The English famously cut off the head of a king over 350 years ago, but assassinating Prime Ministers has not been the British way, except once, in 1812. During that momentous year Napoleon invaded Russia and the USA declared war on Britain and on this day, 11 May 1812, a lone, disgruntled merchant, John Bellingham shot and killed Spencer Perceval, the Prime Minister. Perceval’s last words, according to the UK Government’s ‘History of Past Prime Ministers‘ were ‘Oh, I have been murdered’.
Prime Minister from 1809 until his assassination, Perceval was in office through turbulent times with the Napoleonic Wars unsettling the British and the Industrial Revolution gaining momentum spawning the ‘Luddite’ riots. There was also an on-going issue of the national debt – sounds somewhat familiar?
Etching, 1807, with hand colouring, on wove, with margins, published February 29th by Hannah Humphrey, London
Make of the Gillray what you like, I couldn’t possibly comment. But instead we could take a break from all the gloom, and now as then, have a nice cup of tea – very British!
Pearlware teapot painted in underglaze colours.
Liverpool, Staffordshire or Yorkshire?
c.1800
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Agnes Ashe 
Where is Gillray when we need him, eh? I suppose Steve Bell is our nearest.
Yes, and do you remember seeing this one
http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/cartoon/2009/sep/15/steve-bell-peter-mandelson-cartoon !!
I don’t think I ever saw that one. Thanks for putting me in the picture.
Ooh, and I’d quite forgotten Gerald Scarfe. Sadly, I don’t hink I’ll make it to the Bowes Museum on time: http://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/en-us/visitus/whatson/milksnatcher,geraldscarfethethatcherdrawings.aspx
Yes, Gerald Scarfe delightfully scathing and vicious, but somehow amusing without being truly nasty.
Ah yes the war of 1812 – when Canada beat back the U.S. invaders! Only war the U.S. lost & they don’t teach it in their school curriculum😉
Now, why didn’t I know that about Canada?!! I guess it is difficult to get the Canadian voice heard with such a powerful neighbour – quite literally in some instances. My English friend has Canadian children and they are frequently assumed to be Americans.