Saturday, September 2, 2017

THE TRIALS OF THE KING OF HAMPSHIRE : MADNESS, SECRECY AND BETRAYAL IN GEORGIAN ENGLAND
by Elizabeth Foyster 

Was John Charles Wallop, the 3rd Earl of Portsmouth really insane? According to his family he was. They initiated a Commission of Lunacy against him in 1823. A the time, Lord Portsmouth was fifty-five years old and had enormous wealth. The family wanted to place that fortune under legal protection. Anybody who knew Portsmouth from aristocrats to servants gave statements to the Commission, which was well over one hundred people. They testified that he definitely was crazy. But, there was also an equal amount of witnesses who said that Portsmouth had a sound mind. So, who was to be believed? This case was a goldmine for the newspapers. A lifetime of secrets was now being aired to the public and they just ate it up. The trial would become the most expensive British insanity trial ever held.
It's almost always enjoyable to read about someone who I never of, especially if they're quirky, unconventional, have foibles and the book is especially well-written. Author Elizabeth Foyster did a masterly job with The Trials of the King of Hampshire. Her specialization is in family history, which she was able to utilize effortlessly in digging out all the machinations ("dirty laundry") that the Portsmouths had. Luckily for Foyster, there was tons of information on Portsmouth in the archives. Nobody else seemed to be interested in him until Foyster came along. I'm glad that she brought Portsmouth to the forefront as this story is really fascinating.
Highly recommended.