This tour is free with a suggested donation to help support the Abney Park Trust. Please consider donating £5.00 to help the Trust continue its important work.

From 18th to 20th December 1817, a mild mannered bookseller faced a three day show trial in the City of London's Guildhall before the Lord Chief Justice.

William Hone was an early satirist and investigative journalist who had repeatedly irritated the Government. Hone's trial is an important milestone in Press freedom and the liberty of the jury system which has caught the attention of Ian Hislop. 25 years later Charles Dickens attended Hone's funeral, wondering how a man who had been carried around the City shoulder-high, should have such a quiet burial.

Hone and George Cruikshank's (his and Dickens' illustrator) satire is still sharp and relevant and the tour will discuss this and the issues it raises.

This tour is free with a suggested donation to help support Abney Park Trust.

Speaker Bio:

Alan Gartrell has given tours of Abney Park for many years now. His topics spread a huge range from the history of Hackney's MPs to Abney Park's missionary links. He very modestly says he is not a historian, just a few clicks ahead of everyone else on Wikipedia.

From the Stoke Newington High Street entrance, please meet at the far end of the pedestrian walkway - where the path splits into three.

The tour will last around 60 mins.
Please arrive 5 minutes early for the 2pm start.
Please wear suitably sturdy footwear.
There are no toilet facilities available.