Many people first hear about John "Mad Jack" Fuller in association with the follies he built in and around Brightling, Sussex, England. These structures stand monument to his burning desire to be remembered long after his death.
But this is not the most important legacy he created. He was a philanthropist, a patron of the arts and sciences and a founding member of the Royal Institution.
The Fullers of Sussex were wealthy ironmasters and owned vast amounts of property, including sugar plantations in Jamaica.
Fuller, being a Squire, a Member of Parliament , and a captain in the Sussex Yeomanry Cavalry was well connected and is associated with many notable figures of his day.
Was he 'mad'?
John Fuller has been called eccentric, ebullient, and obstreperous.
Was he larger than life? Yes. Was he mad? No.
