Talk:John 'Mad Jack' Fuller

This is really ugly. Not only does it need full sentences and prose instead of a list of non-sentences, but it doesn't explain who this man is, what his folly was, and what the heck his pyramid was. -- Zoe

"Folly", in this sense, is the British term for a particular type of monument or architectural addition; one popular form of folly is the anachronistic building (e.g. Peckforton Castle, a medieval-style castle built in Victorian times). It's a fascinating subject that someone should write a Wikipedia article about, and then we wouldn't get people complaining that they don't know what a folly is.  :o)

I don't see what your problem with the Pyramid is. The article says what it was.

I agree the article needs re-formatting with proper sentences and paragraphs and so on, though.

--Paul A

The Pyramid is erected in Brightling Churchyard as a future mausoleum for Jack Fuller - "The Pyramid"? Is it known as this world-wide? -- Zoe

Well, I've never heard of it before today; but I don't see why it shouldn't be known as "the Pyramid", since that is clearly the thing's name.

--Paul A

So what's wrong with saying that, in such-and-such a year, he built a pyramid which was to become his mausoleum? -- Zoe

Not a thing that I can see. --Paul A

He seems an interesting guy. I can't to see the reformatted version. (I've looked at the website). You can probably add in a link to 'folly' then. (Might even be able to get some jpegs of some famous follies. I know we have a few here in Ireland.) JTD 03:07 Feb 10, 2003 (UTC)

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Discrepancies

• Annette Lloyd Thomas's genealogical website (http://www3.sympatico.ca/alloydthomas/index.htm) (which has a downloadable GEDCOM file of Fuller's family - hurray!) gives Rev. Henry Fuller's date of death as "23 Jul 1761". The article has 21 Jul.
  • Addendum: Someone has now removed the "21" without explanation! Whoever it was, please let us know how you sorted out this discrepancy. -- Oliver P. 17:23 Feb 15, 2003 (UTC)

I changed the date to 23 Jul 1761. Source: Fuller of Sussex-A Georgian Squire by Geoff Hutchinson, pp. 30 which includes photo of Henry Fuller's tombstone with inscription of date of death. Annette Lloyd Thomas

• A "Megalab 99" (it's a BBC thing) page (http://216.122.217.223/b/megalab/movingbelle.htm) says that the Belle Tout lighthouse was built in 1832; the Mad Jack Fuller website (http://www.johnmadjackfuller.homestead.com/index.html) says 1828.

Hmm. How many more pedantic date discrepancies do you think I can find...? -- Oliver P. 02:36 Feb 11, 2003 (UTC)

Nice work, Oliver. I just didn't even want to tackle that.  :-) -- Zoe

Thanks! It was actually quite fun. :) Well, not really fun as such, but it was a good way of putting off doing the work that I'm supposed to be doing! It still needs a bit of rewriting, though, as I'm afraid my prose style is a bit rubbish. I might come back to it later... -- Oliver P. 05:03 Feb 11, 2003 (UTC)

I wrote the original page here as a first attempt - it obviously didn't fit your standard format very well. Don't be too hard on me - I'm new around here. My wife Annette Lloyd Thomas runs the John 'Mad Jack' Fuller website and we spend much time and effort researching the Georgian era here in Toronto, Canada. I'll try to answer any queries re content. --Rupert

Aha! In that case, welcome to the Wikipedia! And congratulations to your wife on the website: I found it very interesting. You put a lot of interesting facts into the "Mad Jack" Fuller article. I've tried to put them into paragraphs, but you'd better look over them to see if you can improve upon them. Good luck with the research, and I'm looking forward to seeing any other articles you might write. -- Oliver P. 04:09 Feb 12, 2003 (UTC)

Am I going bonkers and misremembering, or was this lighthouse the one that was recently (a year or two ago perhaps) moved back from the cliff some distance to avoid it going over??? I see the lighthouse itself does not yet have an article and wondered if this was correct, and should be included, when it does get one?Nevilley 17:29 Feb 15, 2003 (UTC)

Look at the Megalab 99 page listed above. Mintguy

Yes, I was vaguely thinking of starting a stubby article for the lighthouse itself, since all that moving about business might be amusing to talk about, but I haven't got round to it yet... -- Oliver P. 18:22 Feb 15, 2003 (UTC)

A wooden lighthouse financed by Jack Fuller was built at Beachy Head in 1828. This structure was replaced by the more permanent stone Belle Tout lighthouse erected in 1831. The lamp at Belle Tout was not lit until 1834. Annette Lloyd Thomas

Inside the Pyramid

Minor point, he is not actually buried in the pyramid, but rather underneath it. I had the opportunity to go inside the pyramid when there was some concern over its structural soundness and it was opened for inspection. The pyramid itself was empty, although there was a handwritten inscription in charcoal or pencil on the back wall, possibly contemporary with its construction, The inscription which is taken from Thomas Gray's "Elegy in a country churchyard" reads:-

"The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow’r, And all that beauty, all that wealth e’er gave, Await alike the inevitable hour. The paths of glory lead but to the grave."

from Dave Lock (Mad Jacks Morris)