Dean of the Georgeland House of Commons

The Father of the House of Commons is the title given to the longest-serving male member of the Georgeland House of Commons. In theory the title belongs to the longest-serving member overall, as women were not entitled to vote before the 1920s. To date, the longest-serving member of the house has always been male. There is also a Mother of the House which is the longest-serving woman. The Father of the House's only duty is to preside over the Commons during the election of a Speaker. As Speakers are always predetermined by the majority party, this job is merely a formality. Before 1990, the Father of the House recieved a higher salary than other members - this has since been changed. The Father of the House is always a backbencher. If a minister or the Speaker are the longest-serving member, they are not the Father of the House, and the position goes to the longest-serving backbencher.

List of Fathers of the House of Commons
The first Parliament was elected in 1891. All members of this parliament had equal terms of service. Guthrie was appointed Father of the House through virtue of being the first member sworn in, the swearings-in being conducted alphabetically. Bourke was the alphabetical first among the group of original MPs remaining in 1896. Of the four remaining original MPs, Mackie was the alphabetical first of the two backbenchers in 1915. Sir Peter Glass was the last remaining member of the first Parliament. Stephen Cole is expected to retire at the 2008 election, after which he will have been an MP for 41 years, elected as he was in 1967.
 * Sir Alan Andrews (Conservative) 1891-1896
 * Robert Bourke (Labour) 1896-1915
 * Sir Robert Mackie (Conservative) 1915-1925
 * Sir Peter Glass (Conservative) 1925-1930
 * Norman Walker (Labour) 1930-1934
 * Aaron Lawler (Labour) 1934-1938
 * Jonathan Hackett (Labour) 1938-1940
 * Jackson Hart (Conservative) 1940-1944
 * Thomas Lessing (Conservative) 1944-1949
 * Harry Byrnes (Labour) 1949-1955
 * Robert Stanley (Conservative) 1955-1960
 * Howard Makepeace (Conservative) 1960-1962
 * George Miller (Conservative) 1962-1970
 * Peter Brothers (Labour) 1970-1974
 * Tom Baines (Labour) 1974-1977
 * Joe Roberts (Labour) 1977-1979
 * Nigel Pearce (Conservative) 1979-1987
 * Ted Stack (Labour) 1987-1991
 * Allan Duggan (Conservative) 1991-1994
 * George Hirsch (Labour) 1994-1999
 * Stephen Cole (Conservative) 1999-