The strongest confirmation is that the first appearance of the name is 18 December 1817: 'Hone, three
trials, Dec. 18, 19, 20', which correspond to William Hone's three trials and three acquittals
on charges of blasphemy. G calls on him a few days later and their friendship begins.
Further evidence includes appearances at Hazlitt's lecture (Hone published Hazlitt), and at Rodd's (book
trade link). Godwin is seeking and calling on Hone in the 1820s when they are both researching
C17 history in the British Museum, where there is an adv in 1828. Current research suggests that
Godwin and Hone were working on and
competing over the same C17 sources in the British Museum (J. McElligott (Merton)). In 1825 Godwin sups with Hone at
Lamb's, and Lucas's Lamb biography has a lot on Lamb and William Hone's friendship.
The last meeting is in 1832 at Rodd's. By the late 1820s Hone is in dire financial difficulties,
which might explain why he almost disappears from the diary at this point. Marshall and St
Clair both discuss the influence Political Justice had on Hone.
St Clair (p. 425) discusses the subscription for Hone's defence in his 1817 trials:
'Godwin himself paid something although his contribution was too small to be recorded
in the printed list' and he gives as evidence for this reading the entry
'Subscription' in the diary 29 November 1817. Hone's case is
certainly one to which Godwin would have been sympathetic and his decision to go and introduce
himself to Hone a few days after his acquittals perhaps makes more sense if he had
contributed in a small way to his defence. We have consequently coded 'subscription' as an 'other' contact for Hone.
