The Man Wilkes County and Wilkesboro were named after....
.... was interesting, if nothing else. He was accounted the ugliest man in England at the time. He was so charming, however, that he insisted that "took him only half an hour to talk away his face."
Born in 1727 he married for money a woman he seems to have cared nothing for. On the other hand, she bore him a daughter whom he was devoted to for the rest of his life, long after he had dumped his wife and earned a reputation as a rake (as was said in those days). He became a member of the Hell Fire Club, a group of disreputable aristocrats who lived up to their name. At some point he helped stage a prank that got the club disbanded (I haven't been able to discover what the prank actually was).
He was at least witty. When the Lord Sandwich shouted to him "'Pon my soul, Wilkes, I don't know whether you'll die upon the gallows or of the pox." Wilkes responded "That depends, my Lord, whether I first embrace your Lordship's principles, or your Lordship's mistresses." When told by a constituent that he would rather vote for the devil, Wilkes responded: "Naturally". He then added: "And if your friend decides against standing, can I count on your vote?"
Elected to parliament he became so outspoken in his views against King George III that he ended up being charged with seditious libel multiple times, shot in a duel by a royal supporter, and exiled to France. He returned, was elected again, and was outlawed and arrested again.
It was his vociferous support of the colonies during the Revolution, basically on the grounds that if the King was for the war, he was against it, earned him the respect of many in the colonies. Thus, Wilkes was named after him as was the chief settlement of the county, Wilkesboro.
John Wilkes Booth was named after him, as were counties in both Georgia and North Carolina and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
Oh, one other possible connection to the land of Wilkes. He was the son of a distiller.
.... was interesting, if nothing else. He was accounted the ugliest man in England at the time. He was so charming, however, that he insisted that "took him only half an hour to talk away his face."
Born in 1727 he married for money a woman he seems to have cared nothing for. On the other hand, she bore him a daughter whom he was devoted to for the rest of his life, long after he had dumped his wife and earned a reputation as a rake (as was said in those days). He became a member of the Hell Fire Club, a group of disreputable aristocrats who lived up to their name. At some point he helped stage a prank that got the club disbanded (I haven't been able to discover what the prank actually was).
He was at least witty. When the Lord Sandwich shouted to him "'Pon my soul, Wilkes, I don't know whether you'll die upon the gallows or of the pox." Wilkes responded "That depends, my Lord, whether I first embrace your Lordship's principles, or your Lordship's mistresses." When told by a constituent that he would rather vote for the devil, Wilkes responded: "Naturally". He then added: "And if your friend decides against standing, can I count on your vote?"
Elected to parliament he became so outspoken in his views against King George III that he ended up being charged with seditious libel multiple times, shot in a duel by a royal supporter, and exiled to France. He returned, was elected again, and was outlawed and arrested again.
It was his vociferous support of the colonies during the Revolution, basically on the grounds that if the King was for the war, he was against it, earned him the respect of many in the colonies. Thus, Wilkes was named after him as was the chief settlement of the county, Wilkesboro.
John Wilkes Booth was named after him, as were counties in both Georgia and North Carolina and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
Oh, one other possible connection to the land of Wilkes. He was the son of a distiller.
posted by Clemens | 11:52 PM
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