John 'Mad Jack' Fuller

John Fuller (February 20, 1757 - April 11, 1834), better known as "Mad Jack" Fuller (although he himself preferred to be called "Honest John" Fuller) was Squire of the hamlet of Brightling, in Sussex (now East Sussex), and is well known as a builder of follies, and as a philanthropist, patron of the arts and sciences. He purchased and commissioned many paintings from J.M.W. Turner. He was sponsor and mentor to Michael Faraday.

Later life

In 1818, Fuller built the Observatory at Brightling which had been designed by Robert Smirke, and in 1822, he endowed Eastbourne in Sussex with its first lifeboat. In 1828, he financed the building of the Belle Tout lighthouse, on the cliff at Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, and it was built in 1832(?), replacing the wooden structure that was there previouslyhttp://216.122.217.223/b/megalab/movingbelle.htm. On Thursday, September 18, 1828, Jack Fuller bought Bodiam Castle for 3000 guineas at auction to save it from destruction.

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1818 - Observatory - Robert Smirke - 1822 - Eastbourne - Sussex - Lifeboat - 1828 - Belle Tout lighthouse - Cliff - Beachy Head - 1832 - September 18 - Bodiam Castle

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On the afternoon of Friday, April 11, 1834, Fuller died at his home, 36 Devonshire Place, London. He was buried in the Pyramid in Brightling churchyard. The main beneficiary of his will was his nephew, Peregrine Palmer Fuller Palmer Acland (1789-1871).

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April 11 - 1834

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