John Horne Tooke
(1736-1812), Radical politician; MP and philologistMid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue Entry
Sitter associated with 49 portraits
The radical politician Horne Tooke was an ardent campaigner for liberty and parliamentary reform. Born simply John Horne, he added ‘Tooke’ to his name in 1782 after living with William Tooke and becoming heir to William’s wealth, built through co-owning a plantation in Grenada worked by enslaved Africans. Horne Tooke had little interest in stopping the enslavement and trading of Africans, yet when it came to the issue of American Independence he was sympathetic to the demands stating ‘the people of America are enslaved’. He helped establish 'The Society for Supporting the Bill of Rights', and was instrumental in organising the distribution of Thomas Paine's The Rights of Man in 1791. In 1794 he was wrongly accused of planning an uprising and imprisoned in the Tower of London.
'Broad-bottom drones storming the hive - wasps, hornets & bumble bees, joining in the attack'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 2 May 1808
NPG D12906
'Patriotic-petitions on the convention'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published circa October 1808
NPG D12914
'Overthrow of the Republican-Babel'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 May 1809
NPG D12921
'An old English-gentleman pester'd by servants wanting places'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 16 May 1809
NPG D12922
'True reform of Parliament, - i.e. - patriots lighting a revolutionary-bonfire in New Palace Yard'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 14 June 1809
NPG D12923
'The life of William Cobbett - written by himself. No 7'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 29 September 1809
NPG D12930
'The life of William Cobbett - written by himself. No 8'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 29 September 1809
NPG D12931
by William Ward, after John Raphael Smith
mezzotint, published 1811
NPG D13749
by William Ward, after John Raphael Smith
mezzotint, published 1811
NPG D20871
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