Back

First Parliament of the United Kingdom

1st Parliament of the United Kingdom
18th (GB)
1798–1800 (Ire)
2nd
Henry Addington, Prime Minister during most of the 1st Parliament
Overview
Meeting placePalace of Westminster
Term22 January 1801 (1801-01-22) – 29 June 1802 (1802-06-29)
ElectionNone; co-option from 1796 general election
Government
OppositionFoxites
House of Commons
Pitt addressing the Commons in 1793
Members658 MPs
Speaker of the House of Commons
Leader of the House of Commons
Party controlTories
House of Lords
Plate 52 of Microcosm of London (1809)
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal/ Lord Chancellor
Leader of the House of Lords
Sessions
1st22 January 1801 (1801-01-22) – 2 July 1801 (1801-07-02)
2nd29 October 1801 (1801-10-29) – 28 June 1802 (1802-06-28)

In the first Parliament to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 January 1801, the first House of Commons of the United Kingdom was composed of all 558 members of the former Parliament of Great Britain and 100 of the members of the House of Commons of Ireland.

The Parliament of Great Britain had held its last general election in 1796 and last met on 5 November 1800. The final general election for the Parliament of Ireland had taken place in 1797, although by-elections had continued to take place until 1800.

The other chamber of the Parliament, the House of Lords, consisted of members of the pre-existing House of Lords in Great Britain, in addition to 28 Irish representative peers elected by members of the former Irish House of Lords.

By a proclamation dated 5 November 1800, the members of the new united Parliament were summoned to a first meeting at Westminster on 22 January 1801. At the outset, the Tories led by Addington enjoyed a majority of 108 in the new House of Commons.