Jock Delves Broughton
Encyclopedia
Henry John Delves Broughton, 11th Baronet Broughton
(10 September 1883 - 5 December 1942) was a British aristocrat who is chiefly known for standing trial for the murder of Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll
. The event was the basis of the film White Mischief
.
in Doddington, Cheshire
, Broughton came into the baronetcy upon the death of his father in April 1914. He had married Vera Edyth Griffith-Boscawen on 8 July 1913; their daughter, Rosamond, married Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat
in 1938. On the outbreak of World War I
, as a captain in the 1st Battalion of the Irish Guards
, he was due to sail with his men, but was taken ill and had to be replaced. He was forced to sell off most of the 34,000 acres (140 km²) of the family estate in the 1930s to pay gambling debts. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, he was part of a consortium which owned the Ensbury Park Race Course in Kinson
, Dorset
, now a part of Bournemouth
. In 1939, he was suspected of insurance fraud after the theft of his wife's pearls and some paintings, on which he claimed the insurance. Months after he and Vera divorced, Broughton married Diana Caldwell on 5 November 1940, and the couple moved to Kenya.
on 24 January 1941. He and the Broughtons were part of the so-called Happy Valley set
living in Happy Valley, Kenya
.
Erroll's former lover, Alice de Janzé
, was initially viewed by the Happy Valley set as a suspect, but Broughton - whose bride was very-publicly carrying on with Erroll - was arrested. He was acquitted at trial for lack of evidence, a conclusion that hinged on the identification of the murder weapon. Broughton's pistol was a Colt
with 6 grooves, and Erroll was killed by a bullet with 5 grooves. No pistol was produced by the Crown or by the defence. Broughton claimed that two of his pistols, a silver cigarette case and 10 or 20 shillings were stolen days before Erroll's death.
Superintendent Arthur Poppy claimed that Broughton had stolen the guns from himself to give the impression that he had no .32 pistol at the time. Additionally, the bullet that killed Erroll was fired by a pistol with clockwise rifling; Colts use anti-clockwise rifling. Another bullet fired at Erroll also had 5 grooves and clockwise turning. In 11 May 2007 Daily Telegraph, author Christine Nicholls described taped evidence she claimed was definitive proof that Broughton killed Erroll.
, Liverpool
. The inquest recorded a verdict of suicide while the balance of his mind was disturbed, in relation to illness following a back injury from a fall, the official reason for his return to England. The baronetcy passed to his son, Sir Evelyn Delves Broughton. After his death, Diana remarried twice, the second time to Thomas Cholmondeley, 4th Baron Delamere
. Broughton's granddaughter was magazine editor and socialite Isabella Blow
, who also committed suicide.
Broughton Baronets
The Broughton, later Broughton-Delves, later Broughton Baronetcy, of Broughton in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Baronetage of England...
(10 September 1883 - 5 December 1942) was a British aristocrat who is chiefly known for standing trial for the murder of Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll
Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll
Josslyn Victor Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll and 5th Baron Kilmarnock was a British peer, famed for the unsolved case surrounding his murder and the sensation it caused during wartime Britain.-Early life:Hay was the eldest son of the diplomat Victor Hay, Lord Kilmarnock and his wife...
. The event was the basis of the film White Mischief
White Mischief
White Mischief is a 1987 film dramatising the events of the Happy Valley murder case in Kenya in 1941, when Sir Henry "Jock" Delves Broughton was tried for the murder of Josslyn Hay, Earl of Erroll....
.
Early life
Born at Doddington HallDoddington Hall, Cheshire
Doddington Hall is a country house in Doddington Park in the civil parish of Doddington, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building....
in Doddington, Cheshire
Doddington, Cheshire
Doddington is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, which lies to the north east of Audlem and to the south of Crewe. Nearby villages include Blakenhall, Bridgemere, Checkley, Hatherton, Walgherton and Wybunbury...
