COURIER of that night gave an of Castlereagh at Whitehall, the

Kent, where the throat was cut, is only about two hours ride from worthy of strict attention; and, London. A King's Messenger, therefore, if, only for this once, was in the house at the time, as you can but get light sufficient to is, I believe, the case constantly, with the Ministers who are Secre

INQUEST

Held at North Cray, Tuesday,

13th August 1822.

borne out by the evidence. The gentlemen whom he addressed being neighbours of the deceased, were better able to form a just estimate of his character than he was. As a public man, it was impossible for him to weigh his character in any scales that he could hold. In private life he believed the world would admit that a more amiable man could not be found. Whether the important duties of the great office which he held pressed upon his mind, and con

This day, at a few minutes before three o'clock a jury of the most respectable inhabitants in the vicinity of the estate of the late Marquis of Londonderry was em-duced to the melancholy event pannelled, to inquire into the cause which they had assembled to inof the death of the above Noble vestigate, was a circumstance, Lord. The Coroner was Mr. Jo- which in all probability never SEPH CARTTAR, of Deptford. The could be discovered. He underinquest was held at the house of stood that his Lordship had for the deceased lord, and to the credit some time past been so unwell of the individuals who were ap-as to require the assistance of a pointed to superintend the arrange- medical attendant. This gentlements attendant upon this melan- man would be examined on the choly occasion, not the slightest inquest, and would doubtless be attempt was made to keep the competent to describe the disease proceedings secret. Directions and affliction under which his were given to the domestics to Lordship laboured. That the admit every person who desired to dreadful blow which deprived the be present at the inquest. The noble Lord of life was inflicted by jury having been sworn, his own hand, he believed the jury, The Coroner addressed them in when they came to hear the evinearly the following terms:-Upon dence, could not doubt. He unno former occasion in the perform-derstood it would be proved that ance of his duty had his feelings no person in the house, except his been so excited as by the present Lordship, could have committed unfortunate event. He was in- the act. When the jury should deed so much affected that they examine the situation of the body, must perceive he could hardly ex- and hear the evidence that would press himself as he wished. Upon be submitted to them, he was conthis account he trusted they would vinced that they would be perfectly excuse any trifling errors which unanimous in that part of their. he might commit in the exercise verdict which went to declare the of his duty. The gentlemen of the manner in which the deceased met jury were summoned and sworn to his death. He felt that it was a inquire into the causes of the death matter of delicacy to allude to the of a nobleman, who stood perhaps other part of the verdict, and he as high in the public estimation as would not presume to anticipate any.man in the country. That his what it might be; but he trusted Lordship had met his death under the result would be that which all particular circumstances, they good men desired. If the facts doubtless must have learned. But which he had heard were proved it was his duty to inform them that in evidence, he thought no man they must remove from their minds could doubt that at the time he all impressions which should not be committed the rash act his Lord

in the room where the body lay, because any conversation must certainly be heard through the almost, he might say, paper partition. After the jury had satisfied themselves by viewing the body, they would return to execute the remaining part of their duty.

ship was labouring under af which it might exhibit, of the mental delusion. If, however, it causes which had produced death: should unfortunately appear that he, therefore, had only to request there was not sufficient evidence that the gentlemen would be as to prove what were generally con- silent as possible. He was almost sidered the indications of a dis- afraid that the creaking of their ordered mind, he trusted that the shoes might be the means of exjury would pay some attention to citing ideas which would wound his (the Coroner's) humble opi- the feelings of the unhappy Marnion, which was, that no man chioness. He was sure, under could be in his proper senses at these circumstances, the jury would the moment he committed so rash do every thing in their power to an act as self-murder. His opi-prevent the least noise, and he nion was in consonance with every might observe, that it would be moral sentiment, and of the in- desirable to abstain from talking formation which the wisest of men had given to the world. The Bible declared that a man clung to nothing so strongly as his own life. He therefore viewed it as an axiom, and an abstract principle, that a man must necessarily be out of his mind at the moment of destroying himself. The jury, of course, would not adopt his opinion upon this point, unless it were in unison with their own. He would not longer occupy the time and attention of the jury than to express his pleasure at seeing so respectable a body of gentlemen, and to add a hope that they would acquit themselves of their important duty to the satisfaction of the public, as well as of their own consciences. He must apologise for saying a few words more. The body was lying up stairs, and in the room adjoining to that in which it lay, the Marchioness at present was, and from thence it had been found impossible to remove her. To picture to the imagination any thing like the state of that noble lady's mind, was altogether impossible. The partition which divided the room in which the body lay from that which the Marchioness at present occupied was so thin, that the least noise being made in the former could not fail to be heard in the latter. The forms of law, however, required that the jury should view the body, and judge from the external marks

During this address of the Coroner, the domestics of the unfortunaté Marquis who were in the room, for the most part, shed tears; indeed, the love which the servants of his lordship bore towards him was, we will not say surprising (for kind and honourable treatment from a gentleman to those persons who are dependent upon him, must ever procure such a result), but highly creditable both to him, and the individuals who composed his household.

Before the jury left the room for the purpose of seeiug the body, one of them suggested that his colleagues, as well as himself, should take off their shoes, in order to prevent as far as possible any noise that might be occasioned by them in walking. This hint was immediately acted upon, and the jury left the room.

