Theodore was born in 1788, the youngest of five children.

His father was a successful musical composer, who wrote 2000 popular songs, including the music to 'Goosey Goosey Gander' and the immortal ballad 'Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill'. He played the organ nightly at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens for nearly thirty years.

Theodore inherited the ability to improvise, in music but also with words, from his father. Together they wrote musicals which were performed in London theatres.

Young Theodore had a love affair with Merelina but her parents opposed a marriage because of his poor prospects. Afterwards he wrote his first novel, which was not a success in polite society because it contained smutty jokes. The Prince Regent was so astonished at Theodore's ability to improvise witty songs, that he found him a salaried job - as Treasurer of the new island colony of Mauritius.

For five years out there Theodore played the fool, while his deputies stole money. Theodore was held responsible for a huge shortfall, and was shipped back to London in disgrace. In London, he founded a wildly successful newspaper called 'John Bull' which supported King George against Queen Caroline. The Whigs in parliament got him sent to prison for two years for his Mauritius debt, where he wrote best- selling novels. Out of prison, he became the lion of high society for his astonishing witty improvisations.

He lived with an Irish girl, Mary Ann Doughty, for twenty years. They did not marry but had six children.

He died in 1841, in his biographer's opinion, from stomach cancer, but Victorian society said it was from too much alcohol, and choose to ignore his memory.

A mystery remains - for which author of his biography would be grateful for your help. Theodore carefully wrote personal diaries for many years, but they have all disappeared. If anyone can locate them, they will contain a fund of new jokes and stories...