Squire John, “Mad Jack” Mytton was a notable English eccentric and Regency rake. He was also a wild and impulsive character with no fear of danger or sense of restraint. When he inherited the family fortune in 1819 he set out to enjoy himself to the maximum—sometimes with disastrous consequences to himself and those around him.

Timothy Dexter, who believed that he should be made Emperor of America, made a fortune buying useless foreign currency during the War of Independence, sold warming pans and woollen mittens to the West Indies and even coal to Newcastle.

One poet worked best while his feet were on a block of ice. Whistler dyed his rice pudding green and yet another read the Bible to sheep.