The victory of the Lords

In 1689, Parliament passed acts which took power from the king (or queen). They said that only Parliament could change the law - the king could not do it alone. Taxes were legal only if Parliament agreed to them. There could be a standing army, but it too needed Parliament's consent. And that consent had to be given each year. This meant that Parliament had to meet at least once a year. Therefore, the king or queen could not rule without it.

Parliament said that it had a right to these powers because it spoke for the people. In fact, it spoke for a few of the people - the rich ones, those who owned the land. These were the nobles who sat in the House of Lords, and the gentry who sat in the Commons.

The House of Commons was elected. But not many men (and no women) had the right to vote. Men who could vote had to do so in public, so their landlords and employers could see how they voted, and force them to vote the right way. Those who could not be forced might be bribed.

The forcing and bribing were done by men with land and money - the gentry and the nobles. The most powerful men were the richest, and they were the nobles, with their huge estates. That is why the House of Lords was more important than the Commons at this time. Many of the gentry in the Commons followed the orders of nobles in the Lords.

Walter Robson: Crown, Parliament and People; Oxford University Press, 1992/2002, page 55