The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and the Missing Corpse
Read The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and the Missing Corpse Online
Authors: Piu Marie Eatwell
To my sister Pieta Dalglish,
for whom, as for me, the past is always present
Welbeck Abbey, 1889
Scene 1: Welbeck Abbey
,
December 1879
Scene 2: St Paul’s Cathedral,
March 1898
Scene 3: Highgate Cemetery,
March 1898
Scene 4: Baker Street and Cavendish Square
,
1860s
Scene 5: The Streets of London,
Summer 1898
Scene 6: Featherstone Buildings
,
December 1898
Scene 7: The New London Law Courts,
Three years later
Scene 8: Bury St Edmunds,
October 1816
Scene 9: On Board RMS Oroya,
May 1903
Scene 10: An Office on London Wall,
March 1907
Scene 11: Marylebone Police Court,
October–December 1907
Scene 12: The Druce Vault,
December 1907
Scene 13: The Police Court,
One week later
Scene 14: London and Welbeck,
December 1907
Scene 15: London and Worksop
,
January 1908
Scene 16: Holloway Prison,
January 1908
Scene 17: A London Hotel,
September 1898
Scene 18: Sledmere House, East Riding,
1870s
Scene 19: A Library in Nottingham,
October 2013
Scene 20: Welbeck Abbey
,
October 2013
Epilogue: An Obscure Grave
,
London, December 2013
An Invitation from the Publisher
A
THERLEY
-J
ONES
, L
LEWELLYN
Barrister representing George Hollamby Druce/the prosecution in the perjury trial of
R
. v.
Herbert Druce
.
A
VORY
, H
ORACE
Barrister representing Herbert Druce/the defence in the perjury trial of
R
. v.
Herbert Druce
.
B
AILEY
, H
ORSEMAN
Solicitor at Baileys, Shaw & Gillett, legal representatives of the Dukes of Portland.
B
ARNES
, M
R
J
USTICE
Judge on the probate action brought by Anna Maria Druce to set aside the will of T. C. Druce in 1898.
B
AYLY
, C
ATHERINE
Long-serving nurse to the Druce family; testified to the death of T. C. Druce in legal proceedings.
C
ALDWELL
, R
OBERT
Witness for the prosecution/George Hollamby Druce in the perjury trial of
R
. v.
Herbert Druce
.
C
AVENDISH
-B
ENTINCK
, C
HRISTINA
A
NNE
J
ESSICA
,
LATER
L
ADY
T
ATTON
S
YKES
Descended from the 3rd Duke of Portland. Married Sir Tatton Sykes, Baronet of Sledmere House, Sledmere, Yorkshire in 1874.
C
AVENDISH
-B
ENTINCK
, W
ILLIAM
J
OHN
A
RTHUR
C
HARLES
J
AMES
, 6
TH
D
UKE
OF
P
ORTLAND
A cousin of the 5th Duke of Portland, inherited the dukedom when the 5th Duke died in December 1879. Died in 1943.
C
AVENDISH
-B
ENTINCK
, W
INIFRED
A
NNA
, D
UCHESS
OF
P
ORTLAND
Wife of the 6th Duke of Portland.
C
AVENDISH
-B
ENTINCK
-S
COTT
, W
ILLIAM
J
OHN
, 5
TH
D
UKE
OF
P
ORTLAND
referred to as ‘the
5
th Duke’, ‘Marquess of Titchfield’ or ‘Lord John’
The second of four sons to the 4th Duke of Portland, previously the Marquess of Titchfield, inherited the dukedom in 1854. Notorious eccentric. Alleged to have led a double life as T. C. Druce of the Baker Street Bazaar. Died in December 1879.
C
AVENDISH
-B
ENTINCK
-S
COTT
, G
EORGE
F
REDERICK
, L
ORD
referred to as ‘Lord George’
Younger brother of the 5th Duke of Portland. English Conservative politician and racehorse owner, notable for his role with Disraeli in unseating the prime minister, Sir Robert Peel, over the Corn Laws. Died in mysterious circumstances in 1848 at the age of forty-six.
C
OBURN
, T
HOMAS
K
ENNEDY
V
ERNON
Australian barrister, legal advisor and confederate of George Hollamby Druce.
C
OOPER
-M
ATHIESON
, V
ENI
see Amanda Gibson, below
Australian novelist, mystic and self-help guru extraordinaire. Worked in 1907 as secretary to the Druce-Portland Company.
C
UFFE
, H
AMILTON
J
OHN
A
GMONDESHAM
, 5
TH
E
ARL
OF
D
ESART
referred to as ‘Lord Desart’
Treasury Solicitor and Director of Public Prosecutions.
D
EW
, W
ALTER
, D
ETECTIVE
C
HIEF
I
NSPECTOR
A leading detective at Scotland Yard CID, in charge of the Druce case at a late stage of the proceedings.
D
RUCE
, A
NNA
M
ARIA
Daughter-in-law to Thomas Charles Druce, married his son Walter Thomas in 1872.
D
RUCE
, F
RANCES
E
LIZABETH
(‘F
ANNY
’)
The first daughter of T. C. Druce, generally regarded as his favourite.
D
RUCE
, C
HARLES
E
DGAR
Great-grandson of T. C. Druce and cousin of George Hollamby Druce. Lived in Sydney.
D
RUCE
, G
EORGE
The second son of T. C. Druce; emigrated to Australia.
D
RUCE
, G
EORGE
H
OLLAMBY
Son of George Druce; came from Melbourne, Australia.
D
RUCE
, H
ERBERT
Eldest son of T. C. Druce and Annie May. Inherited the business at the Baker Street Bazaar. Refused to give permission for T. C. Druce’s grave to be opened.
D
RUCE
, S
IDNEY
Eldest surviving son of Anna Maria Druce; emigrated to Australia.
D
RUCE
, T
HOMAS
C
HARLES
London businessman who made a fortune from the department store the Baker Street Bazaar. Ostensibly died in December 1864. Alleged to have been the 5th Duke of Portland in disguise.
D
RUCE
, W
ALTER
T
HOMAS
Son of T. C. Druce, married Anna Maria Druce in 1872.
F
RESHFIELD
, E
DWIN
Senior partner at the firm of Freshfield and Williams, legal advisor to Herbert Druce; in charge of the Druce case.
G
IBSON
, A
MANDA
later known as Veni Cooper-Mathieson
Australian novelist, mystic and self-help guru extraordinaire. Worked in 1907 as secretary to the Druce-Portland Company.
H
AMILTON
, M
ARGARET
L
OUISE
J
ANE
Witness for the prosecution/George Hollamby Druce in the perjury trial of
R
. v.
Herbert Druce
. Known as the ‘Veiled Lady’.