Spencer Perceval - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom - born this day in History [1 November 1762]

The Assassination of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 11 May 1812

Spencer Perceval, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, has the dubious honour of being remembered as the only British Prime Minister to die at the hands of an assassin.  He was shot and killed in the parliamentary lobby in the House of Commons on 11 May 1812 by John Bellingham. 

Panic quickly spread around parliament.  This response was understandable and searches were immediately made to ascertain if the murder was an isolated incident or the start of general rioting.

Britain, at this time, was in the throes of the Napoleonic Wars [18 May 1803-20 Nov 1812] along with the threat of war with the United States over British restrictions on US Trade [the War of 1812 -18 Jun 1812-17 Feb 1815].

On the domestic front, the general population, sick and tired of corruption in high places, had been rallying around the leadership of the wealthy and charismatic radical MP, Sir Francis Burdett. The parliamentarians were mindful that it could be a supporter of his or a second movement, The Luddites, which had spread from Nottinghamshire the previous spring.

Followers of the mythical “Ned Ludd” had engaged in a range of creative and sometimes violent protest around both machinery and individuals.  Less than two weeks before this assassination, the Luddites had murdered a Mill owner, William Horsfall, in West Yorkshire. 

Whilst many across the country were horrified about the assassination, there were celebrations in the streets in places such as Nottingham and Leeds. The Napoleonic Wars had resulted in widespread poverty and Perceval’s death was a cause for rejoicing in the worst affected parts of the country.

It quickly transpired that the assassin, John Bellingham, had worked alone although future historians have questioned this assertion.  They argue that Bellingham could have been acting on behalf of a consortium of Liverpool traders hostile to Percival’s economic policies.

Image 1 - Profile of John Bellingham from L.004SMI

John Bellingham, a merchant, shot Perceval through the heart in protest at what Bellingham saw as the unjust refusal of the government to assist him when he was wrongly imprisoned in Russia, or to award him any compensation [Image 1].  He had been arrested in Archangel in Russia for debt in 1804 and after five years in prison, he returned to England wanting justice.  He felt that he had tried every avenue open to him to no avail and the only solution he could see was to assassinate the Prime Minister.

His presence in the House of Commons Lobby that fateful day caused no suspicion as he had made several recent visits.  According to an eye witness, Bellingham could have easily evaded justice by walking quickly out into the street during the initial commotion.  Instead, he sat quietly on a bench.  When asked why he had committed the act, he replied that he was rectifying a demand for Justice on the part of the Government.

The trial of John Bellingham was extremely swift and he was found guilty on 15 May 1812 [a mere five days after the assassination] and was executed at Newgate prison three days later.  People argued that his hasty trial, judgement and execution were contrary to the principles of Justice.  Certainly his mental state should have been taken into consideration at the very least.  At his trial he was judged to be legally responsible for his actions.

Image 2 - Front leaf from L.004SMI

Amongst the Local Studies collection, we house two books on the subject - L.004 PEC – “The trial of John Bellingham for the wilful Murder of Right Hon. Spencer Perceval, 11 May 1812” and L.004 SMI “A full report of the Trials of John Bellingham”  [Image 2].  They both offer a fascinating and detail account of the trial as well as commemorating an infamous and ignominious event in British history.

Caoimhe West, Reader Assistant, Unlocking the Treasures Project