At first glance, there is nothing much out of the ordinary about Spencer Perceval, a Tory MP from the early 1800s. He was from an aristocratic family, was educated at Harrow and Cambridge, and went on to become a lawyer. It's a well-worn path to power that is still trodden by what seems to be half the Houses of Parliament today.
But his name really ought to be more well-known. For poor old Perceval holds the dubious honour of being Britain's only serving prime minister to be assassinated.
Perceval entered the Commons as MP for Northampton in 1796. He served as Solicitor General and Attorney General, then Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons. And when, in 1809, the prime minister, William Henry Cavendish Cavendish-Bentinck AKA The Duke of Portland' died, Perceval rose to the top job.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
He had it fairly tough. The government was unstable, the economy was in a state, and Britain was yet again at war with France. But what finally did him in was an unhinged bankrupt businessman with a hefty grudge against the government.
John Bellingham had been imprisoned in Russia after being accused of insurance fraud. He was locked up for six years, during which time he sought help from the British Embassy and the government. No help was forthcoming.
When he returned to Britain, he demanded compensation, and petitioned the government again and again. Each time, he was turned down.
Eventually, on the afternoon of 11 May 1812, driven mad by his failure to secure justice, Bellingham entered the lobby of the House of Commons, and waited. When Perceval came in, Bellingham took a pistol from beneath his coat, and fired.
Perceval fell to the floor, fatally wounded, crying (somewhat unbelievably), "Oh, I have been murdered".
Bellingham made no attempt to escape. And at his trial, he showed no remorse, blaming the government entirely. He was hanged on 18 May.
-
Christmas at Chatsworth: review of The Cavendish Hotel at BaslowMoneyWeek Travel Matthew Partridge gets into the festive spirit at The Cavendish Hotel at Baslow and the Christmas market at Chatsworth
-
Tycoon Truong My Lan on death row over world’s biggest bank fraudProperty tycoon Truong My Lan has been found guilty of a corruption scandal that dwarfs Malaysia’s 1MDB fraud and Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto scam
-
31 August 1957: the Federation of Malaya declares independence from the UKFeatures On this day in 1957, after ten years of preparation, the Federation of Malaya became an independent nation.
-
13 April 1960: the first satellite navigation system is launchedFeatures On this day in 1960, Nasa sent the Transit 1B satellite into orbit to provide positioning for the US Navy’s fleet of Polaris ballistic missile submarines.
-
9 April 1838: National Gallery opens in Trafalgar Square
Features On this day in 1838, William Wilkins’ new National Gallery building in Trafalgar Square opened to the public.
-
3 March 1962: British Antarctic Territory is created
Features On this day in 1962, Britain formed the British Antarctic Territory administered from the Falkland Islands.
-
10 March 2000: the dotcom bubble peaks
Features Tech mania fanned by the dawning of the internet age inflated the dotcom bubble to maximum extent, on this day in 2000.
-
9 March 1776: Adam Smith publishes 'The Wealth of Nations'
Features On this day in 1776, Adam Smith, the “father of modern economics”, published his hugely influential book The Wealth of Nations.
-
8 March 1817: the New York Stock Exchange is formed
Features On this day in 1817, a group of brokers moved out of a New York coffee house to form what would become the biggest stock exchange in the world.
-
7 March 1969: Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the Victoria Line
Features On this day in 1969, Queen Elizabeth II took only her second trip on the tube to officially open the underground’s newest line – the Victoria Line.
