William Hone
William Hone was an influential British political reform writer born in Bath, England, in the 18th century. He grew up in a devout Congregationalist family, which instilled in him a deep-seated skepticism of established authority, including the government and the Church of England. This skepticism shaped much of his writing and political activism. At sixteen, Hone joined the London Corresponding Society, a radical group, but later faced challenges in his business ventures, including the failure of a bookshop and two newspapers.
Hone's writing career took a significant turn when he began publishing political pamphlets, most notably "The Political House that Jack Built," which creatively combined political commentary with nursery rhymes. This pamphlet, illustrated by his friend George Cruikshank, became a bestseller and marked the beginning of a fruitful collaboration between the two. Hone gained notoriety for his clever court defense in 1817 after being arrested for publishing a controversial work, where his entertaining oratory won him an acquittal.
In his later years, Hone shifted away from political pamphlets but struggled to replicate his earlier success. After suffering strokes in the early 1840s, he passed away in 1842. His legacy remains as a key figure in the history of political literature and reform in Britain.
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William Hone
- Born: June 3, 1780
- Birthplace: Bath, Somerset, England
- Died: November 6, 1842
Biography
William Hone, an eighteenth century British political reform writer, was born in Bath, England, and at the age of three, moved to London. His family were devout Congregationalists, who dissented from the Church of England. At a young age, Hone was taught to distrust any form of established authority, including the government and the Church of England. This prejudice toward authority remained with Hone throughout his life and became the basis for most of his writing.
By the age of sixteen, Hone joined the London Corresponding Society, a radical political group consisting of mostly ex-convicts. Concerned about his son’s peer group, Hone’s father sent him away from London to Chatam, England. For the next several years, Hone worked in Chatam as a solicitor’s clerk. In 1800, he returned to London and married Sara Johnson. With the financial aid of his new mother-in-law, Hone opened a book shop. However, Hone was not a good businessman and, in less than two years, his bookshop was shut down by creditors.
Hone invested in several more unsuccessful business endeavors, including the failed startups of two newspapers, The Traveler and The Reformist Register. Upon the failure of these newspapers, Hone turned to publishing political pamphlets. Most of his pamphlets expressed radical political and religious ideas.
In 1817, Hone was arrested for publishing John Wilkes’s Catechism. Hone relished the idea of defending himself and used his court time to deliver several long speeches infused with his political viewpoints. His closing remarks, which lasted eight hours, were witty and entertaining. The jury was charmed by his eloquent speech and acquitted him from all charges.
Hone was best known for his pamphlet titled The Political House that Jack Built. This work consisted of twenty-four pages of political nursery rhymes. Hone received his idea for the pamphlet while reading a children’s book, The House that Jack Built, to his four-year-old daughter. The Political House that Jack Built was illustrated by Hone’s close friend George Cruikshank. The pamphlet became an instant best-seller and would establish a long and profitable collaboration between Hone and Cruikshank.
In his later years, Hone lost interest in writing political pamphlets and ventured into writing mainstream books. However, he never experienced the same success as he did with his political writings. In the early 1840’s, Hone suffered a series of strokes from which he never fully recovered. William Hone died in 1842.