House of Commons of Great Britain facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable the Commons of the Kingdom of Great Britain in Parliament assembled
Royal coat of arms of Great Britain, 1714-1800
Type
Type	Lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain
History
Established	1 May 1707
Disbanded	31 December 1800
Preceded by	House of Commons of England Third Estate of the Parliament of Scotland
Succeeded by	House of Commons of the United Kingdom
Leadership
Speaker of the House	Henry Addington Since 1789
Structure
Seats	558
Salary	none
Elections
Voting system	First past the post with limited suffrage
Meeting place
St Stephen's Chapel, Palace of Westminster, Westminster, London
Footnotes
See also: Irish House of Commons

The House of Commons of Great Britain was an important part of the government in Great Britain from 1707 to 1801. It was like the main "lower house" of the Parliament of Great Britain.

In 1707, a big change happened. England and Scotland joined together to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. Because of this, the old English House of Commons and part of the Scottish Parliament combined to create this new House of Commons.

Over time, the idea of a "prime minister" started to grow. This was a leader who would guide the government. People also began to understand that a government could only stay in power if it had the support of Parliament. If Parliament didn't support the government, they could vote to remove it. This led to the first "motion of no confidence" when Lord North's government couldn't end the American Revolution.

The House of Commons was led by an elected person called the Speaker. The Speaker's job was to make sure debates were fair. They would decide who could speak and make sure everyone followed the rules. The Speaker also announced the results of votes. The Speaker was like the official voice of the House. The title "Speaker" was first used in 1377. Today, we still call them "Mister Speaker" or "Madam Speaker."

In 1801, Great Britain and Ireland joined together. This created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Because of this, the House of Commons of Great Britain became even bigger. It was then known as the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

Pitt speaking in the House of Commons, painted by Anton Hickel.

How the House of Commons Was Created

When the House of Commons of Great Britain was formed in 1707, it didn't start completely new. The people who were already members of the last House of Commons of England simply continued their roles.

For Scotland, things were a bit different. Only 45 members from the old Scottish Parliament joined the new House. There wasn't a new election for some areas in Scotland. Instead, some members were chosen from the previous Parliament to fill the spots.

Where Members Came From: Constituencies

The areas that elected members to the House of Commons were called constituencies. These areas stayed the same throughout the time the Parliament of Great Britain existed.

The table below shows how many constituencies and members each country had: