Born in 1747. Lord Timothy Dexter was born in Malden in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. At eight years old, he left school to work on a farm as a laborer, then at 16, he took a trade as an apprentice to a leather crafter.
Later in his life he married a 32 year old rich widow named Elizabeth Frothinghamin Newburyport, MA. He was somewhat looked down upon in the upper echelons of the society in which his new wife circled, and they labeled him unintelligent.
Ultimately, he had the last laugh due to a brilliant business acumen that amassed him quite a bit of money throughout his life. (Some contest by luck alone.)
Published in 1802, A Pickle for the Knowing Ones is largely an autobiography written by Lord Dexter to present himself as a philosopher, aggrandize his role as a political observationist. The whole book, from his opinions to his use of punctuation is a sort of satire, and contains within an unwitting comedic overtone.