orig. George Bryan
born June 7, 1778, London, Eng.
died March 30, 1840, Caen, France
English dandy.
The son of Lord North 's private secretary, he attended Oxford and became famous for his dress and wit as well as for his friendship with George, prince of Wales (later King George IV ). The leader of English fashion of his time, he had by 1816 exhausted his inherited fortune on gambling and extravagance, and his sharp tongue had alienated his patron. He fled to Calais, France to avoid his creditors and struggled for 14 years before becoming British consul at Caen (1830–32). In 1835 his friends rescued him from debtor's prison, but he soon lost all interest in his personal appearance, and he spent his final years in a charitable asylum.
Brummell, engraving by John Cooke after a portrait miniature, 1844
Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum; photograph, J.R. Freeman & Co. Ltd.