Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Sussex follies and Mad Jack


Inside Out - BBC South East: Monday January 30, 2006
Inside Out looks at some unusual features on the Sussex landscape, and asks if their creator John Fuller was mad or just slightly eccentric?
A pyramid isn't what you'd normally expect to see in an English graveyard.
But this pyramid isn't in Egypt - it's in Brightling, East Sussex.
It's not the tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh, it's the tomb of a Georgian squire - Mad Jack Fuller.

The real Mad Jack

So who was the real Jack Fuller?
Born John Fuller in 1757, Mad Jack was MP for Lewes and incredibly rich.
He got his nickname from the way he spent his money, trying to make sure he was remembered.
Today he is remembered, as 'Mad' Jack.
But how mad was he? To find out, Inside Out has assembled a team of experts:
Keith Leech - member of Mad Jack's Morris Dancers.
Celia Caulkin - leads walks around Mad Jack's follies.
Geoff Hutchinson - he's written a book about Mad Jack.


Read the full article here. There are one or two minor inaccuracies.
Photo courtesy of Mark Duncan.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The family tree linked to this site shows Nicholas Tattersall married Mary?

http://www.angelfire.com/planet/madjack/pafg20.htm#469

I think his wife was Mary Geere. The marriage licence was given at Lewes on 28/11/1674 but fails to show Christian names.

Mary Geere came from Ovingdean. There is a legend about the Geeres helping Charles II escape to France. Her brother lived at Lower Standean in Ditchling parish but close to Pyecome. All his children were baptised at Pyecombe. If Nicholas and Mary died while Susan was a child, she may have gone to live with her uncle which may account for her marriage at Pyecombe.

jeremygeere at hotmail dot com