William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland
Encyclopedia
William John Cavendish Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland (12 September 1800 – 6 December 1879), styled Lord William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck before 1824 and Marquess of Titchfield between 1824 and 1854, was a British
aristocrat
ic eccentric who preferred to live in seclusion. He had an underground maze excavated under his estate at Welbeck Abbey
near Clumber Park
in North Nottinghamshire
.
, the 4th Duke of Portland, and his wife Henrietta. He was baptised at St George's Church, Hanover Square, on 30 September. One of nine children, he was known by his second Christian name, John, as all the male members of the family were named William. He was the brother of Charlotte Denison, future wife of John Evelyn Denison, 1st Viscount Ossington.
Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck was educated at home rather than at school. Known as Lord John Bentinck, he served in the army from 1818, entering it as an Ensign in the Foot Guards
and later transferred to the 7th Light Dragoon Guards in 1821, where he became a Captain, the 2nd Life Guards
in 1823. He reportedly suffered from lethargy due to his "delicate health".
In 1824 he became the Marquess of Titchfield following the death of his elder brother William Henry Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, and was elected Tory
MP
to succeed his brother in King's Lynn
, a seat traditionally held by a member of his family. He remained an MP until 1826, when he surrendered his seat on grounds of ill-health to his uncle Lord William Bentinck
.
From 1824 to 1834 he also held the rank of Captain in the Royal West India Rangers, on half pay
. (a sinecure
, since this regiment had been disbanded in 1819 http://web.archive.org/web/20091027004349/http://geocities.com/moriancumerb/). After leaving the army, he spent some time in Europe, his health being occasionally poor, including short term memory loss and sciatica
.
On 27 March 1854 he succeeded his father as 5th Duke of Portland. Although the title also gave him a seat in the House of Lords
, it took him three years to take his seat, not taking the oaths until 5 June 1857. He showed little interest in taking an active role in politics, although he supported the Whigs and Robert Peel
. From 1859 until his death he was also Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire
.
in which he took an active involvement appealed strongly to the popular imagination. They cost an enormous sum of money and employed thousands of men from the local area, both skilled and unskilled. While there were occasional labour disputes over wages and hours, the Duke was on very good terms with his many employees and earned the nickname "the workman's friend".
s covered an area of 22 acre (8.9 ha), surrounded by high walls with recesses in which brazier
s could be placed to assist the ripening of fruit. One of the walls, a peach wall, measured over 1000 ft (304.8 m) in length.
An immense riding house was constructed, 396 ft (120.7 m) long, 108 ft (32.9 m) wide, and 50 ft (15.2 m) high. It was lit by 4,000 gas jets. Like many other contemporary British aristocrats, the Duke was fond of horses — his stables held 100 horses but he never rode them in his riding house.
When roller skating
became popular, the Duke had a rink installed near the lake for the benefit of his staff, whom he encouraged to use it.
stripped of furniture, including tapestries
and portrait
s, which he had stored elsewhere. He occupied a suite of 4-5 rooms in the west wing of the mansion which were sparsely furnished. By 1879 the building was in a state of disrepair, with the Duke's rooms the only habitable ones. All the rooms had been painted pink, with bare parquetry
floors and no furniture apart from a commode in one corner.
s. It had domed skylights and by night was illuminated by gaslight
. A tunnel was supposed to have run all the way to Worksop
railway station, though there is no evidence for this claim. This and other tunnels are shown on the of the area, though only the largest can be readily seen on aerial photographs (Multimap).
The underground chambers - all of which were painted pink - included a great hall 160 ft (48.8 m) long and 63 ft (19.2 m) which was originally intended as a chapel
, but which was instead used as a picture gallery and occasionally as a ballroom. The ballroom reportedly had a hydraulic lift that could carry 20 guests from the surface and a ceiling that was painted as a giant sunset. However, the Duke never organized any dances in the ballroom.
Other subterranean rooms included a 250 ft (76.2 m) long library
, an observatory
with a large glass roof, and a vast billiards
-room.
was the only person he permitted to see him in person in his quarters - he would not even let the doctor in, while his tenant
s and workmen were told never to acknowledge his presence (a workman who saluted him was reputedly dismissed on the spot) and they received all their instructions in writing.
His business with his solicitor
s, agents, and the occasional politician was handled by post. The Duke maintained an extensive correspondence with a wide-ranging network of family and friends, including Benjamin Disraeli
and Lord Palmerston. He is not known to have kept company with any ladies, and his shyness and introverted personality increased over time.
