Statue of John Wilkes

John Wilkes
Artist	James Butler
Completion date	1988
Subject	John Wilkes
Location	London
Coordinates	51°30′57″N0°06′33″W / 51.5159°N 0.1092°W / 51.5159; -0.1092

The statue of John Wilkes is a statue on Fetter Lane in the City of London.

John Wilkes was a radical politician who would serve as a Member of Parliament as well as Lord Mayor of London. Among other things Wilkes campaigned for voters' rights and freedom of the press, himself using his newspaper The North Briton to express his grievances with the government. ^[1] His imprisonment in the Tower of London under a general warrant received such outrage as to make such warrants outlawed two years later. ^[2]

The monument was largely the result of Dr James Cope's goal of earning John Wilkes a place of commemoration in the City. Funds were raised primarily from livery companies, newspapers and the City of London Corporation. It was designed by James Butler and unveiled in 1988 by Cope. ^[3] The statue declares Wilkes as "A Champion of English Freedom", and notably depicts him characteristically cross-eyed, making it the only cross-eyed statue in London. ^[4]

References

1. Matthews, Peter (2012). London's statues and monuments. Shire library. Oxford: Shire Publications. p. 69. ISBN   978-0-7478-0798-8.
2. Baker, Margaret (2002). Discovering London statues and monuments. Discovering series (5. ed., revised and updated ed.). Princes Risborough: Shire Publications. p. 121. ISBN   978-0-7478-0495-6.
3. Blackwood, John; Irwin, Caroline, eds. (1989). London's immortals: the complete outdoor commemorative statues (1. publ ed.). London: Savoy Pr. p. 352. ISBN   978-0-9514296-0-0.
4. "See London's Only Boss-Eyed Statue". Londonist. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2025.

External links

• Media related to Statue of John Wilkes, London at Wikimedia Commons