''English Eccentrics and Eccentricities'' was written by

John Timbs John Timbs (; 17 August 1801 – 6 March 1875) was an English author and antiquary. Some of his work was published under the pseudonym of Horace Welby. Biography Timbs was born in 1801 in Clerkenwell, London. He was educated at a private school ...

and published first in two volumes by Richard Bentley in

New Burlington Street New Burlington Street (originally Little Burlington Street) is a street in central London that is on land that was once part of the Burlington Estate. The current architecture of the street bears little resemblance to the original design of the ...

, London, in 1866. It is a source of biographical incident on unusual people of the late 18th and early 19th century, from celebrities to recluses, religious notables to country astrologers, pop authors to tragedians. Historian James Gregory describes ''English Eccentrics and Eccentricities'' as a "popular mid-Victorian collection of eccentric lives". As Timbs lays out his purpose in his preface:

, a few words before we introduce you to our . They may be odd company: yet, how often do we find eccentricity in the minds of persons of good understanding. Their sayings and doings, it is true, may not rank as high among the delicacies of intellectual epicures as the Strasburg pies among the dishes described in the ''Almanach des Gourmands''; but they possess attractions in proportion to the degree in which 'man favours wonders.' Swift has remarked, that 'a little grain of the romance is no ill ingredient to preserve and exalt the dignity of human nature, without which it is apt to degenerate into everything that is sordid, vicious, and low.' Into the latter extremes Eccentricity is occasionally apt to run, somewhat like certain fermenting liquors which cannot be checked in their acidifying courses. Into such headlong excesses our Eccentrics rarely stray; and one of our objects in sketching their ways, is to show that with oddity of character may co-exist much goodness of heart; and your strange fellow, though, according to the lexicographer, he be outlandish, odd, queer, and eccentric, may possess claims to our notice which the man who is ever studying the fitness of things would not so readily present. Many books of character have been published which have recorded the acts, sayings, and fortunes of Eccentrics. The instances in the present Work are, for the most part, drawn ''from our own time'', so as to present points of novelty which could not so reasonably be expected in portraits of older date. They are motley-minded and grotesque in many instances; and from their rare accidents may be gathered many a lesson of thrift, as well as many a scene of humour to laugh at; while some realize the well remembered couplet on the near alliance of wits to madness. A glance at the accompanying Table of Contents, and the Index to each volume, will, it is hoped, convey a fair idea of the number and variety of characters and incidents to be found in this gallery of . It should be added, that in the preparation of this Work, the Author has availed himself of the most trustworthy materials for the staple of his narratives, which, in certain cases, he has preferred giving ''ipsissimis verbis'' of his authorities to "re-writing" them, as it is termed; a process which rarely adds to the veracity of story-telling, but, on the other hand, often gives a colour to the incidents which the original narrator never intended to convey. The object has been to render the book truthful as well as entertaining.

Volume One

Wealth and Fashion

*The Beckfords and Fonthill * Alderman Beckford's Monument Speech, in

Guildhall A guildhall, also known as a guild hall or guild house, is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Europe, with many surviving today in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commo ...

Beau Brummel George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (7 June 1778 – 30 March 1840) was an important figure in Regency England, and for many years he was the arbiter of British men's fashion. At one time, he was a close friend of the Prince Regent, the future King ...

* Sir Lumley Skeffington, Bart * "Romeo" Coates * Abraham Newland *The Spendthrift Squire of Halston,

John Mytton John "Mad Jack" Mytton (30 September 1796 – 29 March 1834) was a British Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric and Rake (character), rake of the English Regency, Regency period who was briefly a Tories (British political party), Tory Member of P ...

* Lord Petersham *The

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

and

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

of the Sandwich Islands * Sir Edward Bering's Luckless Courtship *

Gretna Green Gretna Green is a parish in the southern Subdivisions of Scotland, council area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, close to the town of Gretna, Scotland, Gretna, on the Scottish side of the English-Scottish border. It is accessed from the A74( ...

Marriages *The

Agapemone The Agapemonites or Community of The Son of Man was a Christianity, Christian Religious denomination, religious group or sect that existed in England from 1846 to 1956. It was named from the meaning "abode of love". The Agapemone community was ...

