• Name: Horne Tooke, John
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date: 25  June  1736
• Death Date: 18  March  1812
• Occupation: writer
• Occupation: philologist

John Horne Tooke was a prominent reformer. He was an important member of the Society for Constitutional Information and contributed to the constitution of the London Corresponding Society. He was acquitted of treason in 1794 and is said to have kissed Godwin's hand in thanks for his pamphlet Cursory Strictures which undermined the prosecution's case.

It is not clear when Godwin's association with Horne Tooke begins, because early notes in the diary are to public meetings. But, by 1792 Godwin is visiting regularly, and he remains a part of Tooke's circle until 1807. In the diary entry for 1 November 1794 Godwin famously noted: Nov. 1. Sa. [Writing crosswise on the spaces for Oct. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, and Nov. 1:] Hardy's trial: see Wharton, Thomson, Walker, Roberts M., Vaughan, Harwood, Frost, Williams, Banks, Sharp, Ferguson, Symonds, Towers, C. Moore, G. Moore, Hawes, Ritson, Gray, Webb, Belmano, Macdonald [Writing smaller, crosswise below the preceding note:] Cursory Strictures—To this pamphlet Mr H. T. frequently declared that he was indebted for his life. One day, in mixed company, having insisted that the author should tell him without circumlocution whether it were of his writing or no, + been answered in the affirmative, he called the author to him, + taking his hand, conveyed it suddenly to his lips, vowing that he could do no less by the hand which had given existence to that production. (May 21, 1795.) Jan. 29, 1809.

The entries for Horne Tooke are relatively unproblematic, save that it is clear that Horne Tooke's benefactor, William Tooke, from whom he took his surname, is also in evidence in the diary. This is clear from the W Tooke entries prior to 1802, when William Tooke died. There are also occasions, such as when Godwin dines at Horne Tooke's with Tooke, on which William Tooke seems to be present. The majority of entries for Horne Tooke are entered at 'Horne Tooke' or H. Tooke, but there are a sizeable number of plain 'Tooke' or 'Tooke's'. There are also a few explicit entries for W Tooke, although these are in 1799 and 1802, and they may relate to another W. Tooke, see below. Accordingly, the entries have been coded in terms of their probability - taking into account the circles involved, and Horne Tooke’s regular practice of holding Sunday dinners. Note that the 1796 Diary identifies 1792 as the year that Godwin meets 'Tooke' – but there is no entry for Horne Tooke. Earlier entries seem likely to be indications that Godwin saw Horne Tooke but was not introduced to him. The 1790 entries to Tooke and the revolutionists may in fact be references to W Tooke and have been coded as such. Godwin notes John Horne Tooke's death - a day late, on 19 March 1812.

• MS. Abinger c. 9, fols. 11: 1 June 1805.
• MS. Abinger c. 18, fol. 28: 5 December 1803.
• MS. Abinger c. 8, fols. 51-2: 6 December 1803.
• MS. Abinger c. 18, fol. 29: Dec 1803.
• MS. Abinger c. 9, fols. 51-2: 22 October 1805.
• DNB.
• The Correspondence (1779-1843) of Mary Hays, British Novelist, ed. by Marilyn L. Brooks (Lewiston, Queenston and Lampeter: Edwin Mellen Press, 2004).
• David and Christina Bewley, Gentleman Radical: a life of John Horne Tooke, 1736–1812 (London: Tauris Academic Studies, 1998).

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