1-16
36	UK19	11–24 July 1865	1 February 1866	11 November 1868	2-9-10
37	UK18	28 April-18 May 1859	31 May 1859	6 July 1865	6-1-6
38	UK17	27 March-24 April 1857	30 April 1857	23 April 1859	1-11-23
39	UK16	7–31 July 1852	4 November 1852	21 March 1857	4-7-1
40	UK15	29 July-26 August 1847	18 November 1847	1 July 1852	4-9-10
41	UK14	29 June-22 July 1841	19 August 1841	23 July 1847	5-11-4
42	UK13	24 July-18 August 1837	15 November 1837	23 June 1841	3-9-12
43	UK12	6 January-6 February 1835	19 February 1835	17 July 1837	2-4-26
44	UK11	10 December 1832-8 January 1833	29 January 1833	29 December 1834	1-11-0
45	UK10	28 April-1 June 1831	14 June 1831	3 December 1832	1-5-19
46	UK9	29 July-1 September 1830	14 September 1830	23 April 1831	0-7-9
47	UK8	7 June-12 July 1826	25 July 1826	24 July 1830	3-11-30
48	UK7	6 March-14 April 1820	21 April 1820	2 June 1826	6-1-12
49	UK6	15 June-25 July 1818	4 August 1818	29 February 1820	1-6-25
50	UK5	5 October-10 November 1812	24 November 1812	10 June 1818	5-5-17
51	UK4	4 May-9 June 1807	22 June 1807	29 September 1812	5-3-7
52	UK3	29 October-17 December 1806	13 December 1806	29 April 1807	0-4-16
53	UK2	5 July-28 August 1802	31 August 1802	24 October 1806	4-1-24
54	UK1	Note a	22 January 1801	29 June 1802	(1-5-7)
54	GB18	25 May-29 June 1796	12 July 1796	Note a	5-11-7
55	GB17	16 June-28 July 1790	10 August 1790	20 May 1796	5-9-10
56	GB16	30 March-18 May 1784	18 May 1784	11 June 1790	6-0-24
57	GB15	6 September-18 October 1780	31 October 1780	25 March 1784	3-4-25
58	GB14	5 October-10 November 1774	29 November 1774	1 September 1780	5-9-3
59	GB13	16 March-6 May 1768	10 May 1768	30 September 1774	6-4-20
60	GB12	25 March-5 May 1761	19 May 1761	11 March 1768	6-9-20
61	GB11	13 April-20 May 1754	31 May 1754	20 March 1761	6-9-20
62	GB10	26 June-4 August 1747	13 August 1747	8 April 1754	6-7-26
63	GB9	30 April-11 June 1741	25 June 1741	18 June 1747	6-11-23
64	GB8	22 April-6 June 1734	13 June 1734	27 April 1741	6-10-14
65	GB7	14 August-17 October 1727	28 November 1727	17 April 1734	6-4-20
66	GB6	19 March-9 May 1722	10 May 1722	5 August 1727	5-2-26
67	GB5	22 January-9 March 1715	17 March 1715	10 March 1722	6-11-19
68	GB4	22 August-12 November 1713	12 November 1713	15 January 1715	1-2-3
69	GB3	2 October-16 November 1710	25 November 1710	8 August 1713	2-8-14
70	GB2	30 April-7 July 1708	8 July 1708	21 September 1710	2-2-13
71	GB1	Note b	23 October 1707	3 April 1708	(0-11-5)
71	QA/2	7 May-6 June 1705	14 June 1705	Note b	2-9-24

Notes:-

(a) The MPs of the 18th Parliament of Great Britain (elected 1796) and 100 members co-opted from the former Parliament of Ireland

Parliament of Ireland

The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...

, became the House of Commons of the 1st Parliament of the United Kingdom on 1 January 1801. The two Parliaments together are referred to in this list as the 54th Parliament, counting backwards from the one elected in 2005. The duration for the 1st Parliament of the United Kingdom, in brackets, is counted from the first meeting of that Parliament to its dissolution. The duration for the 18th Parliament of Great Britain is counted from the first meeting of that Parliament in 1796 to the dissolution of the 1st Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1802.

(b) The MPs of the 2nd Parliament of England in the reign of Queen Anne (elected 1705) and 45 members co-opted from the former Parliament of Scotland

Parliament of Scotland

The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...

, became the House of Commons of the 1st Parliament of Great Britain in 1707. The two Parliaments together are referred to in this list as the 71st Parliament, counting backwards from the one elected in 2005. The duration for the 1st Parliament of Great Britain, in brackets, is counted from the first meeting of that Parliament to its dissolution. The duration for the 2nd Parliament of England in the reign of Queen Anne is counted from the first meeting of that Parliament in 1705 to the dissolution of the 1st Parliament of Great Britain in 1708.

Parliaments 1660-1705

No	NP	Summoned	Opened	Dissolved	Duration
72	QA/1	2 July 1702	20 August 1702	5 April 1705	2-7-16
73	WM/5	3 November 1701	30 December 1701	2 July 1702	0-6-2
74	WM/4	26 December 1700	6 February 1701	11 November 1701	0-9-5
75	WM/3	13 July 1698	24 August 1698	19 December 1700	2-3-25
76	WM/2	12 October 1695	22 November 1695	6 July 1698	2-6-15
77	WM/1	6 February 1690	20 March 1690	11 October 1695	4-6-21
78	CP	29 December 1688	22 January 1689	6 February 1690	1-0-15
79	KJ2/1	14 February 1685	19 May 1685	2 July 1687	2-1-13
80	KC2/4	20 January 1681	21 March 1681	28 March 1681	0-0-7
81	KC2/3	24 July 1679	21 October 1680	18 January 1681	0-2-27
82	KC2/2	25 January 1679	6 March 1679	12 July 1679	0-4-6
83	KC2/1	18 February 1661	8 May 1661	24 January 1679	17-8-16
84	CP	16 March 1660	25 April 1660	29 December 1660	0-8-4

Key to abbrieviations in the NP column: -

(a) CP - Convention Parliament: In seventeenth century usage a Convention was a body in the form of a Parliament, which had been summoned by a de facto ruler rather than a de jure monarch. Once the Convention had recognised a de jure sovereign it could then convert itself into a Parliament. The 1660 Convention restored King Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...

. The 1689-90 Convention offered the throne jointly to King William III of England
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...

and Queen Mary II of England
Mary II of England
Mary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...

.
(b) KC2 - Parliament summoned by King Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...

.
(c) KJ2 - Parliament summoned by King James II of England
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...

.
(d) WM - Parliament summoned by King William III of England
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...

and Queen Mary II of England
Mary II of England
Mary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...

(before her death in 1694, after which her husband was sole monarch).
(e) QA - Parliament summoned by Queen Anne of England
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...

.

Parliaments from 1705

Parliaments 1660-1705

See also