A political satire from William Humphrey’s ‘The History of the Westminster Election’, published in October 1784, where it illustrated an address by ‘An Independent Elector’, originally issued in April of that year, which was staunchly pro-Fox to win the famous Westminster Election of the following month, who it described as the ‘faithful watchman’. The caption below the image reads ‘To the Independent Electors of Westminster This Print of their Staunch Old Watchman, The guardian of their Rights and Privileges is dedicated by a gratefull Elector’. In this role, Charles James Fox adopts a defiant stance with one hand on his hip, the other holding a tall staff labelled ‘Uprightness’, his dog ‘Vigilance’ at his side, his latern of ‘Truth’ by his feet, and the word ‘Liberty’ like a halo over his head. From the dark sky above shoot ‘Ministerial Thunderbolts’. In the background are two retreating figures, the rival Westminster candidate, Sir Cecil Wray, and Lord Hood, dressed in military and naval uniforms, respectively, but equipped as shadier watchmen, the former heading for Chelsea Hospital and the latter for Greenwich Hospital. The engraved lower caption reads ‘NB. Beware of Counterfeits as the Greenwich and Chelsea Watchmen are upon the look out’.

The Westminster Election proved a huge boost to Rowlandson’s burgeoning career as a caricaturist, the political upheaval providing ample opportunities for him to lampoon both Fox and Pitt, which he did with relish, happily responding to demand from both sides.