John Wheble (2 February 1746 – 22 September 1820) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

printer Printer may refer to: Technology * Printer (publishing), a person or a company * Printer (computing), a hardware device * Optical printer for motion picture films People * Nariman Printer (fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist * James ...

, author and

antiquary An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

Early life and apprenticeship

He was born in Gatcombe, Isle of Wight in 1746. He was twice married, leaving a widow. Wheble was apprenticed in 1756 to "the well known bookseller, and publisher",

John Wilkie John Elbert Wilkie (1860 – December 13, 1934) was an American journalist and Chief of the United States Secret Service from 1898 to 1911. Journalist At age 19, Wilkie joined the staff of the '' Chicago Times'' as a reporter. His father, Fran ...

, whom he eventually succeeded.

Literary career

Wheble is most famous for his association with

John Horne Tooke John Horne Tooke (25 June 1736 – 18 March 1812), known as John Horne until 1782 when he added the surname of his friend William Tooke to his own, was an England, English clergyman, politician, and Philology, philologist. Associated with radica ...

and

John Wilkes John Wilkes (17 October 1725 – 26 December 1797) was an English radical journalist and politician, as well as a magistrate, essayist and soldier. He was first elected a Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fo ...

, and the

Society of Gentlemen Supporters of the Bill of Rights The Society of Gentlemen Supporters of the Bill of Rights was a British pressure group formed on 20 February 1769 to support John Wilkes after he was expelled from the House of Commons. The Society was formed at the London Tavern in Bishopsgate in ...

, having printed pamphlets for them, and publishing articles in "The Middlesex Journal" in their defence. Matters came to a head on 21 February 1771 when the Speaker of the House of Commons summoned Wheble to Parliament to explain why he had printed a full account of debates in the house, which was at that time against the law. A proclamation for him to appear in Parliament was also made in the name of King George, with a reward of fifty pounds offered for his apprehension. At this development Wilkes concocted a plan to have Wheble brought before him in his capacity as sitting Alderman / Magistrate by a mutual friend (Twine Carpenter), so that the Charges made by Parliament against Wheble could be dismissed. In his letter to the Secretary of State, Lord Halifax, Wilkes wrote "That Wheble had been apprehended in violation of the rights of an Englishman, as well as of the chartered privileges of a Citizen of London" For his services in these affairs Wheble was granted 100 guineas by the Constitutional Society, and received the thanks of the Corporation of London. He was the projector of "The Midlesex Journal" and "The County Chronicle," and with Mr Harris co-founded "The Sporting Magazine." He was a close friend of John Nichols, and a friend and mentor to artists such as William Ward,

John Constable John Constable (; 11 June 1776 – 31 March 1837) was an English landscape painter in the Romanticism, Romantic tradition. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for revolutionising the genre of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedha ...

, Joseph Turner and

John Higton John Higton (2 April 1775 – 23 December 1827) was an English animal painter, who exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts. He was a friend of Edward Dayes and Thomas Campbell, and his patrons included Lord Sedley (Henry Venables-Vernon, 3rd Ba ...

Other achievements

Wheble held a Commission in the Commissariat, was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, was for 16 years a Councillor for the Ward of Farringdon in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

, and a Freeman of London and a member of the

Stationers' Company The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers (until 1937 the Worshipful Company of Stationers), usually known as the Stationers' Company, is one of the livery companies of the City of London. The Stationers' Company was formed in ...

Bibliography

A full "Memoir of John Wheble" by John Nichols is contained in the ''Gentleman's Magazine''. See also

Robert Cradock Nichols The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, ''Memoir of the late John Gough Nichols, F.S.A.'' (1874).

Sources

Primary sources

Secondary sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wheble, John (printer) 1746 births 1820 deaths English antiquarians 18th-century antiquarians 19th-century antiquarians English printers