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At the stroke of midnight last night, same-sex-marriage ceremonies became legal in England and Wales.  Last July, the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act took effect, but couples were unable to perform ceremonies until now.  UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, said the law sends a "powerful message" about equality in Britain and "when people's love is divided by law, it is that law that needs to change." 

Scotland has also passed a bill allowing same-sex marriage, with ceremonies expected to begin this autumn.  Northern Ireland, however, has not passed such a law.

GUARDIAN VIDEO - Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage

 

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No group of people on earth have perfected “eccentric” like the British.  One wonders why we hear of the “British eccentric” and not about, say, the “Italian eccentric” or the “French eccentric” or the “American eccentric.”  Though all of those places do, undoubtedly, have eccentrics. 

The existence of the British eccentric as a thing, has long been documented.  In 1866, John Timbs wrote a two-volume tome entitled English Eccentrics and Eccentricities, which showcased oddball Brits living in the 1700s and 1800s, ranging from aristocrats and members of parliament to witches, dwarfs, and a whole section on artists. 

Later, George Santayana, an essayist, wrote about “the British character” in his Soliloquies in England and Later Soliloquies, published in 1922.  He had this to say: “England is the paradise of individuality, eccentricity, heresy, anomalies, hobbies, and humors.”

In 1933, English writer Edith Sitwell’s book, The English Eccentrics, added to the documentation of British eccentrics.  In the vein of “it takes one to know one,” Edith and her parents, I believe, would qualify as certifiable British eccentrics.  Edith’s relationship with her parents was stormy.  Her father had a sign over the entrance of their home stating, “I must ask anyone entering the house never to contradict me or differ from me in any way, as it interferes with the functioning of the gastric juices and prevents my sleeping at night.”  (Edith, herself, was strong willed, so we can imagine the fights that ensued in that household.) 

Part of Edith’s eccentricity was simply her physical appearance: She was six feet tall and had Marfan Syndrome, which can cause various particularities of the body, such as long, arachnid-like fingers.  Not a shy one, Edith was fond of dressing flamboyantly, in long gowns and gold turbans, with multiple rings on her fingers.  Little wonder she became fascinated enough about British eccentrics to write a book about them.

But what, exactly, is meant by “British eccentric”?  Does every kook with deviant or pathological behavior deserve the label?  No.  The term is reserved for those showing odd or quirky behaviors, deviating from “normal” for sure, but who can still function properly in society.  Eccentrics are generally highly intelligent and creative, and their thinking “outside the box” is what sets them apart and brands them “eccentric.”  These are not the mentally incapacitated standing on the street corner talking to themselves.  As one psychologist noted: People with mental illness suffer from their behavior, while eccentrics are quite happy.

On the other hand, I have little doubt that some who were labeled “eccentric” in the Victorian era or earlier, would nowadays be given a diagnosis from the DSM-IV—particularly those with obsessive hobbies.  Today they would be labeled “obsessive compulsive.”  Also, many eccentrics from the past who dressed “oddly,” might today come out as merely “transgender” or “gay.”

Many British eccentrics from bygone days were old, aristocratic males.  Oddballs who were obsessed with some unusual hobby and had the time and money to support the hobby.  Anyone who has studied Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Psychology 101 can easily understand this.  We must have the basics of life—food, water, shelter, etc.—before we can afford to “self actualize” by engaging in creative pastimes to meet our full, human potential.  Ragtag street urchins of the Victorian era didn’t have time to “self actualize," thus, none have been documented as "British eccentrics."       

Examples of British eccentrics abound.  From the Victorian era, consider The Very Rev. Dr. William Buckland (1784-1856).  This Englishman, a wealthy, learned man, kept a menagerie of animals in his house.  At one dinner party, his hyena ate a guinea pig before the dinner guests, causing quite a stir.  Buckland also ate wild animals, so some of his menagerie was doomed.  He prided himself on having eaten his way through much of the animal kingdom.

   British eccentrics may do any of the following:

• Dress oddly

• Demonstrate unusual lifestyles or personal habits

• Hold obsessions with hobbies

• Show interest in unusual animals

•   Be reclusive
  

• Feel different from others

• Hold non-conforming ideas
  

It should be noted that to qualify as an eccentric, one’s oddities must be intrinsic to his or her personality--not fake oddities adopted to get attention or with the motivation of becoming an eccentric.  That would be a “poseur.”

What gave birth to the British eccentric?  Edith Sitwell said, “Eccentricity exists particularly in the English, and partly, I think, because of that peculiar and satisfactory knowledge of infallibility that is the hallmark and birthright of the British nation.”

I believe the primary reason for the existence of the “British eccentric”—and the reason why the phenomenon of the eccentric isn’t found in other countries—is because Britain, for whatever reason, has long accepted, encouraged, and treasured the eccentric.  Many cultures across the world condemn those who do not fit in; Britain has a tradition of revering such people.  Perhaps, initially, the acceptance of eccentrics derived from the fact that the eccentrics were upper class.  Thereafter, after the term “British eccentric” was coined, the language shaped the reality…the “British eccentric” became a thing because a term existed for it.   

I’ve heard many in Britain lament that the British eccentric no longer exists, that their society has become complacent and conforming.  But I believe that British eccentricity will never die, simply because the term “British eccentric” exists.  Here are examples. . . .

For  modern-day British eccentric, I nominate the beautiful, award-winning, actress Helena Bonham Carter, known for her disheveled appearance.  (I don’t know the source of this quote, but someone described her as “a bag of laundry beneath a bird’s nest.")  Her hair is messy and her clothes are peculiar.  She says Marie Antoinette has influenced her style.  Also, Carter married America’s Tim Burton.  Yes, that Tim Burton...the Edward Scissorhands Tim Burton.  Surely, no odder coupling exists.  Burton, dark and macabre, is America’s finest example of an eccentric—but because the term “American eccentric,” doesn’t exist, at least not in a bona-fide manner, Burton is merely called “different” or “strange.”  Carter, meanwhile, is a “British eccentric.” 

I also nominate Sir Patrick Moore and Bruce Lacey for modern-day British eccentrics.  Both are featured in videos, below.

BRITISH ECCENTRIC: SIR PATRICK MOORE,
amateur astronomer, writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter

BRITISH ECCENTRIC: "PROFESSOR" BRUCE LACEY,
artist, actor, writer, professor, collector

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Dear Anglophiles:  I've discovered a book you may enjoy!  A Fine Romance - Falling in love with the English Countryside  is a handwritten and water-colored diary by Susan Branch.  The diary records  her transatlantic crossing and 2-month ramble through the English countryside, visiting the cottages and gardens of her literary heroes, including Beatrix Potter's Hill Top Farm and Jane Austen's house.  The 260-page book has maps, recipes, a reading list, and over 300 photos.  You can buy it at bookstores, on Amazon (US & UK), or on the link below.  For a signed copy, go to www.susanbranch.com.  

Enjoy!

PURCHASE A Fine Romance FROM AMAZON HERE
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