print;
broadside
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.9828
- Title
-
Object: Frontispiece to the Middlesex Petition
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Object: The Humble Petition of the Freeholders of the County of Middlesex
- Description
-
A broadside on the electorate of John Wilkes, presenting a petition signed by 1565 freeholders to King George III on 24 May 1769; with an engraving showing on the right the King seated on his throne, attended by two courtiers, in front of him a man kneeling and presenting a scroll, on the left a group of six men standing; with engraved title, and letterpress title and text in three columns. (n.p.: [1769])
- Production date
- 1769
- Dimensions
-
Height: 94 millimetres (etching, cut within the plate mark)
-
Height: 336 millimetres (printed area)
-
Width: 168 millimetres (etching)
-
Width: 202 millimetres (printed area)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- According to BM Satires, an impression of this print faces p.209 of the Oxford Magazine (1769). The print was published with the June number of the Magazine.
Wilkes had been re-elected MP for Middlesex in February, March and April 1769, but on all three occasions the election was overturned by Parliament. After the last election his opponent HL Luttrell was declared elected. Supporters of Wilkes formed the Bill of Rights Society, which tried to force Parliament to accept the will of the Middlesex electorate (the society aimed also at parliamentary reforms).
For further information on Wilkes, see BM 1873-8-9-1475. For other related broadsides, see also BM 1868-8-8-13492, and BM 1867-3-9-781. For another impresson of the same print, see BM 1871-12-9-4625.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.9828