Wilkes

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

JOHN, an English political agitator; born in London, England, Oct. 17, 1727; was educated for some time at Leyden; was elected to Parliament as member for Aylesbury (1757), and attained considerable notoriety by the publication of a paper entitled the "North Briton," in No. 45 of which (1763) he commented severely on the king's speech to Parliament. The home secretary in consequence issued a general warrant, on which Wilkes, with others, was apprehended and committed to the Tower, but released by Chief-Justice Pratt, who declared the prosecution illegal. On the next meeting of Parliament, however, a special law was passed to sanction his prosecution, and in 1764 he was expelled from the House of Commons. As he had by this time withdrawn to France and did not appear to receive sentence, he was outlawed. He returned, however, to England at the election of 1768, 170 and was sent to Parliament as representative of Middlesex, but was expelled from the House and committed to prison. Three times after this he was re-elected within a few months by the same constituency, but the House of Commons persisted in keeping him out, giving rise to a formidable agitation in favor of "Wilkes and liberty." He was released from prison in 1770, having been elected alderman of London, and he was next appointed sheriff of Middlesex, lord-mayor of London, and again (1774) member of Parliament for Middlesex. On this occasion he was allowed to take his seat, and in 1782 the resolutions respecting the disputed Middlesex election were expunged from the journals of the House of Commons. He published many speeches and pamphlets, and two collections of his correspondence were published after his death, in London, Dec. 27, 1797.