WILKES, JonN (1727-97). An English politician, born in London, of well-to-do parents. Ile received an excellent education, spending four years at the University of Leyden, where he was entered when but sixteen years of age. Ileturning to England, he became a boon companion of the fastest London set, the notorious Lord Sandwich being among their number, and in a short time had run the gamut of all the vices of the day. In 1754 he entered national polities by standing for Berwick-upon-Tweed, hut he was not suc cessful. Three years later, however, he became member• for Aylesbury. In 1761 he was again returned for the same seat. When Lord Bute forced l'itt out of office in 1762, Wilkes began a bitter tight against the new Government. To assist him in this attack he established a paper called the North Briton. Number 45 of this paper, w•Iiich was issued after the appearance of the King's message on the Peace of Hubertsburg (1763), contained an article that maligned the Government for its desertion of Frederick the Great and its peace policy in general. Then followed what was popularly known as the Seven Years' War against Wilkes. A general warrant was issued for the apprehension of the author of the article, and Wilkes was among the number of those arrested. but he was soon released on the ground of his privilege as a member of Parliament. With this incident the practice of issuing general warrants came to an end, for Wilkes and others brought suit against Lord Halifax and other officials of the Government who were concerned in the matter, with the result that the court declared general warrants illegal, and granted heavy damages, Wilkes re ceiving 14000. When Wilkes, however, reprinted the obnoxious issue, his enemies renewed their attack upon him and succeeded in getting the House of Commons to declare the article "a false, scandalous, and seditious libel." In Janu ary, 1764, two months later, be was expelled from Parliament on this ground, and in February the Court of King's Bench found him guilty of republishing the article and also of printing an Essay on Woman, an ohscene parody on Pope's Essay on 3l an. In the meantime Wilkes, who had been wounded in a duel, had repaired to Paris to recuperate, and, as he did not appear to receive his sentence, the court declared him an outlaw. Wilkes remained abroad until, in 1765, his penurious condition forced him to face mat ters in England. He first sued for pardon from the King, but in so undiplomatic a way that it was denied him. He then stood for Parliament
from London, but was defeated. A second contest, this time for Middlesex, brought him victory. Wilkes then surrendered himself to the Court of King's Bench to answer to the charge of out lawry. A technical point brought about the reversal of this sentence, but the original con demnation for reprinting Number 45 of the North Briton and the Essay on Woman still stood, and for these he was sentenced to twenty two months in prison and a heavy tine. Ilad the Government now' left Wilkes alone he would prob ably have sunk into obscurity, but they insisted on expelling him from the House. Though still in prison, Wilkes was again returned for the dis trict, only to he expelled a second time. Again the same process was repeated, and when the district returned him a fourth time by a vote of 1143 to 206 for his opponent, Colonel Luttrell, the llouse seated the latter, declaring that as Wilkes was an outlaw all votes for him were void. This persecution gained for Wilkes what he probably would not have been able to acquire otherwise, great personal popularity and money. Ile was the hero of the hour, and contributions poured in from all sides. Before he left prison lie was elected alderman of London. In 1771 lie served also as sheriff for Middle sex and London and in the same year played it prominent part in the contest between the !louse of Commons and the printers, by which the latter gained the freedom to publish Parliamentary debates. In 1774, after a previ ous unsuccessful contest, he became Lord Mayor of London. In the same year he was returned to Parliament from his old Middlesex district, which he now reln•esented continuously until 1790. This time the Ilouse permitted him to sit, on the ground that the disability resulting from outlawry did not last over the Parliament in which it occurred. In 1779 Wilkes was elected to the position of Chamberlain of the City of London, from which sinecure he gained his liveli hood for the remainder of his days. He soon berame reconciled with the King; in fact, the two became firm friends. Be spent the last years of his life in his Parliamentary work and in various literary undertakings, but none of the latter are of especial merit. Wilkes's contest with the Ministry is of primary importance in English hifr,tory as vindicating the absolute rights of the Parliamentary constituencies. Con sult Fitzgerald, The Life end Times of john J1. I'. (London, 1888) ; also the Letters of Junius.