’Mad’ here means eccentric and these people were all a little peculiar as far as their habits and behavior is concerned.
1. Hetty Green
Hetty Green was a miser because of which she collected money and was considered to be the wealthiest at the time. She worked at a bank but because she did not want to pay rent, she did so out of a trunk. She wore the same outfit and the same underwear till she was sure it was no longer wearable.
2. William Archibald Spooner
Spoonerism is that linguistic method which involves the intentional or accidental exchange of vowels, words or letters in a sentence. William Archibald Spooner invented this phenomenon as he would often speak in such a way that the letters were all mixed up and the sentences rarely made any sense.
3. Simeon Ellerton
Simeon Ellerton was an eccentric man who was fanatic about staying fit. He took up the position of the local courier during the 18th century as it would allow him to walk for several miles at a time. During these walks, he would collect stones and carry them back on his head as he wanted to make a house of stones. Once that was done, he felt quite odd when he walked without the additional weight on his head so he started carrying bags of stones again for no particular reason as such.
4. John Christie
John Christie started a well-known Opera festival in England. He did not like tipping anybody so he carried his own bags when he traveled but spent massive amounts of money on Opera productions. If the weather was too balmy, he would cut the sleeves of his jackets.
5. Oscar Wilde
When this famous poet was enrolled at Oxford University, he used to tie a leash around the lobster and walk it all around town.
6. Sir George Sitwell
Sir George Sitwell was passionate about gardening and hated wasps so much that he shot at them with a special pistol. He also avoided paying his wife’s debts which lead to her arrest. This eccentric man also tried to pay his son’s school fees with vegetables and fruits that he had grown in his garden.
7. Gerald Tyrwhitt-Wilson
Gerald Tyrwhitt-Wilson was also referred to as Lord Berners. He grew up around a mother who was prejudiced about the strangest things and a grandmother who was fanatic about her religion. He had pet pigeons which he died pink and purple and a giraffe that joined him for his afternoon tea on a daily basis.
8. William Buckland
William Buckland was famous for his work with fossils but also because he was highly eccentric about both food and animals. He owned and raised a number of animals in his house after which he fattened them up and ate them.
9. Francis Egerton
Francis Egerton was notorious for the lavish parties he organized for dogs and these furry animals would be dressed up in designer clothes. He did not like referribg to a clock when he wanted to know the time so he lined up his shoes and counted them to figure out which day it was. He also clipped his pet pigeons’ wings as it made it easier for him to shoot at them.
10. Jemmy Hirst
Jemmy Hirst is undoubtedly the most eccentric man of all time. He said the strangest things and allegedly threw a jug of water on a laughing courtier when he was visiting King George III. He loved animals which is why he made sure that his pet bull acted like a horse and his pigs, like dogs.
What about Howard Hughes?