Caricatural portrait of John Wilkes holding the cap of Liberty and the Staff of Maintenance. Beside him, Issues 17 and 45 of his newspaper. As explained by The Museum of the American Revolution, "The number 45 and the name John Wilkes became a symbol for many on both sides of the Atlantic arguing for a more liberal government and freedom of speech."
The text at the bottom reads . . .
John Wilkes, Esq.
Drawn from the Life and Etch'd in Aquafortis by Will. m Hogarth
A member of Parliament and outspoken critic of the Crown, John Wilkes founded The North Briton in 1762 to attack Lord Bute’s government, the King, and even artist William Hogarth. Expelled from Parliament twice and re-elected both times by popular support, he became Lord Mayor of London in 1774.
Etched and engraved by English painter, engraver, satirist, cartoonist and writer, William Hogarth in May 16, 1763.
Size of frame: 12.5" x 16.5"
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About some of the elements in the engraving
The North Briton, on the table beside Wilkes
The newspaper was begun in response to The Briton, a pro-government paper started by Tobias Smollett. Only eight days after that newspaper began publication, the first issue of The North Briton came out. It then came out weekly until the resignation of the Bute government.
Issues number 1 (June 5, 1762) to number 44 (2 April 2, 1763) were published on consecutive Saturdays.
Although written anonymously, The North Briton is closely associated with the name of John Wilkes. The newspaper is chiefly famous for issue number 45, the forty or so court cases spawned by that issue, and for the genesis of "45" as a popular slogan of liberty in the latter part of the 18th century.
Issue 45
The North Briton issue number 45 (April 23, 1763) is the most famous issue of the paper. It criticized a royal speech in which King George III praised the Treaty of Paris ending the Seven Years' War. Wilkes was charged with libel (accusing the King of lying), and imprisoned for a short time in the Tower of London. Wilkes challenged the warrant for his arrest and seizure of his paper, eventually winning the case. His courtroom speeches started the "Wilkes and Liberty!" cry, a popular slogan for freedom of speech and resistance to power. Later that year, Wilkes reprinted the issue, which the government again seized. Before it could be burned, an assembled crowd rescued the text, and the ensuing events caused Wilkes to flee across the English Channel to France, and be eventually imprisoned again. In 1764, the British House of Commons declared Wilkes the author of number 45. Nonetheless, by the time Wilkes was released from prison in 1770, "45" was still a popular icon not only of Wilkes, but of freedom of speech in general.
Source: Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_North_Briton
More on "45"
The Museum of the American Revolution has a mug from England with "Wilkes & Liberty 45" on it (pictured).
Here is their explanation:
"John Wilkes was a satirist turned politician who argued vehemently in print and in Parliament for the rights of the press and against the policies of the Tories. He was ejected from the House of Commons on numerous occasions. After publishing the 45th edition of his satirical newspaper, The North Briton, in 1763, he was arrested. The 45th edition and John Wilkes came to symbolize freedom of speech and freedom of the press for people throughout Great Britain and its colonies.
"Wilkes’ 45th edition criticized King George III and his ministers in 1763 for having too lenient of a peace with France following the end of the Seven Years' War. An attack on the monarch himself was a step too far for many, but his imprisonment under a general warrant caused many to find sympathy with Wilkes. In America, the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock voiced their support for him. The number 45 and the name John Wilkes became a symbol for many on both sides of the Atlantic arguing for a more liberal government and freedom of speech."