His reclusive lifestyle led to rumours that the Duke was disfigured, mad, or prone to wild orgies. However, contemporary witnesses and surviving photographs present him as a normal-looking man.
He ventured outside mainly by night, when he was preceded by a servant lady carrying a lantern
40 yards ahead of him. If he did walk out by day, the Duke wore two overcoats, an extremely tall hat, an extremely high collar, and carried a very large umbrella behind which he tried to hide if someone addressed him.
If the Duke had business in London, he would take his carriage to Worksop where he had it loaded onto a railway wagon. Upon his arrival to his London residence, Harcourt House in Cavendish Square
, all the household staff were ordered to keep out of sight as he hurried into his study through the front hall.
He insisted on a chicken roasting at all hours of the day, and the servants brought him his food on heated trucks that ran on rails through the underground tunnels.
cemetery
in north London. As his younger brother, Henry William, had died without male issue on 31 December 1870, the title of Duke of Portland devolved upon his cousin, William Cavendish-Bentinck
.
The department of Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham
holds a number of papers relating to the 5th Duke: the 5th Duke's personal and political papers (Pw K) are part of the Portland (Welbeck) Collection; and the Portland (London) Collection (Pl) contains papers relating to the estate business of the 5th Duke, and to the "Druce Case". The Harley Gallery shows exhibitions from the Portland Collection, in the museum which is situated in theconverted site of the Fifth Duke's Gas Works.
The Portland Estate Papers held at the Nottinghamshire Archives also contain items relating to the 5th Duke's properties.
Druce to return to a secluded aristocratic life and that therefore her son was heir to the Portland estate. However, her application to have Druce's grave in Highgate Cemetery
opened to show that the coffin buried in it was in fact empty and weighted with lead was blocked by Druce's executor
and the case became the subject of continuing and unsuccessful legal proceedings.
When it was discovered that Druce's children by a former wife were living in Australia, Anna Maria Druce's claims were backgrounded, and she went into an asylum in 1903. The case was taken up by George Hollamby Druce from 1903 onwards, who set up companies to finance his legal proceedings in 1905, and in 1907 even instituted a charge of perjury against Herbert Druce, Thomas Charles Druce's younger son, for having sworn that he had witnessed his father's death in 1864. Evidence of a fake burial was given by a witness named Robert C. Caldwell of New York and others, and it was eventually agreed that Druce's grave should be opened. This was done on 30 December 1907 under the supervision of Inspector Walter Dew
and Druce's body was found present and successfully identified. Caldwell's evidence was so unreliable that the prosecution disowned him during the trial and it transpired that he had habitually appeared in court giving sensational, and false, testimony: he was found insane and died in an asylum in 1911. Several witnesses were in turn charged with perjury
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
aristocrat
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
ic eccentric who preferred to live in seclusion. He had an underground maze excavated under his estate at Welbeck Abbey
Welbeck Abbey
Welbeck Abbey near Clumber Park in North Nottinghamshire was the principal abbey of the Premonstratensian order in England and later the principal residence of the Dukes of Portland.-Monastic period:...
near Clumber Park
Clumber Park
Clumber Park is a country park in the Dukeries near Worksop in Nottinghamshire, England. It was the seat of the Pelham-Clintons, Dukes of Newcastle.It is owned by the National Trust and open to the public.-History:...
in North Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
.
Life
He was the second son of William Henry Cavendish-Scott-BentinckWilliam Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland
William Henry Cavendish Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland PC, FRS, FSA , styled Marquess of Titchfield until 1809, was a British politician who served in various positions in the governments of George Canning and Lord Goderich.-Background and education:Portland was the eldest son of...
, the 4th Duke of Portland, and his wife Henrietta. He was baptised at St George's Church, Hanover Square, on 30 September. One of nine children, he was known by his second Christian name, John, as all the male members of the family were named William. He was the brother of Charlotte Denison, future wife of John Evelyn Denison, 1st Viscount Ossington.
Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck was educated at home rather than at school. Known as Lord John Bentinck, he served in the army from 1818, entering it as an Ensign in the Foot Guards
Foot Guards
-British Army:The Foot Guards are the Regular Infantry regiments of the Household Division of the British Army. There have been six regiments of foot guards, five of which still exist. The Royal Guards Reserve Regiment was a reserve formation of the Household Brigade in existence from 1900-1901...
and later transferred to the 7th Light Dragoon Guards in 1821, where he became a Captain, the 2nd Life Guards
Life Guards (British Army)
The Life Guards is the senior regiment of the British Army and with the Blues and Royals, they make up the Household Cavalry.They originated in the four troops of Horse Guards raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration, plus two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards which were raised some...
in 1823. He reportedly suffered from lethargy due to his "delicate health".