, or Abode of Love *Singular Scotch Ladies *Mrs. Bond, of Hackney *John Ward, the Hackney

Miser A miser is a person who is reluctant to spend money, sometimes to the point of forgoing even basic comforts and some necessities, in order to hoard money or other possessions. Although the word is sometimes used loosely to characterise anyone ...

* "Poor Man of Mutton" * Lord Kenyon's Parsimony *

Mary Moser Mary Moser (27 October 1744 – 2 May 1819) was an England, English Painting, painter and one of the most celebrated female artists of 18th-century Britain. One of only two female founding members of the Royal Academy in 1768 (along with Angel ...

, the Flower-painter *The Eccentric Miss Banks *Thomas Cooke, the Miser, of

Pentonville Pentonville is an area in North London, located in the London Borough of Islington. It is located north-northeast of Charing Cross on the London Inner Ring Road, Inner Ring Road. Pentonville developed in the northwestern edge of the ancient p ...

* Thomas Cooke, the Turkey Merchant * "Lady Lewson," of

Clerkenwell Clerkenwell ( ) is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an Civil Parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish from the medieval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The St James's C ...

*Profits of Dust-sifting and Dust-heaps * Sir John Dineley, Bart *The

Rothschilds The Rothschild family ( , ) is a wealthy Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi Jewish noble banking family originally from Frankfurt. The family's documented history starts in 16th-century Frankfurt; its name is derived from the family house, Rothschild, ...

* A Legacy of Half-a-million of Money *Eccentricities of the

Earl of Bridgewater Earl of Bridgewater was a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England, once for the Daubeny family (1538) and once for the Egerton family (1617). From 1720 to 1803, the Earls of Bridgewater also held the title of Duke of Bridgewa ...

*The Denisons, and the Conyngham Family * "Dog Jennings" *

Baron Ward Earl of Dudley, of Dudley Castle in the County of the West Midlands (though previously in the County of Stafford) is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ward family. Histor ...

's Remarkable Career *A Costly House-warming *

Devonshire Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the wes ...

Eccentrics * Hannah Snell, the Female Soldier *Lady Archer

Delusions, Impostures, and Fanatic Missions

*Modern

Alchemists Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...

*Jack Adams, the

Astrologer Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...

*The Woman-hating

Cavendish Cavendish may refer to: People * The House of Cavendish, a British aristocratic family * Margaret Cavendish (1623–1673), British poet, philosopher, and scientist * Cavendish (author) (1831–1899), pen name of Henry Jones, English auth ...

*Modern Astrology "Witch Pickles" *Hannah Green; or, " Ling Bob" *Oddities of

Lady Hester Stanhope Lady Hester Lucy Stanhope (12 March 1776 – 23 June 1839) was a British adventurer, writer, antiquarian, and one of the most famous travellers of her age. Her excavation of Ascalon in 1815 is considered the first to use modern Archaeology ...

Hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...

s and Eremitical Life * The Recluses of Llangollen *Snuff-taking Legacies *Burial Bequests *Burials on Box Hill and

Leith Hill Leith Hill in southern England is the highest summit of the Greensand Ridge, approximately southwest of Dorking, Surrey and southwest of central London. It reaches above sea level, and is the second highest point in southeast England, aft ...

Peter Labilliere Peter Labilliere (1725-1800), also known as Peter Labelliere, was a British Army Major who is notable for being buried upside down on Box Hill near Dorking in Surrey. Biography Labilliere was born in Dublin on 30 May 1725 to a family of French ...

**Richard Hull *

Jeremy Bentham Jeremy Bentham (; 4 February Dual dating, 1747/8 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.

5 February 1748 Old Style and New Style dates, N.S. 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. Humans, and many other animals, have 5 digits on their limbs. Mathematics 5 is a Fermat pri ...

– 6 June 1832) was an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer regarded as the founder of mo ...

's Bequest of his Remains *The Marquis of Anglesey's

Leg A leg is a weight-bearing and locomotive anatomical structure, usually having a columnar shape. During locomotion, legs function as "extensible struts". The combination of movements at all joints can be modeled as a single, linear element cap ...

*The Cottle Church *

Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (; 24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English Whig politician, writer, historian and antiquarian. He had Strawberry Hill House built in Twickenham, southwest London ...

