The Resume

( -March 1672)
Born in Scotland
Court jester for the Stuart Kings James I and Charles I

Why he might be annoying:

According to tradition, he was a sheep thief before he became a jester.
The longer he was at court, the more insolent he became.
As part of a delegation trying to arrange an alliance with Spain and (to cement the deal) a marriage between Prince of Wales Charles and Spanish Infanta Maria Anna (1623), he openly mocked the Spanish nobles over the defeat of the Armada.
After insulting Archbishop William Laud one time too many, he was discharged from the King's service and banished from court (1637).
After leaving court, he became a moneylender, with frequent complaints being made to the House of Lords over his usurious interest rates and aggressive demands for repayment.
He fathered a son out of wedlock (1643).

Why he might not be annoying:

He was a royal favorite: James I granted him a monopoly on the sale of clay tobacco pipes and Charles I gave him 1,000 acres in Ireland.
He was complimented in some of Ben Jonson's masques. (Albeit more for his anti-Spanish opinions than his humor.)
When the Duke of Buckingham, one of the frequent targets of his jests, threatened to have him hanged, he replied, 'Dukes have often been hanged for insolence, but never fools for talking.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 95]
• I am Scottish
• I Fathered Children Out of Wedlock
• Look at Me, My Picture Is Art
• Profiles 58251-58500 (Ranked: 58362)
• Renaissance Men (and Women)
• Satirists and Wits

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying