About the case study
Charles Stanhope, third Earl Stanhope (1753-1816), was a scientist, inventor and politician. He was MP for High Wycombe between 1780 and 1786 and sat in the House of Lords from 1786 until his death. Stanhope worked closely with contemporaries including John Wilkes, William Wilberforce and William Pitt on important issues including the abolition of the slave trade, Parliamentary reform and religious toleration. Most notably Stanhope was involved in the passing of the County Elections Act (1788) and the Slave Trade Abolition Act (1807).
This project was undertaken by a group from St Simon Stock Catholic School from Maidstone, Kent. Participants worked with Kent History and Library Centre and the Parliamentary Archives over a period of two weeks. During this time, the group had a workshop at Kent History and Library Centre. The group also visited Parliament for a day, where they toured the Parliamentary Archives, then attended a workshop in which they undertook research using records held in the Archives.