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.

Political career

In 1780, at the age of 22, Jack Fuller was elected to Parliament. He was Member of Parliament for Southampton from 1780 to 1784, and for Sussex from 1801 to 1812.

Related Topics:
1780 - Parliament - Member of Parliament - Southampton - 1784 - Sussex - 1801 - 1812

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On July 17, 1781, Fuller?s sister Elizabeth married Sir John Palmer Acland, a grandson of Sir Hugh Acland, 6th Bt., M.P., in St. Marylebone in London.

Related Topics:
July 17 - 1781 - Sir John Palmer Acland - Sir Hugh Acland, 6th Bt., M.P. - St. Marylebone - London

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In 1790, at the age of 33, he proposed marriage to Susannah Arabella Thrale, but was rebuffed. In fact, he never married, and is not known to have had any children.

Related Topics:
1790 - Marriage - Susannah Arabella Thrale

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In 1796, Fuller was appointed High Sheriff of Sussex, for a period of one year, and in 1798, he became a captain in the Volunteer Sussex Yeomanry Cavalry. In the General Election of 1807, he was re-elected as MP for Sussex. However, on February 27, 1810, a drunken incident with the Speaker in Parliament led to him being seized by the Serjeant at Arms and to public disgrace.

Related Topics:
1796 - High Sheriff - 1798 - Captain - Volunteer Sussex Yeomanry Cavalry - General Election - 1807 - February 27 - 1810 - Speaker - Serjeant at Arms

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In 1811, a pyramid-shaped building, often referred to as "the Pyramid", was erected in the churchyard of the Church of St. Thomas a Becket, Brightling (sichttp://homepages.goldsmiths.ac.uk/genuki/SSX/Brightling/?) as a future mausoleum for Jack Fuller.

Related Topics:
1811 - Pyramid - Churchyard - Church of St. Thomas a Becket, Brightling - Mausoleum

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Fuller retired from politics in 1812, not standing for re-election in the General Election of that year.

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