In 1824 he became the Marquess of Titchfield following the death of his elder brother William Henry Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, and was elected Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
MP
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
to succeed his brother in King's Lynn
King's Lynn (UK Parliament constituency)
King's Lynn was a constituency in Norfolk, known as Lynn or Bishop's Lynn prior to 1537, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, and one member thereafter. Until 1918 it was a parliamentary borough, after which the name...
, a seat traditionally held by a member of his family. He remained an MP until 1826, when he surrendered his seat on grounds of ill-health to his uncle Lord William Bentinck
Lord William Bentinck
Lieutenant-General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck GCB, GCH, PC , known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British soldier and statesman...
.
From 1824 to 1834 he also held the rank of Captain in the Royal West India Rangers, on half pay
Half-pay
In the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, half-pay referred to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service....
. (a sinecure
Sinecure
A sinecure means an office that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service...
, since this regiment had been disbanded in 1819 http://web.archive.org/web/20091027004349/http://geocities.com/moriancumerb/). After leaving the army, he spent some time in Europe, his health being occasionally poor, including short term memory loss and sciatica
Sciatica
Sciatica is a set of symptoms including pain that may be caused by general compression or irritation of one of five spinal nerve roots that give rise to each sciatic nerve, or by compression or irritation of the left or right or both sciatic nerves. The pain is felt in the lower back, buttock, or...
.
On 27 March 1854 he succeeded his father as 5th Duke of Portland. Although the title also gave him a seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, it took him three years to take his seat, not taking the oaths until 5 June 1857. He showed little interest in taking an active role in politics, although he supported the Whigs and Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
. From 1859 until his death he was also Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire
Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire. Since 1694, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Nottinghamshire.*Henry Manners, 2nd Earl of Rutland 1552–1563?*Edward Manners, 3rd Earl of Rutland 1574–1587?...
.
Welbeck Abbey
The Duke's major building operations and developments at his estate of Welbeck AbbeyWelbeck Abbey
Welbeck Abbey near Clumber Park in North Nottinghamshire was the principal abbey of the Premonstratensian order in England and later the principal residence of the Dukes of Portland.-Monastic period:...
in which he took an active involvement appealed strongly to the popular imagination. They cost an enormous sum of money and employed thousands of men from the local area, both skilled and unskilled. While there were occasional labour disputes over wages and hours, the Duke was on very good terms with his many employees and earned the nickname "the workman's friend".
Grounds
The Abbey's kitchen gardenKitchen garden
The traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden - the ornamental plants and lawn areas...
s covered an area of 22 acre (8.9 ha), surrounded by high walls with recesses in which brazier
Brazier
A brazier is a container for fire, generally taking the form of an upright standing or hanging metal bowl or box. Used for holding burning coal as well as fires, a brazier allows for a source of light, heat, or cooking...
s could be placed to assist the ripening of fruit. One of the walls, a peach wall, measured over 1000 ft (304.8 m) in length.
An immense riding house was constructed, 396 ft (120.7 m) long, 108 ft (32.9 m) wide, and 50 ft (15.2 m) high. It was lit by 4,000 gas jets. Like many other contemporary British aristocrats, the Duke was fond of horses — his stables held 100 horses but he never rode them in his riding house.
When roller skating
Roller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
became popular, the Duke had a rink installed near the lake for the benefit of his staff, whom he encouraged to use it.
House
The Duke had all the rooms of Welbeck AbbeyWelbeck Abbey
Welbeck Abbey near Clumber Park in North Nottinghamshire was the principal abbey of the Premonstratensian order in England and later the principal residence of the Dukes of Portland.-Monastic period:...
stripped of furniture, including tapestries
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
and portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
s, which he had stored elsewhere. He occupied a suite of 4-5 rooms in the west wing of the mansion which were sparsely furnished. By 1879 the building was in a state of disrepair, with the Duke's rooms the only habitable ones. All the rooms had been painted pink, with bare parquetry
Parquetry
Parquetry is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect. The two main uses of parquetry are as veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquet patterns are entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges. The most popular parquet flooring...
floors and no furniture apart from a commode in one corner.
