Regency Men: The Green Man of Brighton

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by Unknown artist, coloured line and stipple engraving, published 1806

by the singularity of the colour and the exag gerated cut of their clothes The worst example of eccentricity in this respect was presented by Henry Cope who secured the sobriquet of The Green Man of Brighton This personage was to quote a contemporary account dressed in green pantaloons green waistcoat green frock green cravat and though his ears whiskers eyebrows and chin were powdered his counten ance no doubt from the reflection of his clothes was also green He ate nothing but green fruits and vegetables had his rooms painted green and furnished with green sofa green chairs green table green bed and green curtains His gig his livery his portmanteau his gloves and his whip were all green With a green silk handkerchief in his hand and a large watch chain with green seals fastened to the green buttons of his green waistcoat he paraded every day on the Steyne 99 1
His appearance was duly recorded also by some rhymester A spruce little man in a doublet of green Perambulates daily the streets and the Steyne Green striped is his waistcoat his small clothes are green And oft round his neck a green kerchief is seen Green watch string green seals and for certain I ve heard Tho they re powdered green whiskers and eke a green beard Green garters green hose and deny it who can The brains too are green of this little green man 1 The last line was cruel but there was indeed little doubt of Mr Cope's insanity and no one was greatly surprised when he committed suicide by throwing himself from the cliff at Brighton Melville, L. (1908). The Beaux of the Regency; Volume 1. United States: Creative Media Partners, LLC.

The Green Man at Brighton Among the visitors this season is an original or would be original generally known by the appellation of The Green Man He is dressed in green pantaloons green waistcoat green frock green cravat and though his ears whiskers eye brows and chin are better powdered than his head which is however covered with flour his countenance no doubt from the reflection of his clothes is also green He eats nothing but greens fruits and vegetables has his apartments painted green and fur nished with green sofa green chairs green tables green bed and green curtains His gig his livery his portmanteau his gloves and his whip are all green With a green silk handkerchief in
his hand and a large watch chain with green seals fastened to the green buttons of his green waistcoat he parades every day on the Steyne These singularities have produced the following verses A spruce little man in a doublet of green Perambulates daily the streets and the Steyne Green stripe is his waistcoat his small clothes are green And oft round his neck a green kerchief is seen Green watch strings green seals and for certain I ve heard Tho they re powder d green whiskers and eke a green beard Green garters green hose and deny it who can The brains too are green of the little Green Mạn Omnium Gatherum. (1809). United States: T. Kennard.

Although not much is known of his formative years, there are rumours he may have been related to Sir John Cope of Bramshill House, and now haunts the home ever after.

The Georgian Era blog has done some extensive detective work and discovered that Henry did not actually die when he fell (or jumped) of the cliffs in Brighton, and instead may have ended up in a facility (The Green Man of Brighton – Henry Cope – All Things Georgian (wordpress.com)).  They quote from an October 1806 Morning Post article that says he sustained some injuries and his friends were looking after him.

His exploits were frequently mentioned throughout the long Regency in the newspapers and also in various tomes about life, Brighton, and the like.
every middle aged person's recollection to wit THE GREEN MAN AT BRIGHTON He drank of strong green tea till all his garments assumed the like hue his coat waistcoat breeches hat cravat & c were green and he also poor fellow became so as to throw himself into the green sea

The World of fashion and continental feuilletons [afterw.] The Ladies’ monthly magazine, The World of fashion [afterw.] Le Monde élégant; or The World of fashion. (1824). United Kingdom: (n.p.).

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