ON THIS DAY

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May 11, 1812

British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval assassinated.

Spencer Perceval (1762 – 1812) was a British statesman and barrister who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1809 until his assassination in May 1812. He is the only British prime minister to have been assassinated, and the only solicitor-general or attorney-general to have become prime minister.

On the evening of 11 May 1812, Perceval entered the lobby of the House of Commons when a man stepped forward, drew a pistol and shot him in the chest. Perceval fell to the floor, after uttering something that was variously heard as "murder" and "oh my God". They were his last words. By the time he had been carried into an adjoining room and propped up on a table with his feet on two chairs, he was senseless, although there was still a faint pulse. When a surgeon arrived a few minutes later, the pulse had stopped, and Perceval was declared dead.

The assassin, John Bellingham, made no attempt to escape, believed he had been unjustly imprisoned in Russia and was entitled to compensation from the government, but all his petitions had been rejected.

Perceval left a widow and 12 children aged between three and 20.

At Bellingham’s trial, evidence was presented that Bellingham was insane, but it was discounted by the trial judge. Bellingham was found guilty, and was sentenced to death, being hanged in public three days later.

John Bellingham

BTW:

Ironically, descendants of both Spencer Perceval and John Bellingham later stod for the same seat in Parliament at the same time, but neither won.

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