A small but very slowly growing group of people are aware of Joseph Wilkes, 1733-1805.  He was born in Overseal in Derbyshire but is best remembered as being based at Measham, a village at present, but historically not always within North West Leicestershire.  

 The only hard and public evidence of a claim that Wilkes may have to a place in local history  exists in that the local authority named a street of modern houses in Measham after him - Wilkes Avenue.    More recently, a piece of sculpture has been commissioned by the Trustees of the Measham Millennium Green and will be displayed from May 10.   It will take the form of a circular mosaic, (approximately 7 metres diameter) each segment of which will represent one of the many facets of Wilkes’ activities.   The mosaic will be surmounted by a large sundial.   Appropriately, its site will be adjacent to Wilkes Avenue.

 A short compendium of notes is attached to outline the life of Joseph Wilkes.   It is hoped that permission will be obtained to place more of the written work referred to on this website.   At the time of writing nothing can be assumed.  Via his varied and considerable achievements, Joseph Wilkes deserves to be ranked with much better known figures of his time.  At least one senior academic at Leicester University considers that a worthy case could be made out to fund a research scholarship into the life of Wilkes.   This view is shared by senior staff within Leicestershire County Council Records and Arts department.

 It is understood that the new 2004 edition of the Dictionary of National Biography will contain a reference to Wilkes.