A Dangerous Madness (32 page)

BOOK: A Dangerous Madness

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“Almost,” she murmured, lifting her hands to pull his head down close to hers. “But not quite.”

Author’s Note

P
erceval Spencer, the only English prime minister ever to be assassinated, was killed in May 1812 by John Bellingham. It was the JFK assassination of its day and it sent a ripple of shock through Britain.

All the evidence relating to Bellingham’s part in the crime that I mention in this book, from where he stayed, who he bought the pistols from, the secret pocket he had sewn into his coat, the events that transpired through the shooting itself, as well as for Bellingham’s stated reason for the crime are true.

In most cases, I’ve used the names of the real people involved, like the Attorney-General, Sir Vicary Gibbs, Mr. Harmer, Bellingham’s defense council, Vickery the Bow Street Runner and a number of others.

Perceval and the Prince Regent did hate each other, for the reasons I give in the book, but the idea that some of the Prince Regent’s friends could have used Bellingham to kill the prime minister on his behalf, or as a service to him, is from my imagination.

There have been conspiracy theories around for a long time over why Bellingham killed Perceval, and who was helping him.

What is very true is that Bellingham really did have no money, yet mysteriously continued to live, and live well, in London for months after his money ran out. The promissory note for twenty pounds from Wilson really existed, and Wilson did use the Baltick Coffee House as his place of business.

Also true is that Bellingham’s first submission to the Prince Regent was mislaid, and he had to resubmit it.

Gascoyne’s testimony at the hearing was contrary to other known facts and that, along with the mysterious money, and Bellingham’s real panic during his hearing when he heard Bow Street had spoken to a woman who had something of his, helped build my plot.

So many people had an axe to grind with Perceval. The sheer number of people who would have been happy to see him dead has meant it’s been hard narrowing down the field of who, if anyone, used Bellingham, in his madness and obsessive drive, to do away with the prime minister.

Andro Linklater’s book
Why Spencer Perceval Had to Die
documents much of the evidence that lays the case open for genuine grounds to believe a conspiracy was at work, although Linklater prefers American traders and businessmen, operating out of an office in Liverpool and desperate to stop a war between England and America, as the culprits.

If someone had wanted an end to the Orders in Council, which Perceval was using to disrupt American shipping and which was playing havoc with British trade, killing Perceval certainly worked. They went away almost straight after his death.

However, the communications of the time were slow, and America had already declared war by the time news of the retraction of the Orders in Council reached them. Even though the Orders had been dealt with before war was declared, the Americans had already begun mobilising, and it was too late to stop.

Ironically, if Bellingham could have got his nerve up a little earlier and killed Perceval even a week before he did, he might have prevented England and America going to war.

It may have seemed to anyone who wanted the Orders in Council done away with that removing Perceval was the only way to do it. Prime ministers could be in office for fifteen years or more and Perceval had such a grip on government, it may have seemed impossible that he would be ousted by normal means.

Mollie Gillen’s book
The Assassination of the Prime Minister
is not only the best book available on the facts of the case, Gillen also provides diary entries and newspaper clippings from the time so we get a view on what a wide range of people thought about Perceval and his murder. Gillen is careful to present the facts only, and not to speculate on whether Bellingham was a dupe or the ‘lone gunman’ he appeared to be.

The truth is, if Bellingham was someone’s dupe, he was perfect. He really was convinced he would get away with Perceval’s murder. He could have run from the scene, and no one would have stopped him, or likely caught him afterward, but he didn’t. He intended to take the blame, in the name of obtaining justice and compensation for the injustice done to him, and if someone wanted Perceval dead, and no one official looking in their direction to find a suspect, they couldn’t have invented a better candidate than Bellingham.

Bellingham’s trial was widely regarded at the time, and since, as a travesty. There were at least two sets of witnesses who raced down from Liverpool to attend the trial, against all odds and surely at huge expense, and yet it seems they were turned away by the court officials, presumably under the orders of Sir Vicary Gibbs, the Attorney-General. Gibbs did resign after the trial, citing other reasons, but it was suggested by contemporaries at the time that the lynch-mob mentality of his prosecution had ended his career.

Bellingham’s wife received a large sum of money from a collection of people who were thrilled her husband had shot the prime minister and who felt sorry for her for what both she and her husband had endured through their trials in Russia.

Knowing the extremely bad blood between the Prince Regent and Perceval, as well as stumbling upon mention of the odd behavior of Gascoyne, I couldn’t help but develop the conspiracy theory that I did, although as I mentioned earlier, there really was no shortage of suspects for me to choose from.

The facts of the matter will probably never come to light, but it was extremely interesting delving into this incident and this time in British history.

Michelle Diener

About the Author

M
ichelle Diener was born in London, grew up in South African and now lives in Australia with her family. She was bitten by the travel bug at a young age and has managed to feed her addiction with numerous trips to exciting places all over the world. She writes historical fiction and fantasy, and loves traveling to other times as well as places through the pages of a good book. You can contact Michelle through her website or sign up to receive notification when she has a new book out at
www.michellediener.com
.

Historical Fiction Titles by Michelle Diener

Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series:

In a Treacherous Court

Keeper of the King’s Secrets

In Defense of the Queen

Regency London series:

The Emperor’s Conspiracy

Banquet of Lies

A Dangerous Madness

Other historical novels:

Daughter of the Sky

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