The majority of the misers are 18th century characters, with John Elwes and Daniel Dancer at their head. The first account of Elwes' life was Edward Topham's "The Life of the Late John Elwes: Esquire" (1790), which was initially published in his paper "The World". The popularity of such accounts is attested by the seven editions printed in the book's first year and the many later reprintings under various titles. Biographies of Dancer followed soon after, at first in periodicals such as the "Edinburgh Magazine" and the