THE GREAT BRIGHT 

by Richard Banks 

There are many sorts of fame, a subject on which many folk have expressed an opinion. To inaccurately paraphrase Shakespeare some people are born famous, some achieve fame and some have fame thrust upon them. Three hundred years later Oscar Wilde, yet to make his mark on the literary world, established the concept of being famous for being famous, a concept much practised in present times by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian. In the 1960s Andy Warhol declared that in future everyone would be famous, but only for fifteen minutes. No doubt, Socrates would have disagreed with the lot of them, for him fame was, ‘the perfume of heroic deeds’. 

         None of these definitions, however, seem to fit Edward Bright of Maldon who became famous for being the stoutest man in England. Two hundred and seventy two years after his death his fame shows no sign of fading, like Edward during his lifetime it grows ever larger; if you don’t believe me look at the many web-sites about him. Better still keep reading, for what follows is the life story of Edward who entered this world on 1st March 1721 in Great Waltham, Essex.

         He was one of five children born to William and Mary Bright of whom little seems to be known beyond that they were prosperous, middling sort of folk who were probably non-conformist in religion. They did, however, have a nearly famous person in their family tree, a Mrs Jane Disbrowe, sister to Oliver Cromwell.

         Having been born, the next sighting we have of Edward is of him working as a post boy delivering mail on horseback, an occupation that ended when at the age of twelve and already twelve stone in weight someone took pity on the horse. Well, there were many lighter boys and the poor horse also had letters and parcels to carry. However, it may be that Edward’s family decided to call time on this employment preferring to secure his future prosperity by buying him an apprenticeship, which they did in 1733 when, age thirteen, he was apprenticed to Joseph Pattison, a grocer living and trading in Maldon. Pattison was a very wealthy man and, like Edward’s family, a non-conformist. Possibly it was this religious connection that persuaded Pattison to take Edward on but it would seem that Edward had already established a reputation for being able and trustworthy. If so, this would account for him, still only thirteen, being called upon to witness the will of one of Maldon’s best know citizens, the Reverend Joseph Billio. 

         Edward lived in Pattison’s house learning his trade until the completion of his apprenticeship in 1740 at which time he weighed around twenty-four stone. In 1743 he became a freeman of Maldon and, in the same year, his father died leaving him £200. This was the second of a number of legacies he received enabling him to set-up in business on his own account and marry one Mary Browne of Enfield, the family home being above a shop he purchased in Maldon High Street. The business prospered and Edward bought or leased a further property in Maldon at which he manufactured candles. Edward’s business interests sometimes took him to London where his great stature attracted much attention, no doubt helping to spread his fame throughout the country. It certainly attracted the attention of artist, David Ogborne who painted Edward’s portrait and two engravers who produced etchings from it. I don’t know if the picture still exists but a painting based on one of the engravings featured in an episode of the Antiques Roadshow televised in 2016.

         Although Edward’s weight increased steadily during his lifetime he was strong and active until a year or so before his death. It is reputed that he was 5’9” tall, measured 5’ 6” around the chest, and 6’ 1” around the stomach. Known affectionately as the ‘Fat Man of Maldon’ or the ‘Great Bright’ he was a popular and well-regarded man in his community. In 1750 he suffered a long illness during which he was sometimes bled of as much as thirty-two ounces of blood. On 10 November 1750, age twenty-nine, he died. The primary cause of death was not his great weight, then forty-four stone, but typhoid. However, a contemporary report states that ‘his corpulence so overpowered his strength, that his life was a burden and his death a deliverance’.

         In order to remove his body from the upstairs bedroom where he died it was necessary to demolish the staircase of his house and part of a wall. His specially constructed coffin was conveyed to All Saints Church, Maldon for burial by carriage and then on rollers to its final resting place. He was interred on 12 November. The parish records contain the following tribute to him – ‘He was a very honest tradesman, a facetious [witty] companion, comely [handsome] in his person, affable in his temper, a tender father and valuable friend.’ His death and burial were widely reported in newspapers about the country.

         His fame, which otherwise might have been short lived, soon became the stuff of legend due to two extraordinary wagers that took place shortly after his death.. In the first an inveterate gambler accepted a bet that seven men could fit into Edward’s waistcoat. No doubt he thought he was onto a sure thing but the sly fellow proposing the bet actually won it when, on 1 December 1750 at the Black Bull Inn in Maldon seven unnamed men of the Dengie Hundred were buttoned into the waistcoat. Two months later a second wager took place at the Kings Head, also in Maldon, when nine men of the town were easily fitted into Edward’s waistcoat. This time we have their names and occupations. Surprisingly they include the vicar, parish clerk, a customs officer and six prominent tradesmen, including a Joseph Pattison, presumably Edward’s old master.

         Like me you may be wondering if these two events actually happened. If they did they seem extraordinarily insensitive, if not insulting, to the recently bereaved. Having not seen the original records I am unable to say one way or the other but why spoil a good story that has done much to boost Maldon as a visitor destination. 

         Go to Maldon. I recommend it. And if you do be sure to see the sights – the bronze reliefs commemorating the wager outside the Continental Cafe in Maldon High Street, a sculpture of the wager and a replica of the famous waistcoat in Maldon Museum, and Edward’s grave in All Saints Church where he is also commemorated in the Maldon Embroidery. Unfortunately, both Edward’s shop and candle-making factory have been replaced by more modern buildings. The sites are presently home to a nail parlour and Maldon Town Hall but a house built and lived in by his son, another Edward, has survived. Known as Church House it is now ‘Mrs Salisbury’s Famous Tea Rooms’. George Junior was also corpulent although at a mere twenty stone less than half the man his father was. He continued the family businesses adding to them the manufacture of Maldon salt. He took an active part in politics, becoming leader of Maldon’s Whigs. Descendants of both men continue to live in Maldon as evidenced by the business premises of Bright & Sons, solicitors.

         One thing that will not be found in Maldon is the main exhibit, Edward’s waistcoat. At the time of his death it was, apparently, at the tailor’s for letting out. In the next one hundred and ninety years it seems to have had various owners before ending up in Maldon Museum where soon after the start of WWII it was put into storage. Alas, it was never seen again. 

         To end with another quote about fame, Samuel Johnson, who was a contemporary of Edward Bright said – among many other things – ‘time quickly puts an end to artificial and accidental fame.’ If he had Edward in mind he could not have been more wrong. 

Compiled by Richard Banks

 

Bibliography:

Youtube video by Lynne Raymond and, the websites of:

Visitmaldondistrict;

Wikipedia;

BBC - Essex - History;

All Saints with St Peter, Maldon; and

Maldon Nub News – Historic Maldon.