Underground
The Duke had a complex of underground rooms and tunnels constructed. The tunnels under the estate were reputed to have totalled 15 mi (24.1 km), connecting various underground chambers and above-ground buildings. They included a 1000 yd (914.4 m) long tunnel between the house and the riding house, wide enough for several people to walk side by side. A more roughly constructed tunnel ran parallel to this for the use of his workmen. A 1.25 mi (2 km) long tunnel ran north-east from the coach house, to emerge at the South Lodge, which was supposedly wide enough for two carriageCarriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s. It had domed skylights and by night was illuminated by gaslight
Gas lighting
Gas lighting is production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, including hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, or natural gas. Before electricity became sufficiently widespread and economical to allow for general public use, gas was the most...
. A tunnel was supposed to have run all the way to Worksop
Worksop
Worksop is the largest town in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the River Ryton at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. It is about east-south-east of the City of Sheffield and its population is estimated to be 39,800...
railway station, though there is no evidence for this claim. This and other tunnels are shown on the of the area, though only the largest can be readily seen on aerial photographs (Multimap).
The underground chambers - all of which were painted pink - included a great hall 160 ft (48.8 m) long and 63 ft (19.2 m) which was originally intended as a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, but which was instead used as a picture gallery and occasionally as a ballroom. The ballroom reportedly had a hydraulic lift that could carry 20 guests from the surface and a ceiling that was painted as a giant sunset. However, the Duke never organized any dances in the ballroom.
Other subterranean rooms included a 250 ft (76.2 m) long library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, an observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
with a large glass roof, and a vast billiards
Billiards
Cue sports , also known as billiard sports, are a wide variety of games of skill generally played with a cue stick which is used to strike billiard balls, moving them around a cloth-covered billiards table bounded by rubber .Historically, the umbrella term was billiards...
-room.
Eccentricity
The Duke was very introverted - he did not want to meet people and never invited anyone to his home. His rooms had double letterboxes, one for ingoing and another for outgoing mail. His valetValet
Valet and varlet are terms for male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer.- Word origins :In the Middle Ages, the valet de chambre to a ruler was a prestigious appointment for young men...
was the only person he permitted to see him in person in his quarters - he would not even let the doctor in, while his tenant
Tenant farmer
A tenant farmer is one who resides on and farms land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management; while tenant farmers contribute their labor along with at times varying...
s and workmen were told never to acknowledge his presence (a workman who saluted him was reputedly dismissed on the spot) and they received all their instructions in writing.
His business with his solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
s, agents, and the occasional politician was handled by post. The Duke maintained an extensive correspondence with a wide-ranging network of family and friends, including Benjamin Disraeli
Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield
Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, KG, PC, FRS, was a British Prime Minister, parliamentarian, Conservative statesman and literary figure. Starting from comparatively humble origins, he served in government for three decades, twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom...
and Lord Palmerston. He is not known to have kept company with any ladies, and his shyness and introverted personality increased over time.
His reclusive lifestyle led to rumours that the Duke was disfigured, mad, or prone to wild orgies. However, contemporary witnesses and surviving photographs present him as a normal-looking man.
He ventured outside mainly by night, when he was preceded by a servant lady carrying a lantern
Lantern
A lantern is a portable lighting device or mounted light fixture used to illuminate broad areas. Lanterns may also be used for signaling, as 'torches', or as general light sources outdoors . Low light level varieties are used for decoration. The term "lantern" is also used more generically to...
40 yards ahead of him. If he did walk out by day, the Duke wore two overcoats, an extremely tall hat, an extremely high collar, and carried a very large umbrella behind which he tried to hide if someone addressed him.
If the Duke had business in London, he would take his carriage to Worksop where he had it loaded onto a railway wagon. Upon his arrival to his London residence, Harcourt House in Cavendish Square
Cavendish Square
Cavendish Square is a public square in the West End of London, very close to Oxford Circus, where the two main shopping thoroughfares of Oxford Street and Regent Street meet. It is located at the eastern end of Wigmore Street, which connects it to Portman Square, part of the Portman Estate, to its...
, all the household staff were ordered to keep out of sight as he hurried into his study through the front hall.
He insisted on a chicken roasting at all hours of the day, and the servants brought him his food on heated trucks that ran on rails through the underground tunnels.
