Mad Jack Fuller, follies and folly towers at follytowers.com (original) (raw)

M a d J a c k F u l l e r

Eccentricity is a curious feature that is present in varying degrees in all races, however it seems to have had a special place with the British, hence the profusion of follies around the country.
Situated about 6 miles from Battle in Sussex you will find the village of Brightling established just after the Norman conquest in 1066 that took place just to the south in the area of Pevensey Bay.
Move forward in time to 1575 and we find the Fuller family arriving in the Sussex area, followed by a certain 20 year old John Fuller inheriting the family home at Rose Hill (now Brightling Park) in 1777.

Left: "Jack" as he appeared on a 'PG Tips' Tea Card.

John Fuller is not a charismatic, easily remembered name, but his nickname of 'Mad Jack Fuller' certainly is.
Mad Jack was a true 'English eccentric', who lived all of his 77 years to the full it seems, portrayed as a 'bon viveur' and philanthropist, of which he was both, it appears he also had a darker side.
Mad Jack is shown in portraits as being a large man, and this with his obvious eccentricity, probably presented an intimidating picture to those who met him. He was never married or known to have fathered any children (anyone who is married and has children may wonder if the man really was eccentric then !)

The Family Background
The Fuller family it seems were a political family, with several members being involved in the political scene, including Mad Jack himself, who served 4 terms as a member of Parliament.
The family money came from two main sources, manufacturing cannons for the Royal Navy - making all sizes up to a whopping 32 pound 10ft long model -, and sugar plantations worked by [the then acceptable] slave labour.
Michael Cottman is a reporter for the Washington Post newspaper in America, and in his book, "The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie",

**(see note 1 at foot of page), he tells of Mad Jack's links to Jamaica.

It seems Mad Jack was listed as an 'absentee owner' of sugar plantations, the largest being 1,500 acres. Incidentally, several Jamaican families still have the surname of Fuller, that their ancestral slaves would have been given by their then 'owner'.
Mad Jack saw nothing wrong with this aspect of his life, and indeed later found himself being physically ejected from the Houses of Parliament, after an exchange with the Speaker of the House in a debate over the abolition of slavery in February 1810.

Philanthropist
Locally he provided funding for the 'Belle Tout' lighthouse, and a large barrel organ at Brightling church (said to be the largest working example in the UK to this day), saved nearby Bodium castle from demolition and also found time to build some interesting follies that are shown below.
Not to forget that he was behind the founding of the Royal Institution in London with a gift of £10,000, and a subsequent Fullerian Professorship there.
Later in life he even refused a peerage - ,"I was born Jack Fuller and so I shall die". Which leads nicely onto his most enduring monument, his tomb, for here he is definitely not forgotten as you will see below.

All photo's by Michael Botten of Hastings, except Belle Tout is by Peter Carter of Crawley.

Belle Tout, Nr Eastbourne, ......Co-ords 556350 095520.

The Obelisk, ...........................Co-ords 567010 121210.

The Observatory, .................Co-ords 567070 120745.

The Sugarloaf, .....................Co-ords 566920 119550.

The Temple, ........................Co-ords 568030 120325

The Tomb, ..........................Co-ords 568380 120980.

The Tower, .........................Co-ords 568855 120670.

Another far more detailed site about Mad Jack is found here. >>
**Note 1
It has been pointed out to me that Michael Cottman's article contains some inaccuracies, as it states "The Henrietta Marie also carried eight large cannons, commissioned by John 'Mad Jack' Fuller". Jack Fuller was however not born until 57 years after the ship had sunk.
It is presumed the connection with the cannons refers to his family rather than jack himself !
The article [mistakes aside] is an interesting read and can be found at "The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie."

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