# A Tale of Two Towers: The History of the Parliamentary Archives

A Tale of Two Towers: The History of the Parliamentary Archives at Society of Antiquaries, Thursday 29 October 2026, 17:00.

- Venue: Society of Antiquaries
- With: Dr Mari Takayanagi
- Go to page: https://www.sal.org.uk/events/parliamentary-archives/

![A Tale of Two Towers: The History of the Parliamentary Archives](https://noky.io/images/503447fd1fdb22e8fac603515c134b96b8f07ca15d164417e96dc81fa4b15a66-2000.webp)

A lecture telling the history of the Parliamentary Archives, from records kept in the Jewel Tower to their home in the Victoria Tower, including documents such as the Death Warrant of Charles I, the Bill of Rights 1689 and the Great Reform Act 1832. It is given by Dr Mari Takayanagi FSA, a historian and archivist who worked at the UK Parliamentary Archives between 2000 and 2025. The talk covers how the House of Lords kept its records safely while the House of Commons lost nearly all of theirs in the 1834 fire that burned down the medieval Palace of Westminster, and how a record office was set up in 1946. It takes place in person at Burlington House and online, open to anyone, with tea and coffee beforehand and sherry afterwards.

## Dates

- Thursday 29 October 17:00 — Society of Antiquaries

Written by a model, sources: [sal.org.uk](https://www.sal.org.uk/events/parliamentary-archives/)

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