's Chattels saved by a Talisman * Norwood Gipsies *"Cunning Mary," of

* "Jerusalem Whalley" * Father Mathew and the

Temperance Movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting Temperance (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...

*Eccentric

Preacher A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who Open-air preaching, preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach com ...

s * Irving a

Millenarian Millenarianism or millenarism () is the belief by a religious organization, religious, social, or political party, political group or Social movement, movement in a coming fundamental Social transformation, transformation of society, after which ...

*A Trio of Fanatics ** William Sharp **Jacob Bryan **

Richard Brothers Richard Brothers (25 December 1757 – 25 January 1824) was an early believer and teacher of British Israelism, a theory concerning the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. Biography Life Brothers was born in Port Kirwan, Newfoundland (earlier know ...

*The Spenceans * Joanna Southcote, and the Coming of Shiloh *The

Founder Founder or Founders may refer to: Places *Founders Park, a stadium in South Carolina, formerly known as Carolina Stadium * Founders Park, a waterside park in Islamorada, Florida Arts, entertainment, and media * Founders (''Star Trek''), the ali ...

Mormonism Mormonism is the theology and religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationism, Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to va ...

* Huntington, the Preacher *Amen–Peter Isnell *Strangely Eccentric, yet Sane *Strange

Hallucination A hallucination is a perception in the absence of an external stimulus that has the compelling sense of reality. They are distinguishable from several related phenomena, such as dreaming ( REM sleep), which does not involve wakefulness; pse ...

*"Corner Memory Thompson" * Mummy of a Manchester Lady *

Hypochondriasis Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness. Hypochondria is an old concept whose meaning has repeatedly changed over its lifespan. It has been claimed that th ...

Strange Sites and Sporting Scenes

*"The Wonder of all the Wonders that the World ever wondered at" *"The

Princess Caraboo Mary Baker (née Willcocks; 11 November 1792 (alleged), Witheridge, Devonshire, England – 24 December 1864, Bristol, England) was an English impostor. Posing as the fictional Princess Caraboo, Baker pretended to come from a far-off island kin ...

" *Fat Folks.– Lambert and

Bright Bright may refer to: Common meanings *Bright, an adjective meaning giving off or reflecting illumination; see Brightness *Bright, an adjective meaning someone with intelligence People * Bright (surname) * Bright (given name) *Bright, the stage na ...

*A Cure for Corpulence *

Epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

s on Fat Folks * Count Boruwlaski, the Polish Dwarf * The Irish Giant *Birth Extraordinary * William Hutton's "Strong Woman" * Wildman and his Bees * Lord Stowell's Love of Sight-seeing *John Day and

Fairlop Fairlop is a suburban area of Ilford, in the London Borough of Redbridge in East London. Historically in Essex, it was part of the Municipal Borough of Ilford until 1965, when the Borough, including Fairlop, became part of Greater London. It ...

Fair *A Princely Hoax

Volume Two

Strange Sights and Sporting Scenes

* Sir John Waters's Escape * Colonel Mackinnon's Practical Joking * A Gourmand Physician *Dick England, the Gambler * Brighton Races, Thirty Years since *Colonel Mellish *

Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...

Eccentrics *" Walking Stewart" *Youthful Days of the Hon.

Grantley Berkeley The Honourable George Charles Grantley FitzHardinge Berkeley (10 February 1800 – 20 February 1881), known as Grantley Berkeley, was a British politician, writer and sportsman. Background and education Berkeley was the sixth son of Frederick Be ...

*What became of the Seven Dials * An Old Bailey Character *Bone and Shell Exhibition *"Quid Rides?" *"

Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...

Trotters" *Eccentric Lord Coleraine *Eccentric Travellers *Elegy on a

Geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

Eccentric Artists

* Gilray and his

Caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, ...

s *

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...

, Painter and Poet *

Nollekens Joseph Nollekens Royal Academy of Arts, R.A. (11 August 1737 – 23 April 1823) was a sculpture, sculptor from London generally considered to be the finest British sculptor of the late 18th century. Life Nollekens was born on 11 August 1737 ...

