John Fuller
(1757-1834), Politician; MP for Southampton and SussexSitter in 5 portraits
In 1777, John Fuller inherited a vast fortune and property from his uncle who owned plantations in Jamaica. Using this new wealth, he entered Parliament in 1780. While his chief interest was the Sussex militia, in which he was a captain, Fuller was also a vocal advocate for slavery. Frequently an object of fun in the House of Commons, he became infamous for his drunken interventions in debates. On one occasion, this resulted in two days in custody before apologising to the House. Fuller retired from parliament in 1812 and settled on his Sussex estate where he built architectural follies and became patron of the arts and sciences, commissioning J. M. W. Turner and endowing two professorships at the Royal Institution.
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