The Judge And Jury Society, In The Cider Cellar, 1843 (oil on canvas)

Renton Nicholson (1809–61) was an English impresario, businessman, actor, and writer. He is best known for his Judge and Jury Society performances and for his ownership of the newspaper The Town. In 1842 Nicholson opened the Garrick’s Head and Town Hotel on Bow Street in the Covent Garden district of London; The hotel was known for the Judge and Jury Society performances that it hosted and featured Nicholson posing as "The Chief Lord Baron" and holding mock trials. These trials often focused on well-known scandals or controversial issues and were known for humorous repartee, crude jokes, and biting satire