, the Sculptor

Theatrical Folks

* The Young Roscius * Hardham's "No. 37" *Rare Criticism *The O. P. Riot *Origin of "Paul Pry" * Mrs. Garrick * Mathews, a Spanish Ambassador * Grimaldi, the Clown * Munden's Last Performance *Oddities of Dowton * Liston in Tragedy *Boyhood of

Edmund Kean Edmund Kean (4 November 178715 May 1833) was a British Shakespearean actor, who performed, among other places, in London, Belfast, New York, Quebec, and Paris. He was known for his short stature, tumultuous personal life, and controversial div ...

* A Mysterious Parcel *Masquerade Incident *Mr. T. P. Cooke in Melodrama and Pantomime * "Romeo and Juliet" in America *The Mulberries, a Shakspearian Club *

Colley Cibber Colley Cibber (6 November 1671 – 11 December 1757) was an English actor-manager, playwright and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate. His colourful memoir ''An Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber'' (1740) describes his life in ...

's Daughter * An Eccentric Love-passage * True to the Text

Men of Letters

* Monk Lewis * Porson's Eccentricities *Parriana: Oddities of Dr. Parr *Oddities of

John Horne Tooke John Horne Tooke (25 June 1736 – 18 March 1812), known as John Horne until 1782 when he added the surname of his friend William Tooke to his own, was an English clergyman, politician and Philology, philologist. Associated with radical proponen ...

* Mr. Canning's Humour * Peter Pindar.–Dr. Wolcot *The Author of " Dr. Syntax" * Mrs. Radcliffe and the Critics *Cool Sir

James Mackintosh Sir James Mackintosh FRS FRSE (24 October 1765 – 30 May 1832) was a Scottish jurist, Whig politician and Whig historian. His studies and sympathies embraced many interests. He was trained as a doctor and barrister, and worked also as a jo ...

*Eccentricities of Cobbett * Heber, the Book-collector *

Sir John Soane Sir John Soane (; né Soan; 10 September 1753 – 20 January 1837) was an English architect who specialised in the Neo-Classical style. The son of a bricklayer, he rose to the top of his profession, becoming professor of architecture at the Ro ...

lampooned *Extraordinary Calculators *

Charles Lamb Charles Lamb (10 February 1775 – 27 December 1834) was an English essayist, poet, and antiquarian, best known for his '' Essays of Elia'' and for the children's book '' Tales from Shakespeare'', co-authored with his sister, Mary Lamb (1764� ...

's Cottage at Islington *

Thomas Hood Thomas Hood (23 May 1799 – 3 May 1845) was an English poet, author and humorist, best known for poems such as "The Bridge of Sighs (poem), The Bridge of Sighs" and "The Song of the Shirt". Hood wrote regularly for ''The London Magazine'', '' ...

* A Witty Archbishop *Literary Madmen *A

Perpetual-motion Perpetual motion is the motion of bodies that continues forever in an unperturbed system. A perpetual motion machine is a hypothetical machine that can do work indefinitely without an external energy source. This kind of machine is impossible ...

Seeker * The Romantic Duchess of Newcastle *Sources of Laughter

Convivial Eccentrics

*Busby's Folly and Bull Feather Hall *Old Islington Taverns *The Oyster and Parched-pea Club *A Manchester Punch-house *"The Blue Key" *Brandy in Tea *"The Wooden Spoon" *A Tipsy Village *What an Epicure eats in his Life-time *Epitaph on Dr. Maginn *Greenwich Dinners * Lord Pembroke's Port Wine * A Tremendous Bowl of Punch

Miscellanea

*Long Sir Thomas Robinson * Lord Chesterfield's Will *An Odd Family * An Eccentric Host *Quackery Successful * The Grateful Footpad *A Notoriety of the Temple *A Ride in a Sedan * Mr. John Scott (Lord Eldon) in Parliament * A Chancery Jeu-d'Esprit *

Hanging Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...

by Compact *The Ambassador Floored * "The Dutch Mail" *Bad Spelling *A "Single Conspirator" *A Miscalculation *An Indiscriminate Collector * The Bishop's Saturday Night * "Rather than otherwise" *Classic Soup Distribution *Alphabet Single Rhymed *Non Sequitur and Therefore

References

{{reflist

External links

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