Introduction
John Montagu 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. As an escape from his stressful duties, he turned to gambling for comfort.
John Montagu is remembered for being a passionate gambler and interestingly was also remembered for inventing the sandwich. Due to him being a fervent gambler, he thought up food of convenience that would sustain him throughout long gambling games and be mobile enough to cater to his needs without any inconvenience.
He accomplished many great things as the 4th Earl of Sandwich. Thus, people rarely noticed his addiction to gambling in the game of Euchre. As the 4th Earl of Sandwich, he negotiated treaties, sponsored a voyage through the Pacific and served as a regiment captain.
The Impact of Gambling on John Montagu’s Life
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, and he eventually stopped betting on horses and started focusing on card games. He spent countless hour’s playing cards, and his longest stint lasted 24 hours.
Montagu enjoyed convenience when eating during card games and would request pieces of meat between two slices of bread as 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.”
However, Montagu lost thousands of pounds playing cards and did enjoy a winning streak that paid for Captain Cook’s voyage through the Pacific Ocean. This voyage led to the discovery of Australia and the small islands he named The Sandwich Islands. Those Islands are today known as Hawaii.
Montagu passed away in April 1792, a broke man due to his gambling habits.