A bit of mystery surrounds Adelaide Bartlett’s origins, although Michael Farrell writing in the British Medical Journal notes that, “Her father was probably Adolphe Collot de la Tremouille, Comte de Thouars d’Escury. Her mother may have been an obscure English girl, Clara Chamberlain.”
Adelaide was born in Orleans, France in 1855 and spent her childhood there before being sent to live with her maternal uncle and aunt in England.
Adelaide Meets a Husband
Soon after her arrival in England, Adelaide met a prosperous grocer named Edwin Bartlett who was 11 years older than her. He became enamoured with the French beauty and set about winning her hand and the two were married in 1875.
But, the couple did not live together for two or three years as Edwin sent his young bride away to a boarding school to complete her education.
Apparently, Edwin intended the marriage to be a platonic one. However, Adelaide became pregnant but delivered a stillborn infant in 1881. She claimed the pregnancy resulted from the only time she and her husband had made love.
Clergyman Becomes Family Friend
Early in 1885 the Reverend George Dyson, a Wesleyan clergyman, became friends with the Bartlett’s. A contemporary account in Lloyds Weekly Newspaper reports on how prosecutors later characterized the relationship between Adelaide and Dyson:
“…Bartlett, failing in health, surrendered his wife to Dyson, who was the family pastor; [and] Dyson subsequently maintained a husband’s relations with Mrs. Dyson.”
A Dr. Alfred Leach was treating Edwin Bartlett and prescribed chloroform at the insistence of his patient who, apparently, had some strange ideas about dealing with illness.
Large quantities of poisonous substances such as chloroform had to be signed for when bought from pharmacies so, the Reverend Dyson was sent off by Adelaide to buy four small bottles of chloroform from separate shops.
Shortly thereafter, in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1886, Adelaide called the family’s maid to fetch Dr. Leach because she feared her husband was dead. She was right.
Sensational Old Bailey Trial
In April 1886, Adelaide was brought to trial at the Old Bailey charged with the murder of her husband. Her defence was brilliantly handled by Sir Edward Clarke who put forward the theory of suicide.
Historic-U.K.com points out that, “Although poor Edwin’s post-mortem revealed a large amount of liquid chloroform in his stomach, there was no trace in the mouth or throat.” The liquid burns tissue and would likely have left evidence of its passage in the victim’s throat, but there was no scarring.
The defence said that Adelaide could not have administered the poison because its taste is so foul that it is almost impossible to swallow and triggers vomiting. Also, she could not have poured it down Edwin’s throat while he was unconscious because some would have gone into his lungs and none was found there.
Sir Edward created enough doubts about the guilt of his client that the jury acquitted her. However, Sir James Paget, a surgeon and pathologist at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, entertained no doubts. Following the verdict he said, “Now that it is all over, she should tell us, in the interest of science, how she did it.”
She never did.
Sources
- “Adelaide Bartlett and the Pimlico Mystery.” Michael Farrell, British Medical Journal, December 24, 1994.
- “The Trial of Adelaide Bartlett for Murder.” Edward Beal (ed), Ballantyne Press, 1886.
- “Women Poisoners: Murder in Victorian England.” Historic-U.K.com, undated
- “Adelaide Bartlett’s Trial.” Lloyds Weekly Newspaper, April 16, 1886.
- “Poison and Adelaide Bartlett: The Pimlico Poisoning Case.” Yseult Bridges, Hutchsion & Co., 1962.
Rupert Taylor - Rupert Taylor is the editor of a magazine that provides background to current events.
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