They were born into the position. Important positions were held by family and friends.
England does not have a parliament; England is a part of, but not the same as, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom parliament is made of two chambers, or houses - The House of Commons and the House of Lords. The commons are the elected members of parliament from the 650 parliamentary constituencies in the United Kingdom and are called Members of Parliament or MP's. The Lords are mostly appointed as members and are Lords Spiritual, there because of their position in The Church of England and Lords Temporal - non-ecclesiastic members. They are usually referred to as Lords or Peers.
At as April 30, 2012, there were 180 female members in the House of Lords.
The US does not have a House of Lords
In their homes?
No, they inherit the title of Lord as nobles, and along with it the right to membership in the House of Lords. Members of the House of Commons are elected - they are "commoners", NOT nobles, like the Lords. Once a person is elevated by being named an hereditary peer ( a noble with a title his eldest son inherits) he is eligible for the House of Lords. Mere knights are not eligible.
Members of the House of Lords are not elected to office.
Upper ClassNobilityRoyalGentryAristocrats
by inheriting themThis is wrong. Some do inherit their titles, but in fact the vast majority are created as life peers by the reigning sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister. It is a very common misconception that Members of the House of Lords all inherit their titles. An example of a Life peer is Lord Peter Mandelson of Foy. An example of a hereditary peer is Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton.This answer is correct the British Parliament members of the House of Lords got their positions by inheriting them.
The lords and ladies were members of a group that own serfs ( same thing as a peasant) they can tell the serfs what to do
They are called various things Lords Dames Peers Members of the Peerage And historically Duke Marquess Earl Viscount Baron
There are three types of Lord: Life Peers (of which Law Lords are members), Hereditary Peers and Spiritual Peers.
Lords