Tears in Parliament: the Assassination of Spencer Perceval 1813

 

I suspect there is only a small anthology to be assembled around the theme of tears shed in Parliament and I have only a small contribution to make. But it does give me an excuse to illustrate the old Houses of Parliament with this 1815 engraving by Miss Letitia Byrne, a prolific water-colourist and engraver.

In May 1813 John Borthwick was in London to press his family’s claim to the title of Lord Borthwick, dormant since 1774. The case was to be heard by the Lords’ Committee of Privileges. On 7 May he wrote to his father in Edinburgh reporting progress at a preliminary hearing: Lord Lauderdale had told him, in confidence, that the Chancellor Lord Eldon was on side but that the Duke of Norfolk would speak against when the case came to be heard on the 13^th May. But events intervened; John Bellingham assassinated the Prime Minister Spencer Perceval in the lobby of the House of Commons on the afternoon of the 11^th. John Borthwick consequently sends unexpected news to his father on the 13^th :

“All business is at a stand. I was in the House of Lords yesterday and the Chancellor seemed as if he had been crying & awake all the preceding night. He got up to speak, & when he pronounced the words Spencer Percival he burst into tears, & was forced to sit down. He, therefore seems quite unfit for hearing causes. Mr Campbell & I have just called at the Parliament office & have heard that nothing of that kind is to be done. I must therefore wait two or three days to see what happens. Several of the heads of Government are afraid to shew themselves, in case of a general plan of assassination. Bellingham is to be tried on Friday; probably on Saturday or Sunday something will appear of what is to be the future line of procedure. Mrs Percival is to get £2000 a year & the 12 children £50,000. If there is a public funeral I shall see it well from my window”.

John Borthwick sheds no tears for Spencer Perceval and on the streets there was plenty of rejoicing. The authorities feared that the murder might spark larger popular unrest and, at least, attempts to rescue Bellingham who was hanged on 18^th.May, exactly a week after the assassination.  The Borthwick’s application was heard and denied on 21^st June 1813; the family finally succeeded with their claim in 1870.