The half-mad lord: Thomas Pitt, 2nd Baron Camelford

by Nikolai Tolstoy

1775 – 1804 was a British peer, naval officer & wastrel.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Count Nikolai Dmitrievich Tolstoy-Miloslavsky (Russian: Николай Дмитриевич Толстой-Милославский; born 23 June 1935) is an Anglo-Russian author who writes under the name Nikolai Tolstoy. A member of the Tolstoy family, he is a former parliamentary candidate of the UK Independence Party.

Source: Wikipedia

The photograph by Justin K Prim.

Reviews

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Half Mad Lord, Nikolai Tolstoy has written an interesting biography of a minor figure in English History. Thomas Pitt, the 2nd Baron of Camelford (1775 – 1804) could have been an important figure in any of several way. He was born to position, had some of the most powerful connections and had the makings of a good Navy Officer. None of the advantages ever came together to the degree to which he had aspired. In a similar way, Tolstoy's book never comes together with the same impact to which he might have hoped. The result is a fairly good book, but its target audience is elusive. As such the title is an eye catcher, but the story barely lives up to the promised drama.

The Baron of Camelfort was related to the famous Pitts of British Parliamentary fame. He was also related to the Grenvilles another family of enormous prestige. He inherited properties that provided him a guaranteed a comfortable life at a time when being a money, titled gentleman was often considered enough. To his great credit he initially chose to seek a Navy career in an effort to earn his own way and his own reputation. His quick temper and overly sensitive protection of his honor would cost him in many ways. For example it will cost him his career as an Officer.

Having lost what was for him the only job worthy of his standing he would indulge himself in some one person schemes and secret plans. He would interest himself in the promotion of boxing and a variety of charitable efforts. None of this qualifies him as much more than an oddity biography of a gentleman of his times.

The traditional trend in period biographies is to concentrate on the great and powerful. Lord Camelford was not. A more recent trend is to document the lives and habits of working people and typical lives. Lord Camel fort was neither working class nor typical of his class. Further there is very little about the life style , the choices or his day to doings that tend to increase our understanding of the larger world in which he lived.

As the title tells us, some believed that the 2nd Lord of Camelford was half mad. Tolstoy does not make him out to be half mad. Because Tolstoy works hard to help us see his subject's decisions from the subjects point of view every extreme becomes muted. This is a legitimate and fair method to write a biography. The result is that the narrative tend to lack passion.

Bottom line is that I liked this book, but I am not sure who is likely to enjoy it. This is a good view into how a particular rich man lived out his short life. There are some psychological insights to help us to understand why this man had a reputation he may not have deserved. It is a close call if he would have preferred to challenge the name callers or paid them to make him seem more dangerous.

This was violent period and the 2nd Lord would have his share. Such of the violence that makes it onto the page is carefully presented to spare you the gore. No doubt a Navy Officer and fight promoter had some salty language, none is present in The Half Mad Lord. In at least one discussion it is hinted that he was familiar with the kinds of working women who were available to a lifelong bachelor of means, but again there are no unseemly bedroom situations.

There is a story here. Who you are that this is the story for you I cannot say.

[Mark White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tolstoy humanises the demon...another that you would only read if kept coming up with the person peripherally in other journals & accounts

[Eric Oppen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a look at a little-known figure of the regency: Thomas Pitt, Baron Camelford. He was originally intended for the Navy, but after quarreling with his commander and several other scandals, was beached, and spent much of the rest of his life garnering a reputation for pugnacious behavior.

At one point, he apparently contemplated assassinating Napoleon, and got as far as getting into France, but was foiled.

While many people just thought he was a bully, much of his violent behavior had a point to it. One story: While driving with his cousin in the country, they came to a toll gate, and he paid the toll, getting some coins in change. When he saw what the coins were, he jumped out of his curricle and beat the tollgate man up. Getting back in, he explained to his cousin that the tollgate man had given him some bad ha'pence. To him, a wealthy lord, this was nothing. But to a poor man, who'd find himself at the end of the day without money for his dinner, this was a calamity, and so he'd taught the tollgate keeper a lesson. He disapproved of the Peace of Amiens, and refused to illuminate his house, and when a mob gathered to break his windows, he charged out into them single-handed, doing and receiving real damage before being rescued.

His premature death, in a rather stupid duel, deprived Britain of what could have been one of its most interesting statesmen.