MYTHS and LEGENDS JOHN (Mad Jack) MYTTON legendary.....for his many eccentricities....... JOHN (Mad Jack) MYTTON was born into a family of SHROPSHIRE SQUIRE’s. JACK was only two years old when his father, also named JOHN died at the age of 30 JACK inherited the family seat of HALSTON HALL, WHITTINGTON, nr OSWESTRY JACK was sent to Westminster School, but was expelled after one year for fighting a master at the school. He was then sent to Harrow School, from where he was also expelled after three terms. He was then educated by a series of private tutors whom he tormented with practical jokes that included leaving a horse in one tutors bedroom. Despite having achieved very little academically, JACK was granted entry to the University of Cambridge, to which he took 2,000 bottles of port to sustain himself during his studies. He left without a degree, having found university life boring. He then embarked on the Grand Tour. After his return from the Grand Tour he was commissioned in the regular Army and joined the 7th Hussars spending much of his time gambling and drinking before resigning his commission. MYTTON later returned to his country seat and took up the duties of a SQUIRE in preparation for coming into his full inheritance when he became 21. He married a baronets daughter in 1818.....who bore him one child, she died in 1820 His second wife, Caroline Gifford, produced 5 children before running away and leaving him in 1830. In 1819 he became the MP for SHREWSBURY. After only spending just 30 minutes in the House of Commons in June 1819, he found the debates boring and difficult to follow because of his incipient deafness......he left his seat a year later.... He was to continue to indulge in his enjoyment of horseracing and gambling. MYTTON had hunted foxes with his own pack of hounds from the age of ten...... He often went hunting in all kind of weather.....When he got hot he stripped naked and carried on, and at times he was even seen naked in the snow with a gun in hand. It was said of MAD JACK....that not only did he not mind having accidents, he positively liked them. He once rode his bear into his drawing-room in full hunting costume. The bear carried him very quietly for a time.....but on being pricked by JACK’s spur he bit him through the calf of his leg...... The bear which MYTTON had named Nell later attacked a servant and was put down. MYTTON kept numerous pets including some 2,000 dogs the favourites amongst them were fed on steak and champagne. His favourite horse named Baronet.....had free range of HALSTON HALL and lay in front of the fire with MYTTON. MYTTON could drink eight bottles of port a day and he topped that up with brandy.....There are so many escapades which earned him the reputation of MAD JACK.....alas far too many for me to mention here...... MYTTON was also a spend thrift and over the course of fifteen years he managed to spend his inheritance before falling into deep debt........To avoid his debts he went to live in Calais....Due to ill health MYTTON returned to England in 1833..... Where still unable to pay his numerous debts he ended up in the Kings Bench Prison in SOUTHWARK......He died there in 1834.....a round-shouldered tottering old-young man bloated by drink....worn out by too much foolishness, too much wretchedness and too much brandy. Despite all of his eccentricities, head strong ways and a total disregard for money.... he did have a strong reputation for extreme generosity. ......So it is said that more than 3,000 people turned out to mourn at his funeral. Pictures...... 1.....HALSTON HALL WHITTINGTON, nr OSWESTRY 2. Portrait...MAD JACK with horse & hounds 3....Portrait....MAD JACK riding NELL... the bear
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 12:38:52 +0000
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