Priscilla Baines discusses her new book, ‘Colonel Wedgwood’s Questionnaire: Members of Parliament 1885-1918’

During the 1930s, as part of his plan to create a biographical dictionary of MPs, from the 13th century to the 20th, Josiah Wedwood MP sent a questionnaire to those who had served in the 1885-1918 Parliaments. Out of them he wrote a series of idiosyncratic and pithy biographies of his contemporaries, friends and enemies. The result is a unique and extraordinary record of Parliamentarians a century and more ago.

Priscilla Baines, former Librarian of the House of Commons, has written a book describing Wedgwood's project and containing the biographies that Wedgwood himself wrote. On Wednesday 12 December Priscilla will be giving a talk about the project in the House of Lords. If you are interested in attending, please contact us.

Priscilla's book, 'Colonel Josiah Wedgwood’s Questionnaire: Members of Parliament 1885-1918' is now available from Wiley Blackwell, and you can read more about the project here.