Offices

1278
Clerk of the Parliaments begins to compile the Rolls of Parliament, the records of proceedings

1363

First Clerk of the House of Commons, Robert de Melton

1376

In the Good Parliament the Commons is led for the first time by a Speaker elected from amongst its own ranks

1415

First Serjeant at Arms appointed by the King for the Commons

1497
Clerk of the Parliaments is no longer a Chancery official and begins to keep Acts passed in Parliament in Parliament's own archives

1547
Clerk of the Commons starts keeping records of proceedings - the Commons Journal

1642

King Charles I enters the Commons to arrest five Members and Speaker Lenthall asserts his role as spokesperson for the Commons and its independence from the King

1824

Clerk of the Parliaments Act puts the Clerk's duties on a statutory footing for the first time and continues in force to this day

1855

Deputy Speaker Act 1855 combines the roles of Chairman of Ways of Means with the principal Deputy Speaker

2005

Constitutional Reform Act re-shapes the ancient role of the Lord Chancellor and creates the Office of the Lord Speaker

2006

Lords elect their first Lord Speaker (Baroness Hayman, 4 July 2006)

2009

Commons elect their first Speaker using new exhaustive secret ballot procedure (John Bercow, 22 June 2009)