The Merry Gang was a group of aristocrats associated with the court of Charles II of England during the Stuart Restoration of 1660. The gang was centred on John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, who stated their aim was to restore the idea of masculinity that had prevailed at the time of Henry II (r. 1154–1189). They were also patrons of the arts, supporting the poet John Dryden and the dramatist Nathaniel Lee.
The gang advocated libertinism, drank copiously, and engaged in acts that outraged public decency, including violence towards women. Members of the gang fought with constables and watchmen and were involved in a number of killings. Charles II was indulgent towards the gang, forgiving some of their crimes. The influence of the Merry Gang declined after the 1670s, with new ideals of masculinity calling for better behaviour.