James Tilly Matthews

James Tilly Matthews
Born	1770
Died	10 January 1815 (45)
Known for	Air Loom Gang

James Tilly Matthews (1770 - January 10, 1815) was a British tea merchant and political activist, noted today as one of the more well-known examples of the influencing machine delusion, having been committed to the Bethlem Royal Hospital (Bedlam) in 1797 after shouting "treason" in the British House of Commons. Matthews was convinced that "Air Loom" gangs were controlling many important figures in British life, including himself, and provided extensive detail of their operations and techniques, which were documented by John Haslam in his 1810 book Illustrations of Madness.

Reading

• Haslam, John (1810), Illustrations of Madness: Exhibiting a Singular Case of Insanity, And a No Less Remarkable Difference in Medical Opinions: Developing the Nature of An Assailment, And the Manner of Working Events; with a Description of Tortures Experienced by Bomb-Bursting, Lobster-Cracking and Lengthening the Brain. Embellished with a Curious Plate., London: G. Hayden for Rivingtons, etc., https://wellcomelibrary.org/item/b20458265 
• Jay, Mike (2004), The Air Loom Gang: The Strange and True Story of James Tilly Matthews and His Visionary Madness, Four Walls Eight Windows, http://amzn.to/1a9wvhs 

Resources

• "The Air Loom Gang: James Tilly Matthews and his visionary madness" (nthposition.com) — summary article of Mike Jay's 2004 book.