who was john wilkes
John Wilkes. John Wilkes, the son of Israel Wilkes, a malt distiller, was born on 17th October 1725. In 1747 he married Mary Meade, an heiress who owned a large estate at Aylesbury. It was a marriage of convenience and Wilkes spent most of his time with his friends at the Hell Fire Club. After ten years he permanently separated from his wife.
In 1762, the new king, George III, arranged for his close friend, the Earl of Bute, to become prime minister. This decision upset a large number of MPs who considered Bute to be incompetent. John Wilkes became Bute's leading critic in the House of Commons.