English Eccentrics

Summary

Writing in the 19th century, John Timbs recounts the tales of some of the most idiosyncratic eccentrics of his own day and the preceding centuries. This audiobook begins with the story of the Beckford dynasty who lavish built the monstrous Fonthill Abbey, which owing to their unconventional approach tended to fall down as quickly as it could be constructed. Then there is Beau Brummel, the celebrated dandy, whose stylish attire and his ongoing feud with the Prince of Wales were the gossip of the day. John Mytton, Squire of Halston single-handedly managed to blast one of the largest legacies ever bequeathed. The 1824 visit of the King and Queen of the Sandwich Islands caused great excitement and curiosity in fashionable circles, not least for their exotic appearance and habits. Further oddballs and rarities include the eccentric Miss Banks, Miss Bond of Hackney, Thomas Cooke, Hannah Snell and the Earl of Bridgewater and his many pampered dogs.