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Post by pwm437 on Jul 4, 2007 21:33:38 GMT 1
One of Glasgow's most famous daughters, born in 1835, her father was the well respected architect James Smith. She was educated at a private school in London, and upon her return as a young woman she became a well known figure in Glasgow's better circles.
In 1855 she was introduced to the Jersey born Pierre Emile L'Angelier, and soon they became intimate. L'Angelier worked as a clerk and was not on the same social scale as Madeleine. They exchanged letters, the content of which was very explicit for these Victorian times.
Their affair continued through 1856 and into 1857. During this time it was known that Madeleine purchased arsenic from various chemist shops on Sauchiehall Street, which was ostensibly for poisoning rats.
Into March 1857, Madeleine had a new suitor, a man known as William Minnoch, who was much more appropriate in the eyes of her parents.
Madeleine tried to break off her affair with L'Angelier, but he indicated he would make her father aware of their liaison, with the benefit of the revealing letters he had in his possession from Madeleine.
Madeleine tried to patch things up with L'Angelier, and would give him drinks of hot chocolate and cocoa through the railing windows of her basement bedroom, at Blythswood Square.
L'Angelier began to fall ill and eventually died. He had in his stomach a significanrt amount of arsenic, and Madeleine was charged with his murder.
She was tried at Edinburgh in June 1857, and was found Not Proven, but the shame of the trial destroyed the Smith family reputation.
Madeleine later married George Wardle and lived in England. She in her later years went to America, remarried again and eventually died in 1928 aged 92.
She is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery at Hastings-on Hudson, in New York State under the name of Lena Sheehy.
Sheehy was the surname of her second husband, and Lena was a pet name of hers, which her sister Bessie used to call her.
Her story has been the subject of much speculation over the years as well as a film, umpteen books and a couple of television dramas. It continues to be much debated.
Did she poison L'Angelier or not , we'll never know.
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Post by Waverley on Jul 5, 2007 22:01:15 GMT 1
Jack House wrote a book called 'The Square Mile of Murder' which included the story of Madeleine Smith plus the Oscar Slater case.
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Post by pwm437 on Jul 6, 2007 10:01:54 GMT 1
Last week I visited Mount Hope Cemetery looking for her grave. The office at the cemetery gave me all the details (section no., plot no.) but alas, despite an exhaustive search, there was no headstone, which was quite sad, and a missed photo opportunity for me.
She was one fascinating woman.
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Post by Waverley on Jul 6, 2007 10:37:17 GMT 1
Strange that you done that Peter when on your visit to New York as I was thinking of getting one of my contacts in the States to search for her grave and get me a photograph of it...no point now seeing as there is no headstone. Anyway I was in town yesterday and managed to get a photograph of her house at Blythswood Square where the poisoning was suppossed to have taken place from the windows at basement level.
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Post by pwm437 on Jul 6, 2007 13:02:43 GMT 1
The bricked up window at pavement level where the guy is standing was the window through which Madeleine passed cups of chocolate/cocoa to L'Angelier as he stood outside. Madeleine's bedroom was in the basement of the building as you can see, and the house is now the offices of a legal firm.
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Post by Waverley on Jul 6, 2007 20:37:31 GMT 1
I am sure that Pierre Emile L'Angelier is buried in the Ramshorn Kirk graveyard in Ingram Street but not under his own name I believe it is some other family's lair.
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Post by pwm437 on Jul 7, 2007 9:53:49 GMT 1
L'Angelier is indeed buried in the Ramshorn Kirkyard in the Stevenson family lair, who were his employers at the time of his death
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Post by kiltie on Jul 22, 2007 7:22:15 GMT 1
Around 1984,I was asked to install a water supply to an area in a garden for a large greenhouse,that was to be used for the growing of orchids.The guy who had just bought the house was some sort of expert. Anyway,I hired a jcb to dig the trench, the first bucket of earth was removed,and to every ones surprise it uncovered a part of a car.Needless to say the job was stopped,and the police called. I later found out that the house belonged to James Smith,Madeleines father,seems he couldn,t live with the shame, and so moved to this house.
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Post by Waverley on Jul 22, 2007 8:02:39 GMT 1
Where was the house Kiltie.
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Post by kiltie on Jul 22, 2007 9:20:21 GMT 1
All I can say is polmont,in case of ghouls climbing over walls for photographs.
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Post by Waverley on Jul 22, 2007 9:32:46 GMT 1
I know that the family had a summer residence down in Rhu where many years after there was another gruesome murder unconnected with the Smith family...I'll check out the Polmont connection as me and Peter are hoping to make a Madeleine Smith feature on here.
