Rare 18th century jug immortalising famous former Aylesbury MP John Wilkes is up for auction

Woolley and Wallis is putting a late 18th century creamware jug featuring a portrait of the former High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and Aylesbury MP John Wilkes.

Mr Wilkes, who lived between 1725-1798, also worked as a journalist and was known for his radical campaigns for voting rights.

Next week, the auctioneer which was established in 1844, is seeking bids on the rare item.

Woolley and Wallis describes Mr Wilkes as a man that changed both journalism and politics via radical means, causing scandal along the way. He is credited with shaping modern British democracy.

The auctioneer says Mr Wilkes was a pivotal figure in 18th-century Britain, who put up a relentless fight for civil liberties. He became a symbol of defiance and reform in parliament, choosing to publish statements on topics discussed in parliament, as he believed the public should be informed, which had never been done before.

A spokesperson for Woolley and Wallis said: “He sought to expose the ‘corruption of the ruling elite’ and championed freedom of the press. In issue 45 of his publication The North Briton, Wilkes' attack on George III's 1763 speech endorsing the Paris Peace Treaty earned him a warrant for his arrest for libel. However, he had garnered strong public support and was later cleared by the Lord Chief Justice.

“Wilkes earned the label of a ‘rake’ due to his scandalous personal life, which included extra-marital affairs, alongside his heavy drinking, and gambling, which clashed with 18th-century social norms. Despite his reckless behaviour, he became respected for his political activism, defending civil liberties and opposing government corruption.”

The jug will be offered in Woolley and Wallis’ British and Continental Ceramics sale on April 29 and is estimated to fetch £800-£1,000 (lot 221). The barrel-shaped jug was produced in creamware, a type of cream-coloured earthenware pottery made in Staffordshire. Woolley and Wallis says the portrait of Mr Wilkes in black and red, which captures both his character and revolutionary spirit during a time of political upheaval.

Clare Durham, ceramics specialist at Woolley and Wallis said: “During the 18th and 19th centuries, it was common for potters to commemorate significant political, military or royal figures, much as souvenir plates and mugs are still made today."