, Broughton came into the baronetcy upon the death of his father in April 1914. He had married Vera Edyth Griffith-Boscawen on 8 July 1913; their daughter, Rosamond, married Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat
Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat
Brigadier Simon Christopher Joseph Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat and 4th Baron Lovat DSO, MC, TD was the 25th Chief of the Clan Fraser and a prominent British Commando during the Second World War...
in 1938. On the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, as a captain in the 1st Battalion of the Irish Guards
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
, he was due to sail with his men, but was taken ill and had to be replaced. He was forced to sell off most of the 34,000 acres (140 km²) of the family estate in the 1930s to pay gambling debts. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, he was part of a consortium which owned the Ensbury Park Race Course in Kinson
Kinson
Kinson is a former village which has been absorbed by the town of Bournemouth in the county of Dorset in England. The area became part of Bournemouth on 1 April 1931....
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, now a part of Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
. In 1939, he was suspected of insurance fraud after the theft of his wife's pearls and some paintings, on which he claimed the insurance. Months after he and Vera divorced, Broughton married Diana Caldwell on 5 November 1940, and the couple moved to Kenya.
Murder trial
Erroll was found shot in the head in his car at a crossroads outside NairobiNairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
on 24 January 1941. He and the Broughtons were part of the so-called Happy Valley set
Happy Valley set
The Happy Valley set was a group of privileged British colonials living in the Happy Valley region of the Wanjohi Valley,near the Aberdare mountain range, in the colonies of Kenya and Uganda during the 1920s - 1940s...
living in Happy Valley, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
Erroll's former lover, Alice de Janzé
Alice de Janzé
Alice de Janzé, née Silverthorne , also known as Alice de Trafford and holder of the noble title Comtesse de Janzé for a few years, was an American heiress who spent years in Kenya, as a member of the Happy Valley set of colonials...
, was initially viewed by the Happy Valley set as a suspect, but Broughton - whose bride was very-publicly carrying on with Erroll - was arrested. He was acquitted at trial for lack of evidence, a conclusion that hinged on the identification of the murder weapon. Broughton's pistol was a Colt
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
with 6 grooves, and Erroll was killed by a bullet with 5 grooves. No pistol was produced by the Crown or by the defence. Broughton claimed that two of his pistols, a silver cigarette case and 10 or 20 shillings were stolen days before Erroll's death.
Superintendent Arthur Poppy claimed that Broughton had stolen the guns from himself to give the impression that he had no .32 pistol at the time. Additionally, the bullet that killed Erroll was fired by a pistol with clockwise rifling; Colts use anti-clockwise rifling. Another bullet fired at Erroll also had 5 grooves and clockwise turning. In 11 May 2007 Daily Telegraph, author Christine Nicholls described taped evidence she claimed was definitive proof that Broughton killed Erroll.
Aftermath
Broughton was never accepted back into the Happy Valley set and returned to England alone, his wife having already taken another lover. In December 1942, a few days after his arrival, he was found dying from an overdose at the Britannia Adelphi HotelBritannia Adelphi Hotel
The Britannia Adelphi Hotel, formerly the Adelphi Hotel, is in Ranelagh Place, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The present building is the third hotel on the site, and has been designated by English Heritage as Grade II listed building....
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. The inquest recorded a verdict of suicide while the balance of his mind was disturbed, in relation to illness following a back injury from a fall, the official reason for his return to England. The baronetcy passed to his son, Sir Evelyn Delves Broughton. After his death, Diana remarried twice, the second time to Thomas Cholmondeley, 4th Baron Delamere
Thomas Cholmondeley, 4th Baron Delamere
Thomas Pitt Hamilton Cholmondeley, 4th Baron Delamere , styled The Honourable from birth until 1931, was a British peer.-Personal:...
. Broughton's granddaughter was magazine editor and socialite Isabella Blow
Isabella Blow
Isabella Blow was an English magazine editor. The muse of hat designer Philip Treacy, she is credited with discovering the models Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl as well as the fashion designer Alexander McQueen....
, who also committed suicide.
See also
- Alice de JanzéAlice de JanzéAlice de Janzé, née Silverthorne , also known as Alice de Trafford and holder of the noble title Comtesse de Janzé for a few years, was an American heiress who spent years in Kenya, as a member of the Happy Valley set of colonials...