John Montagu
Accomplished Gambler and Nobleman
John Montagu was not your usual professional gambler. He accomplished many great things as the 4th Earl of Sandwich. He negotiated treaties, sponsored a voyage through the Pacific and served as a captain of a regiment.
This extraordinary man was born in Cheswick in November 1718 and lost his father at the early age of 4. His mother got remarried, leaving him to be raised by his Grandmother and rarely seeing his mother. As a way to deal with the stress of his duties, he turned to gambling for comfort. His love for cards saw him spend endless hours around card tables, winning and losing thousands of pounds regularly.
The Impact of Gambling
Montagu first started gambling when in College. He was encouraged by his friends to join them at Horse Races, and when it came to this form of gambling, Montagu was too cautious.
As the years passed, he stopped betting on horses and started focusing on card games instead. He would spend hour’s playing cards, and his longest stint lasted 24 hours. He enjoyed convenience when eating during card games and would often ask his servants for pieces of meat between two slices of bread. He wanted this so he could hold the sandwich in one hand while holding cards in the other. Hence the birth of the sandwich because those who played against him started asking for “the same as sandwich.”
Know when to Quit
Once Montagu started playing cards, he did not know when to quit and would often lose thousands of pounds in one night. He, however, did enjoy a winning streak that paid for Captain Cook’s voyage through the Pacific Ocean where he discovered Australia and small islands, which he named The Sandwich Islands which are today known as the islands of Hawaii.
Montagu eventually depleted his savings due to his gambling habits, and when he passed away in April 1792 he was broke.
