Three Historical Figures I Admire (Who Were Completely Insane)

Here are some of the people whose status as a lunatic hasn’t stopped them from rising to great things. People such as…

The Man Who Built His Own Castle

For three years – from 1867 to 1870 – Irishman Johnny Roche built this towering monstrosity in County Cork. Watching him gathering stones from the river by hand, digging away furiously, and drawing lime in his ancient cart pulled by an equally decrepit donkey, many quickly jumped to the glaring truth that he was mad. The castle, which was constructed with less tools than it takes to put up a shelf, was nicknamed Castle Curious by envious locals, desperate to know why he had a castle and they didn’t. Upon completion of the structure, Roche did what any madman would do, he moved into the building with its labyrinth of rooms and stayed there for the rest of his life.

He didn’t encourage callers and, thanks to a private well inside the castle walls, was able to pull up his drawbridge whenever he felt inclined. St Bernard’s Holy Well, however, lay only a few feet from the castle walls and Johnny Roche, afraid that his privacy was threatened, would lean out of a tower window and hurl abuse at the pilgrims. His epitaph says all you need to know about this glorious figure (except the obvious bit about the castle)

Here lies the body of poor John Roche.

He had his faults but don’t reproach;

For while alive his heart was mellow;

An artist, genius and gentle fellow.’

The Tramp Who Ruled America

In 1859, at the age of forty and already bankrupt, Joshua Abraham Norton sent a letter to the San Francisco Bulletin proclaiming himself Emperor of the United States. On what must have been a slow news day the document was printed on the front page, signalling the epic start of Norton’s reign. For the next 21 years he revelled in his self-appointed task. He printed his own bonds, levied taxes, demanded that Congress be abolished and turned up uninvited at glittering diplomatic functions, where he charmed VIPs with his wit, barking insanity and smell of ammonia.

People he met in the street bowed and curtsied. He would pause to inspect drains, check public transport timetables and discuss the crime rate with local police. He rode free on public transport and when he died, ten thousand loyal subjects passed by his coffin in solemn respect. All in all, he was an awesome individual who has terrified me into giving beggars anything they want. All these people need his Norton’s ambition and they can rule the world.