John Wilkes' House Riots

This is where politican John Wilkes's house was riot damaged.

Location: 35 Grosvenor Square, W1K

Description: This is where former Lord Mayor of London and porn-outlaw John Wilkes' (Born 17 October 1727) lived and where the Mount Street rioters broke his decorative windows in 1792.

Amongst other things, 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.

In June 1762 Wilkes established The North Briton, a newspaper that severely attacked the king and his Prime Minister.

Wilkes died on the 29th December 1797.

Tours: The London Riots Tour

Themes: Politics Politics Theme