"Mad Jack" The Honest Sussex Squire by Arthur Beckett

The Sussex County Magazine January 1928, No. I Vol. II, pages 24 - 26

This article starts by explaining how Peter Fuller, a mechanic of Tonbridge, was seeking to correct the "wrongful devolution" of John Fuller's estate (in his own interest, I'm sure). Unfortunately, the article does not shed any light on what evidence Mr Fuller had unearthed to support his claim in the eighteen years of research and wheelbarrow full of documents he had collected.

There are, several errors in the article.

• "At the last-named place they built themselves a fine mansion which they called 'Tanners', and there they owned the Waldron iron furnace, by which they added to their riches.", page 24. Waldron Furnace belonged to the Pelham family. The Fullers had an iron furnace at Heathfield.

• "Squire Fuller died on April 11, 1833, at the age of 68..", page 26. Fuller died on April 11, 1834, aged 77 years, 1 month, 22 days. 

• "In addition to his endowments to the Royal Society...", page 26. Fuller endowed the Royal Institution, which is devoted to scientific research and education with two professorships, not the Royal Society. 

Additions to Jack Fuller’s Obituary

Gentleman’s Magazine
Additions to Obituary [Dec. 1834]

VOL. II. p. 106.—John Fuller, esq.,
of Rosehill, was the only son of the
Rev. Henry Fuller, of Stonham, Hants,
who was younger brother of John Fuller,
esq., of Brightling, who died in 1775, and
of Rose Fuller, esq. M.P., of Bright-
ling, who died in 1777. Their father’s
name was John, not Thomas. The wife
of the Rev. Henry Fuller, and the mother
of the late John Fuller, esq., was Frances,
dau. of Thomas Fuller, esq., of Cutfield,
another branch of the family. Mr.
Fuller was an only son; he had two
sisters, Elizabeth, the wife of Sir John
Palmer Acland, Bart., and Frances, wife
of the Rev. George Lewis. The family
of Fuller-Elliott-Drake (see the Ba-
ronetage), to whom Mr. Fuller has
left his West India estates, are descended
from his Uncle Thomas Fuller, esq. the
fourth son of John Fuller, of Bright-
ling, who died in 1745, by Elizabeth,
eldest daughter and coheir of Fulke
Rose, esq.

Corrections by Annette Lloyd Thomas:
Jack Fuller's father, the Rev. Henry Fuller was born at Waldron, Sussex and he was the vicar of North Stoneham, Hampshire. Jack Fuller was born on 20 February 1757 at North Stoneham, Hampshire. Thomas Fuller, father of Frances Fuller lived at Park Gate, Catsfield, Sussex not Cutfield. Jack Fuller's sister Frances married Lancelot Brown the son of landscape gardener Lancelot "Capability" Brown. The Rev. George Lewis (1712-1771) married Frances (nee White) Fuller, the widow of the aforementioned Thomas Fuller, in 1743. Frances and Thomas Fuller were Jack Fuller's maternal grandparents.

The Fullers' Progress: A Study of a Remarkable Sussex Family, 16th-19th Centuries

By Alec Parks with illustrations by Rosemary Brown

This engaging booklet, originally published in 1987 and reprinted in 1991, follows the fortunes of the Fuller family from their arrival at Waldron through three Centuries. Parks makes it clear that he finds the, "general preoccupation with the last John Fuller's eccentricities rather irritating. " He highlights the family's shrewd business acumen, foresight and achievements through several generations. Interesting ink drawings by Rosemary Brown and a photograph of a painting of John Fuller & Elizabeth Rose's family add to the readers enjoyment. (many thanks to Alice Tibballs)

Fuller Genealogy

Stephen Fuller of Deal Kent writes:

We have a mystery. Our Samuel Fuller (Biddenden, then Smarden, then Sellinge) married Mary King in Biddenden Kent in 1699. They both died in Biddenden in 1712, Samuel registered as "a poor man". We have no record of Samuel's parentage and where in Kent or Sussex he was from, Fuller being a common wealden name. We have no trace to Staplehurst and all the Sussex Waldron Fullers. We have no trace to the Egerton Mayflower Fullers.. We know he was from another parish than Biddenden, registered in the Poor law records as a "foreign occupier".

Samuel Fuller and Mary had 5 children, according to the Biddenden register as follows, christenings:

Richard 1 Sept 1699
Samuel 19 July 1702
Thomas 9 April 1705
James 10 April 1710
Elizabeth 31 Dec 1710

We believe that Richard and Thomas died in infancy although no burials recorded. Elizabeth died and buried at Biddenden 21st Oct 1718. Samuel and James and Elizabeth (before she died) were looked after as orphans under the poor law, both their parents having died in 1712.Samuel and James are then found at Smarden

scf@archsqu.demon.co.uk