User:Wilkphil

Joseph Wilkes. I am seeking knowldege of Joseph (1733-1805_ and his family. Al;though there is a considerable amouint written and publiished about Wilkes and his industrial activities, information via primary sources about his personal life is very scarce.  Of particular help would be information about a painting of him.  The National portrait Gallery yields nothing.  A photograph of this painting exists - I have a copy but knowledge of the original, even of the photograph, would he helpful.

One special area of interest is that Wilkes' dates coincide very closely with those of many members of the Lunar Society. There appears to have been no contact between the Society and Wilkes. This I find surprising considering that his principal actiivities were centred round Measham, only approximately 15 miles distant from Lichfield from which town were conducted many 'Luinar' activities via meetings held there. Further puzzling is the fact that W. had business dealings with Boulton and Watt via purchase and to some small extyent design of early steam engines. Via his canal interests, W. also had deaings with Wedgwood. These three names alone were prominent among the 'inner circle' of the Lunar Society.

W. fathered three daughters and a son who died in infancy, all within 1759 when he married Elizabeth 'Bessie' Wood and 1767. He is not known yet to have re-married. Of interest here is the admssion of one William Wilkes probably of an age then between ten and thirteen in 1801 to Repton School. The entry describes him as '...ward of Mrs Webb of Newbold.' A Mrs Ward is also entered as the ward of another scholar entered in 1812 although this entry leads to the conclusion that the Newbold referred to in the William Wilkes entry refers to Newbold near Barton under Needwood in Staffordshire. Barton lies only three miles from Tatenhil. This small village requires investigation for earlier historical connections with the Wilkes family, possibly via the well known family (Derbyshire) family of Wyatt.