Mad Lucas
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James Lucas (1813 – 21 April 1874) was a celebrated English Victorian eccentric and hermit who gained international renown by his strange way of life. He was known as the Hermit of Hertfordshire and Mad Lucas. Lucas lived with his mothers dead body for 3 months before it was taken away by the clergyman. James Lucas continued to live in that house for 25 years until his death. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, which people link to his ‘hermit’ label, he was often taken advantage of for his generosity and was even visited by Charles Darwin in 1842 as a part of a United-States tour, they were introduced by a mutual friend and dickens even interviewed Lucas about his lifestyle.
Lucas was very intelligent according to Dickens, he just had some mental health issues regarding his paranoid schizophrenia. He often offered candy to children who visited his house and was described as a very kind and academic man, people believed his mothers death sent him spiralling and caused damage to his mental health. He was a successful scientist, landowner and political figure; he even played a very important role in the history of Galapagos island in relation to Charles Darwin.
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