A caricature of lawyer and M.P. Henry Brougham

HEATH, William.

Parish Characters in Ten Plates by Paul Pry Esqr. _ Pl 10_. One of the Poor employed to mend the High Ways.
London: Thomas McLean, 1829. Etching with original hand colour. 360 x 250mm.

Small hole on left, just entering plate, some slight staining.

A caricature of Henry Peter Brougham (1778-1868), in a barrister's wig, working as a road-mender, breaking stones marked 'Reform' with a sledgehammer. The satire suggests that he felt under-rewarded by the government for his support on the issue of Reform, for which he expected to be made Master of the Rolls.
Having made his name defending Caroline of Brunswick against George IV in their divorce case of 1820, Brougham became Lord Chancellor in Lord Grey's government in 1830, overseeing both the 1832 Reform Act and 1833 Slavery Abolition Act.
This satire is signed with the 'Paul Pry' monogram of William Heath (1794-1840), a little figure with a top hat, leaning on an umbrella, based on actor John Liston in the role of Paul Pry, a character who interfered in other peoples' business in John Poole's eponymous comedy. His caricatures were so popular that forgeries appeared, leading the publisher to state here that McLean was the 'sole Publisher of P. Pry Caricatures - none are original without his name'. Eventually Heath gave up the pseudonym and used his own name.

Not in British Museum Satires.
Stock ID : 23400