Death
The Duke died on 6 December 1879 at his London residence, Harcourt House. He was buried in a simple grave in a large plot at Kensal GreenKensal Green
Kensal Green, also referred to as Kensal Rise is an area of London, England. It is located on the southern edge of the London Borough of Brent and borders the City of Westminster to the East and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the South....
cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
in north London. As his younger brother, Henry William, had died without male issue on 31 December 1870, the title of Duke of Portland devolved upon his cousin, William Cavendish-Bentinck
William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland KG, GCVO, PC, TD, DL , known as William Cavendish-Bentinck until 1879, was a British landowner, courtier and Conservative politician...
.
The department of Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham
Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham
Manuscripts and Special Collections is part of Information Services at the University of Nottingham. It is based at King's Meadow Campus in Nottingham in England...
holds a number of papers relating to the 5th Duke: the 5th Duke's personal and political papers (Pw K) are part of the Portland (Welbeck) Collection; and the Portland (London) Collection (Pl) contains papers relating to the estate business of the 5th Duke, and to the "Druce Case". The Harley Gallery shows exhibitions from the Portland Collection, in the museum which is situated in theconverted site of the Fifth Duke's Gas Works.
The Portland Estate Papers held at the Nottinghamshire Archives also contain items relating to the 5th Duke's properties.
Druce Case
In 1897 a widow, Anna Maria Druce, claimed that the Duke had led a double life as her father-in-law, a London upholsterer by the name of Thomas Charles Druce, who had supposedly died in 1864. The widow claimed that the Duke had faked the death of his alter egoAlter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
Druce to return to a secluded aristocratic life and that therefore her son was heir to the Portland estate. However, her application to have Druce's grave in Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a cemetery located in north London, England. It is designated Grade I on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. It is divided into two parts, named the East and West cemetery....
opened to show that the coffin buried in it was in fact empty and weighted with lead was blocked by Druce's executor
Executor
An executor, in the broadest sense, is one who carries something out .-Overview:...
and the case became the subject of continuing and unsuccessful legal proceedings.
When it was discovered that Druce's children by a former wife were living in Australia, Anna Maria Druce's claims were backgrounded, and she went into an asylum in 1903. The case was taken up by George Hollamby Druce from 1903 onwards, who set up companies to finance his legal proceedings in 1905, and in 1907 even instituted a charge of perjury against Herbert Druce, Thomas Charles Druce's younger son, for having sworn that he had witnessed his father's death in 1864. Evidence of a fake burial was given by a witness named Robert C. Caldwell of New York and others, and it was eventually agreed that Druce's grave should be opened. This was done on 30 December 1907 under the supervision of Inspector Walter Dew
Walter Dew
Detective Chief Inspector Walter Dew was a Metropolitan Police officer who was involved in the hunt for both Jack the Ripper and Dr Crippen.-Early life:...
and Druce's body was found present and successfully identified. Caldwell's evidence was so unreliable that the prosecution disowned him during the trial and it transpired that he had habitually appeared in court giving sensational, and false, testimony: he was found insane and died in an asylum in 1911. Several witnesses were in turn charged with perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
.
In popular culture
- R. Austin Freeman's 1932 Dr ThorndykeDr ThorndykeDr John Evelyn Thorndyke is a fictional detective in a long series of novels and short stories by R. Austin Freeman . Thorndyke was described by his author as a 'medical jurispractitioner': originally a medical doctor, he turned to the bar and became one of the first - in modern parlance - forensic...
crime novel Dr Thorndyke Intervenes (1933) was based on the Druce Case. - In 1997, Mick JacksonMick Jackson (author)Mick Jackson is a British writer from England, best known for his novel The Underground Man . The book, based on the life of William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and for the 1997 Whitbread Award for best first novel.- Overview :Mick...
published a book loosely based around his life called The Underground Man, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. - Bill BrysonBill BrysonWilliam McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on science. Born an American, he was a resident of Britain for most of his adult life before moving back to the US in 1995...
discusses him in some detail during a visit to Welbeck Abbey in the travel book Notes from a Small IslandNotes from a Small IslandNotes from a Small Island is a humorous travel book on Great Britain by American author Bill Bryson, first published in 1995.-Overview:Bryson wrote Notes from a Small Island when he decided to move back to his native United States, but wanted to take one final trip around Great Britain, which had...
.
Titles
- Lord John Bentinck (1800–1824)
- William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, Marquess of Titchfield (1824–1854)
- William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland (1854–1879)
External links
- Photo - underground corridor at Welbeck Abbey
- http://www.follies.btinternet.co.uk/portland.html
- Warsop Web - The Gentle Mole
- The Tunnels of Welbeck
- Amazon.com listing for The Underground Man
- Biography of the 5th Duke, with links to online catalogues, from Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham
