• Name: King, John (Jacob Rey)
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date: 1753
• Death Date: 1824
• Occupation: moneylender
• Occupation: reformer

The references to ‘King’ in the diary consistently refer to John King (radical and money lender) [formerly Jacob Rey] (c.1753–1824). John King had a longtime affair with Jane Isabella Butler, the widowed countess of Lanesborough (1737–1828). They met in 1783 and a year later King divorced his wife, Sara ‘before a rabbinical court in Leghorn, Italy, where he had fled to escape imprisonment. Although they lived as husband and wife for forty years it does not appear that they married.’ (DNB). Godwin records an evening at Mrs Hippisley with King, Lady Lanesborough, and others on 3 March 1807. There are also several instances of a ‘Miss King’, ‘Miss Kings’ and ‘3 Kings’ which probably refer to John and Sara King’s daughters, Sophia Fortnum and Charlotte Byrne (both writers), and possibly their son, Charles King. The DNB also states that ‘in the pursuit of well-born clients King entertained lavishly and frequently’, which would account for the somewhat frequent evenings at King’s residence. In his early years King met and was influenced by Paine and was involved with reform causes, publishing Thoughts on the difficulties and distresses in which the peace of 1783 has involved the people of England in 1783 (DNB).

In the Abinger Papers there is a letter to John King, justifying Godwin's refusal to act as a character witness in a court case on 24.1.1796. During his period living in Italy with Lady Lanesborough (roughly between 1817 and 1824), Godwin’s mentions halt. The last reference to ‘J King’ is in 1814. Four years after the death of King in 1824, from 1826 – 1834, there are 6 mentions of ‘King’ which likely refer to John King, the painter specializing in paintings from Shakespeare and the Bible. John King moved to London around 1826, and 1828 exhibited a portrait of the artist James Northcote ‘whose grandiose Shakespearian subjects King may well have striven to emulate’ (DNB). In the second mention in 1826, Godwin explicitly records ‘King, Painter’. The other mentions are an adv. meeting following a call on Northcote in 1827, a tea at Kenney’s with ‘Kings’ in 1828, an additional call on Northcote followed by an adv. King in 1829, and a dinner at Jos. Robinsons including T. Campbell and King in 1834.

There is also the actor Thomas King with whom Holcroft had a close relationship, certainly close enogh for King to lend him money in 1779. On the other hand, there is also mention of C King and S King, initials which correspond to John King's daughters/son (Godwin corresponded with Sophia). Further, an examination of the attendees of dinners with King in 1795 and 1800 reveals a rich vein of radical rather than theatrical personages - Wolcot, Robinson, Este, Merry, d'Espard, Lord Falkland, Powel (Falkland's friend who would later kill him) etc. After 1826, it is likely that the King mentioned is Thomas King, painter as on a number of occasions, see above.

Godwin met King's children, and it is clear that he wrote to and saw independently Sophia King, the eldest daughter, who has her own entry.

There is one further complicating entry: King is entered under 1795 on the 1796 list, so this casts some doubt on the only entry for King previous to 1795, which comes on 1 December 1793:
'Dine at Holcroft’s ; sup at Jennings’s, with him + King.'
We have left this coded as John 'Jew' King and presume Godwin was overlooking this, although it is possible to take the view that, since King appears very frequently after the visit in January 1795 , we should assume this earlier entry does not refer to him.

• MS. Abinger c. 22, fols. 13-17: 24 Jan. 1796
• DNB

This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.