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Post by kiltie on Jul 22, 2007 9:48:25 GMT 1
do I sense a note of disbelief charlie,dont you think that there are enough sites regarding oor maddie
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Post by Waverley on Jul 22, 2007 9:51:53 GMT 1
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Post by pwm437 on Jul 22, 2007 11:57:40 GMT 1
Kiltie, you appear to be spot on. After the shame of the trial, Madeleine's sisters (one was called Bessie I think, but I'll check) moved out of Glasgow and resided in Polmont.
And so to Oscar Slater :
A couple of years ago, I was leading a walking tour round 'The Square Mile of Murder', as defined by Jack House. The last part of the walk was on the pavement outside 45 West Princes Street. I was busy doing my stuff, standing on the steps, when a young woman came and sat down and began to listen to the talk. When I finished I started talking to her, and it transpired she was about to visit friends, who lived on the first floor, in the flat once owned by Marion Gilchrist, who had been murdered in December 1908.
She asked if we (me and a colleague) would like to see the inside of the flat. So we went up, and I entered armed with my notes, and floor-plan of the flat. Unfortunately by now, the flat had been divided and we were on the west side of the building, the parlour where the murder took place, was on the east side, and now inside the flat next door.
No problem, the occupants (all young students) merely chapped next door, told their pals what the story was and in we went. One young student had a bed right in the middle of the floor, almost on the spot where Marion Gilchrist had been fould, beaten to death.
He knew nothing of the story of the murder, and even less about the impact the case of Oscar Slater was to have, in Glasgow, and on the Scottish legal system.
I could dig out all my notes on the walk and do our first Glesga Keelies outing, say some Saturday morning, if there's enough interest.
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Post by Waverley on Jul 22, 2007 15:45:43 GMT 1
Aye a good idea Peter as I can get access to my head office board room at 7 Sandyford Place for meeting and tea and coffee etc., immediately after for those who are interested.
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Post by pwm437 on Jul 22, 2007 17:30:03 GMT 1
Sandyford Place : scene of the Jessie McLachlan case.
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Post by Waverley on Jul 22, 2007 17:43:58 GMT 1
Sandyford Place : scene of the Jessie McLachlan case. Just a couple of doors up from the scene of the murder Peter.
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Post by kiltie on Jul 23, 2007 6:32:07 GMT 1
I know I am correct about the move to polmont,and it was the whole family that moved.James the father Janet mother, Bessie daughter John and James sons and Janet daughter.Also living there was a servant and two domestics and a coachman. Hope this helps.
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Post by Waverley on Jul 23, 2007 7:47:57 GMT 1
We will try and collate a potted history on Madeleine from the info we have all contributed on here Kiltie which will give people as much info as possible.
Thanks Kiltie
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Post by Waverley on Jul 25, 2007 8:59:44 GMT 1
Seems the Glesga Keelies are not the only ones who have an interest in Madeleine at the moment. There is a new book out about her life and was featured in the Evening Times on Monday night...I'll try and get a copy of it and paste it on here. By the way the author of the book has came to the conclusion that she was entirely innocent and he explains how he came to this decision...should make good reading don't you think.
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Post by Waverley on Jul 26, 2007 21:48:08 GMT 1
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Post by Waverley on Aug 15, 2007 21:15:05 GMT 1
Madeleine ws burued in ths cemetery in upstate New York called Mount Hope Cemetery
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Post by Waverley on Aug 15, 2007 21:18:48 GMT 1
She was laid to rest in this sector under her married name of Leah Sheehy in Hastings-on-Hudson.
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Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2007 14:00:17 GMT 1
HI ALEX HERE most interesting subject murders in glasgow. i for one would be up for saturday walk around ghostly glasgow.
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Post by Waverley on Nov 17, 2007 14:13:23 GMT 1
HI ALEX HERE most interesting subject murders in glasgow. i for one would be up for saturday walk around ghostly glasgow. Alex me and Peter are looking at it as an idea for a wee Saturday or Sunday tour before Christmas... ;D
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Post by peggy on Nov 17, 2007 18:21:30 GMT 1
I remember years ago seeing a play then a film about Madeleine Smith I knew she lived to a ripe auld age in America .
p
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Post by Waverley on Dec 4, 2007 12:39:44 GMT 1
The grave of William Minnoch whom Madeliene was engaged to be married to before she was charged with murder. Mr.Minnoch married another and is buried in this grave in the Necropolis in Glasgow.
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Post by bettyb on Dec 20, 2007 17:55:18 GMT 1
Such an interesting thread this is,can't wait for more. bettyb
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Post by Waverley on Oct 2, 2012 16:57:08 GMT 1
A wee date for your diary...
14 February 2013
Hillhead Library
‘Madeleine Smith's Letters - Do they convict or acquit?'
Dr. Marc Alexander
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Post by pwm437 on Oct 3, 2012 20:42:58 GMT 1
Thanks Charlie, I'll certainly try and make it to Hillhead Library next February.
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