The Murder of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval: A Portrait of the Assassin
England entered the nineteenth century having lost the American states and was at war with France. The slave trade had been halted and the country was in torment, with industrialization throwing men and women out of work as poverty haunted their lives. As the merchants of England and America saw their businesses stagnate and profits plummet, everyone blamed the government and its policies. Those in charge were alarmed and businessmen, who were believed to be exploiting the poor, were murdered. Assassination indeed stalked the streets.

The man at the center of the storm was Prime Minister Spencer Perceval. From the higher reaches of society to the beggar looking for bread, many wanted him dead, due to policies brought about by his inflexible religious convictions and his belief that he was appointed by God. In May 1812 he entered the Lobby of the Houses of Parliament when a man stepped forward and fired a pistol at him. The lead ball entered into his heart. Within minutes he was dead.

Using freshly-discovered archive material, this book explores the assassin’s thoughts and actions through his own writings. Using his background in psychology, the author explores the question of the killer’s sanity and the fairness of his subsequent trial.

Within its pages the reader will find an account of the murder of Spencer Perceval and a well-developed portrait of his assassin.
1129348366
The Murder of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval: A Portrait of the Assassin
England entered the nineteenth century having lost the American states and was at war with France. The slave trade had been halted and the country was in torment, with industrialization throwing men and women out of work as poverty haunted their lives. As the merchants of England and America saw their businesses stagnate and profits plummet, everyone blamed the government and its policies. Those in charge were alarmed and businessmen, who were believed to be exploiting the poor, were murdered. Assassination indeed stalked the streets.

The man at the center of the storm was Prime Minister Spencer Perceval. From the higher reaches of society to the beggar looking for bread, many wanted him dead, due to policies brought about by his inflexible religious convictions and his belief that he was appointed by God. In May 1812 he entered the Lobby of the Houses of Parliament when a man stepped forward and fired a pistol at him. The lead ball entered into his heart. Within minutes he was dead.

Using freshly-discovered archive material, this book explores the assassin’s thoughts and actions through his own writings. Using his background in psychology, the author explores the question of the killer’s sanity and the fairness of his subsequent trial.

Within its pages the reader will find an account of the murder of Spencer Perceval and a well-developed portrait of his assassin.
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The Murder of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval: A Portrait of the Assassin

The Murder of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval: A Portrait of the Assassin

by Martin Connolly
The Murder of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval: A Portrait of the Assassin

The Murder of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval: A Portrait of the Assassin

by Martin Connolly

eBook

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Overview

England entered the nineteenth century having lost the American states and was at war with France. The slave trade had been halted and the country was in torment, with industrialization throwing men and women out of work as poverty haunted their lives. As the merchants of England and America saw their businesses stagnate and profits plummet, everyone blamed the government and its policies. Those in charge were alarmed and businessmen, who were believed to be exploiting the poor, were murdered. Assassination indeed stalked the streets.

The man at the center of the storm was Prime Minister Spencer Perceval. From the higher reaches of society to the beggar looking for bread, many wanted him dead, due to policies brought about by his inflexible religious convictions and his belief that he was appointed by God. In May 1812 he entered the Lobby of the Houses of Parliament when a man stepped forward and fired a pistol at him. The lead ball entered into his heart. Within minutes he was dead.

Using freshly-discovered archive material, this book explores the assassin’s thoughts and actions through his own writings. Using his background in psychology, the author explores the question of the killer’s sanity and the fairness of his subsequent trial.

Within its pages the reader will find an account of the murder of Spencer Perceval and a well-developed portrait of his assassin.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781526731258
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Publication date: 10/30/2018
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 176
File size: 27 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Martin Connolly has a wide and varied background in Holocaust studies, Religion, Psychology and History, publishing books and articles in these fields. He has cooperated with the BBC in a short video documentary and taken part in many radio shows on his football book, 'The Miners’ Triumph'. His book 'Mary Ann Cotton - Dark Angel', received excellent reviews and was a No. 1 Amazon bestseller.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ix

Preface xi

Chapter 1 A Background of War and Violence 1

Chapter 2 Born Into Madness 11

Chapter 3 Marriage, Trading and Trouble 19

Chapter 4 The Sponging House and the Horse Tails 23

Chapter 5 The Leaving of Liverpool for Archangel 31

Chapter 6 Archangel to St Petersburg 39

Chapter 7 Statements of Grievances 49

Chapter 8 A Tragic Crusade 57

Chapter 9 The Normality of Madness 77

Chapter 10 The Assassin's Justice 81

Chapter 11 I Have Only Done My Duty 91

Chapter 12 I Put Myself Upon God and My Country 97

Chapter 13 My Insanity Was Made A Matter of Public Notoriety 109

Chapter 14 I Am Perfectly Ready 131

Chapter 15 It Was From Personal Resentment - Or Was It? 135

Chapter 16 The Question of Sanity 143

Chapter 17 The Aftermath 149

Bibliography and Sources 155

Index 159

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