THE FAT MAN OF MALDON

Maldon has seen its fair share of colourful characters over the centuries, and perhaps none more than Edward Bright, ‘the fat man of Maldon’. Bright lived from 1721 to 1750 and worked as a candle manufacturer and grocer in the town. On his death at the age of 29, he was thought to be “the largest man that ever lived in this island”, according to a local diarist. His last recorded weight, at the age of 28, was 584lbs (265kg) or nearly 42st. But although Bright’s weight caused him many health problems, he remained a jovial man. A note in the parish burial records states: “He was a very honest tradesman, a facetious companion, comely in his person, affable in his temper, a tender father and valuable friend.” The same note also records that an extra-large coffin needed to be made for him, which was carried into All Saints’ Church on rollers and interred using a pulley system. Today, there is a sculpture of seven men standing in Bright’s coat in the King’s Head shopping centre, just off the High Street. Close by, a blue plaque marks what is believed to be his former home, Church House. This building is now occupied by Mrs Salisbury’s Famous Tea Rooms. Opened in 2014 by Andrea Salisbury and her husband Mark, the tearooms have swiftly become one of the town’s most popular attractions. “When we first came to Maldon five years ago, the Bright’s Path arcade was closed off,” explains Andrea. “So we redeveloped it and began to open new shops, culminating with the tearooms. It has been really good to open up a part of the town that had been forgotten, especially as it is an area with a lot of history.”