After what had fallen from the Coroner, a feeling of delicacy prevented us from accompanying the jury up stairs, although we were given to understand that no objection would have been made to such a proceeding. In fact, as

He

we have before hinted, no attempt | I was not in the room during the at concealment was manifested on time that he had talked with the the part of the household, but on doctor. I then left the room. the contrary a desire was shown to afford the public an opportunity of ascertaining the particulars of an event respecting which much interest must necessarily be excited.

rang again about seven o'clock. I went to him. He then asked me what I wanted there. My Lady was with him at the time. She had been with him since four o'clock, and she answered, that my Lord wanted his breakfast,' My Lord and Lady were in bed at the time.. I left the room and

The following description of the situation of the body at the time the jury viewed it we helieve to be correct:-The body was en-brought the breakfast up. He sat veloped in a dressing-gown and up in the bed and tasted part of it. the head was covered with a hand- He found fault with it, and said kerchief. The feet were towards it was not a breakfast fit for him.' the window. The blood which He said there was no butter there: proceeded from the wound was the butter, however, was on the still upon the ground. tray, as usual, and I pointed it out After being absent about 10 to him. The manner in which he minutes, the jury returned evi-spoke struck me as being uncomdently much affected by the melan-mou; it was in a sharp tone, which choly spectacle which they had just beheld.

My

was unusual with him. I left the
room after this. The bell rang
again in about half an hour; that
was about half-past seven.
Lady was in the room at this time,
and I cannot tell who rang the bell.
When I entered the room he asked
me whether Dr. Bankhead had
come from town. I told him that
Dr. Bankhead had slept in the
house. He then said that he wished
to see him. My Lady then got up
and came to me at the door, and
said something to me. I went to
Dr. Bankhead, and gave him my
Lord's message. I went back to
my Lord, and told him that Dr.
Bankhead would be with him in
two minutes. When my Lord saw
me speaking to my Lady, before I
left the room to go to Dr. Bank-

The first witness called was Anne Robinson, who being sworn, deposed as follows:-"I wait upon the Marchioness of Londonderry: I knew the Marquis of Londonderry: his body now lies Lup stairs. In my opinion he has been ill during the last fortnight, but particularly so since Monday & week. On Monday morning he rang the bell; I answered it: he inquired why my lady had not been to see him. Her Ladyship had been with him all night, and .I told him so. Her Ladyship at this time was not in the room. I then went away. The bell rang again. When I answered it he asked if Dr. Bankhead had been to see him? I told him that Dr.head, he said there was a conspiBankhead had been with him about two hours and a half in the evening. It was about four in the morning when he asked me this question. When I told him that Dr. Bankhead had been with him, he asked what he had said to the Doctor-whether he had talked any nonsense to him, or any thing particular, as he had no recollec-tion on the subject. I replied, that

3

racy against him. My Lady at that time desired me to tell Dr. Bankhead that he was wanted as soon as he could come. When I returned and told my Lady that Dr. Bankhead would come, my Lady got out of bed and retired to her dressing-room. At this moment my Lord also got out of bed, and turned to the right into his own dressing-room. [Several questions

were here put to the witness to as-his dressing-room and his death certain the precise situation of but Dr. Bankhead. His state of these rooms. From the answers mind appeared to be very incorwhich she returned, it appeared rect for the last three or four days that the common sleeping room of his life. He appeared to be very opened into a passage, on either wild in every thing he said or did. side of which was a dressing-room. He wanted from me a box which Lady Londonderry's on the left, his he said Lord Clanwillian had given Lordship's on the right. At the to me. His Lordship, however, extremity of the passage was ano- had never given me any. He also ther door, behind which Dr. Bank- asked me for his keys, when he had head was waiting.] I had just them about him. During the last opened the door of my Lady's fortnight he was accustomed to dressing-room, into which she had say that everybody had conspired entered, when my Lord rushed past against him. He was very severe me into his own room. I opened in his manner of speaking, which I the outside door, and told the cir- never noticed before, he being in cumstance to Dr. Bankhead, who general mild and kind. When he immediately followed my Lord into saw two people speaking together, his dressing-room. I cannot tell he always said, There is a conwhat passed there, but I heard my spiracy laid against me.' A great Lord open his window before the many circumstances induce me to doctor entered his room. Imme-believe that he was out of his mind diately when the doctor entered a fortnight before his death. He the room he (the doctor) exclaimed, scolded my Lady on Sunday afterOh, my Lord,' or Oh, my God, noon, because, as he said, she had I cannot recollect which. I heard not been near him all day, she had no reply to this from my Lord. I entirely forsaken him. Her Ladyinstantly rushed into the room, and ship, however, had been sitting saw the doctor with my Lord in with him all the morning.' The his arms. I remained in the room witness, in conclusion, repeated till I saw the doctor lay him with her belief that his Lordship had his face upon the ground. I saw been in a state of mental delusion the blood running from him while for some weeks previous to his Dr. Bankhead held him. I saw a death. knife. I heard my Lord say nothing. *The second witness examined I was certainly much alarmed. The was Charles Bankhead, M. D., of knife was in his right hand. [A Lower Brook-street, Grosvenorpenknife with an ivory handle, square." On last Friday afterand upon which there was no ap-noon, at 5 o'clock, I received a pearance of blood, was here shown note from Lady Londonderry, deto the witness.] I believe that to siring me to come as soon as I be the penknife which I saw in my could to see the Marquis of LonLord's hands. After staying a few donderry, at his house in St. minutes in my Lord's dressing- James's-square. Her note stated room, I followed Dr. Bankhead to that she was very anxious about my Lady. I had previously raised his Lordship, as she thought he was an alarm, and it was now general very ill and very nervous; that throughout the house. To the best they were to leave town for North of my belief, my Lord did not live Cray at seven o'clock in the evenfour minutes after I saw him. I ing, and that she hoped I would did not perceive any wound nor come before that hour. I arrived any blood while he was in his bed-in St. James's-square at six o'clock, room. No person was with him in and found my Lord and Lady alone the interval between his leaving in the drawing-room. Upon feel

"