Brief guide to manuscripts collections| William L. Clements Library The University of Michigan John Wilkes Papers |
John Wilkes attended the University of Leyden in 1744 and spent his early adult years in activities 'literary and rakish.' He entered Parliament in 1757 as a supporter of Pitt, sitting for Aylesbury. His election expenses and earlier extravagances brought him into serious financial difficulties and, to extricate himself, Wilkes turned to journalism. The vehicle for his political satire was The North Britain. In issue number 45 (April 23, 1763), he published an attack on George III which led to his arrest for libel. Released on grounds of parliamentary privilege, Wilkes fled to France. He was expelled from Parliament, found guilty of libel, and outlawed.
After five years in exile, publishing anti-government polemics and supported financially by friends, Wilkes returned to England. he entered the 1768 election, standing for London; he was defeated, but was returned for Middlesex. Government attemps to block Wilkes from taking his seat and imprisonment for blasphemy and libel made Wilkes a hero with London's lower classes. In America as well, 'Wilkes and Liberty' became a rallying cry against unconstitutional Crown authority. Elected alderman in 1769, Wilkes became the center of a radical party in London which was pro-American and advocated parliamentary reform. His influence in the city continued, with his election as lord mayor in 1774 and as city chamberlain in 1779. Although he continued to sit in Parliament until 1790, his influence gradually declined.
Papers of John Wilkes, British politician, publicist.
This collection contains 295 letters written by Wilkes to a number of personal friends and followers, including letters in the 1740's addressed to his mother and to his brother, Heaton Wilkes. In addition, there are 80 letters written by Wilkes to his friend John Dell, 1753-1781, and a volume of 25 letters from Wilkes to his attorney, Peter Fountain, 1768-1782, accompanied by 14 contemporary portraits and caricatures of Wilkes. The collection also contains a manuscript parody of Wilkes' Essay on Woman and a holograph copy of his Letter to the Worthy Electors of the Borough of Aylesbury in the County of Bucks (1764).
Purchased, 1934
| Homepage | Manuscripts | Collections | Staff | Hours and policies |
|---|