Today's Object of the Week has connections to a notorious murder trial involving love letters, poison - and an unusual postmark.

Madeleine Hamilton Smith was born in Glasgow on March 29, 1835, the eldest of five children to wealthy Architect George Smith and Elizabeth Hamilton.

The family lived at their town house in Blythswood Square, Glasgow. Madeleine went to school in London between 1851 and 1853 and returned to Glasgow to live with her family aged 18.

In the spring of 1855 aged 20, Madeleine, against all strict Victorian conventions of the times, fell in love with Pierre Emile L’Angelier an apprentice nurseryman, who was 10 years older than her.

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He was working at the time as a packing clerk at a nearby warehouse and they began a two year clandestine love affair, meeting in secret and writing endlessly to each other, Madeleine wrote more than 200 love letters during their affair and they often talked of marriage.

Madeleine’s parents, unaware of her covert relationship, had found what they thought was a suitable fiancé for her within the Glasgow upper-middle class - a gentleman called William Harper Minnoch.

By early 1857 Madeleine's relationship with L’Angelier was becoming strained, and she asked L’Angelier to return all of her letters. He refused, and threatened to expose her and publish her letters if she didn’t marry him. In February of 1857 Madeleine accepted a proposal of marriage from Minnoch and attempted to finally end her relationship with L’Angelier.

The Northern Echo: Madeleine Hamilton Smith went on trial for murder in 1857Madeleine Hamilton Smith went on trial for murder in 1857 (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

On the morning of March 23, 1857, L’Angelier was found dead in his lodging house, resulting from arsenic poisoning. After his death, Madeleine Smith’s numerous letters were found in his lodging house, and she was arrested and charged with his murder. Witnesses had testified that she was seen in a druggist’s office, ordering arsenic, which she signed for as M.H. Smith.

On the June 30, 1857, a young Miss Smith was brought to trial at the Justiciary Court in the Parliament amid much publicity. Huge crowds assembled at the Court every day hoping to get a seat and watch the proceedings.

The basis for the prosecution rested on the chronology of events leading up to L’Angelier's death and whether Madeleine saw him in the days before he died.

The dates that were important included March 22, 1857, which was the night before his death or the day he died - March 23.

She had written a number of letters to him about this time, and as the letters were undated, the postmarks on the envelopes were of crucial importance to the prosecution to prove that they had met and she had the opportunity to administer the poison to him.

One letter in particular depended on the correct interpretation of the date of the postmark which was unfortunately illegible. This proved to be a decisive factor in the trial.

The trial lasted ten days and the evidence disclosed a case filled with mystery and intrigue as to her motives and opportunity to kill L’Angelier. Although there was much circumstantial evidence that pointed towards her guilt, at the end of the trial the jury retired for half an hour and then returned with a verdict of 'not proven'.

While Madeleine Smith escaped the death sentence, she was not found innocent. 'Not proven' is a unique characteristic of Scottish Law, although it carries an implication of guilt, it acknowledges that Madeleine could not be unambiguously convicted.

The so called Madeleine Smith Murder Postmark was an experimental Duplex postmark introduced in the mid 1850’s and was used on letters posted within Glasgow.

The Northern Echo: Copy of the so-called 'Madeleine Smith Murder Postmark', an experimental Duplex postmark introduced in the mid 1850’sCopy of the so-called 'Madeleine Smith Murder Postmark', an experimental Duplex postmark introduced in the mid 1850’s (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

It combined the Post Office Number 159, in the case of Glasgow, together with the city name, the date and time of posting.

A number of adverse comments regarding the legibility of the postmark were made during the trial, and the handstamp was withdrawn from use in June 1857.

Examples of these cancellations have become very popular with collectors largely due to their notorious connections.

The example pictured here forms part of the collection of a North East philatelist.

Read about some previous Objects of the Week here:

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