Focus The death of Lord Londonderry

Robert Franklin

obert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of been ‘the last straw’.3 Leigh (1951) so that he or she comes to believe in the RLondonderry, better known to put forward the the diagnosis of blackest of thoughts and fears. Between his contemporaries and to history melancholia, a term then used to signify these extremes are conditions in which as Castlereagh, committed major depressive illness, and made lowered mood is understandable in suicide on 12 August 1822, at the age the important point that the stories terms of the patient’s personality and the of fifty-three, when were likely to have been based on the type and intensity of the stresses acting and Leader of the House of Commons. symptoms of the illness.4 Hyde (1959) on that personality, and others in which He was one of the great statesmen of agreed with Marriott, but went further: the state of mind is not understandable his age: as Chief Secretary in , he in his opinion, Londonderry’s delusion but there is no loss of touch with reality; had ensured the passage of the Act of that he risked disgrace was based on it is common to regard all the states Union, and resigned when the prospect reality, and this was ‘acting powerfully and conditions with which psychiatry of emancipation held out to Catholics on his mind and driving him to suicide’.5 has to deal as existing at some point in order to ease its passage was blocked Henry (1970) favoured a diagnosis of on a continuum. Whether or not some by George III; as Secretary of State for involutional depression, a term then of these states or conditions can be War, he had stood against Napoleon as used to signify major depressive illness considered illnesses is debatable, and surely as the generals and admirals, some appearing for the first time in the must depend on the definition of illness of whom he had put in their places; as involutional period of life. Dr Henry also in use; it would be perverse, however, Foreign Secretary, he worked to form stressed the point, made by Leigh, that not to regard loss of touch with reality, the alliances that finally brought about the delusions present were sufficiently involving delusions and sometimes Napoleon’s defeat and contributed largely explained by the illness.6 Hinde hallucinations, as pathological. The to the peace of Europe thereafter; he was (1981) took the balanced view that existence of a genetic factor, as indicated not a good public speaker, but tact and whether or not Londonderry was being by a family history, in the causation of courtesy made him a successful Leader of blackmailed the most likely explanation the type of depression in which the most the House of Commons. It is likely that for his suicide was his illness, which serious symptoms occur adds validity he would have become Prime Minister she called ‘severe psychotic depressive to the claim that it is an illness by any if he had lived, but his reputation illness’,7 emphasising the loss of touch definition.The Tenth Revision of the was established. Such was his name with reality. But that the overriding International Classification of Diseases throughout Europe that his suicide was importance of mental illness in the lists what has been referred to as major bound to cause shock and speculation. case is not yet fully recognised is made depressive illness as ‘severe depressive clear in recent publications. It is worth episode with psychotic symptoms’ or The problem restating Leigh’s and Henry’s opinion in ‘recurrent depressive disorder, current It was found at the inquest that other words: Londonderry’s suicide was episode severe with psychotic symptoms’. Londonderry was ‘not of sound mind’ caused by his beliefs, and his beliefs were when he killed himself,1 and this finding caused by mental illness. Presentation has never been seriously challenged: There are many accounts of he had lost touch with reality and was Depression as an illness Londonderry’s illness, but the most deluded in a paranoid sense, in that he The range of disturbances of mood reliable sources are those of the men was convinced, against the evidence, included under the rubric of depression and women who were closest to him, that there was a conspiracy against is wide: at one extreme some particularly his half-brother, Charles him. In spite of this, the issue of mental might include the transient state of Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, illness has been clouded by stories of unhappiness experienced by the most the Duke of Wellington, Mrs Arbuthnot scandalous behaviour and blackmail. stable of people in unhappy situations; and Princess Lieven. Alison (1861) made little of these at the other is a persistent state of The onset of the illness was gradual: stories.2 Marriott (1936) was prepared depression in which no aspect of life can changes in him were noticed weeks tentatively to accept the blackmail story, be enjoyed or holds any interest, and or months before his death, but he and thought the threat of disgrace had the patient may lose touch with reality, was able to function at a high level of

20 The Historian / Winter 2007 Focus

efficiency until the last week. Frederick the two men were close friends and amounted to a definite illness, whether Stewart, his nephew, writing on the colleagues. Wellington was one of a or not depressive. day after his death, said he had been party at dinner with Londonderry at his Another important factor in the ‘unlike himself for a long time; so much home in the country on 3 August, and background is the past history; it, too, was he altered in his way of speaking saw no sign of disturbance. He saw him can help to confirm the diagnosis. and doing any thing’.8 Princess Lieven, next at a meeting at the Ordnance Office Serious illnesses in 1801 and 1807 are writing on 2 June that year, reported in London on 6 August, when he was mentioned by several writers, but their an uncharacteristic outburst of anger, ‘very low’ and showed no interest in the relevance is difficult to determine after against the King and Lady Conyngham, proceedings. On 7 August the Cabinet two hundred years. It is interesting to who had offended Lady Londonderry, met to consider the instructions that find, however, that though the illness of followed by the partial explanation from Londonderry had drawn up for his own 1801 was described by Londonderry’s Charles Stewart that his brother had lost use at the meeting at Vienna to prepare contemporary Henry Hobhouse as faith in his friends and was a changed for the Congress of Verona; ‘he took no ‘brain fever’,16 Alison in 1861 was of man. ‘Lord Stewart burst into tears,’ part in the discussion’ and ‘appeared the opinion that the fever was due to wrote Madame de Lieven. ‘He told me very low, out of spirits and unwell’. Their ‘fatigue and anxiety of mind’,17 and that Lord Londonderry was broken- last meeting, which was on 9 August, Roland Thorne, in hisOxford Dictionary hearted, and that he had never seen a is described in the Memorandum in of National Biography article, stated that man in such a state.’9 Mrs Arbuthnot, the form of a copy of a letter from Londonderry was ‘depressed’. who had known him for many years and Wellington to Mr Arbuthnot, written It is true, of course, that fatigue and saw him frequently, had no reason to the same day. Wellington informed anxiety may be the effects rather than be alarmed until 5 August, but she did Arbuthnot that Londonderry had told the causes of feverish illnesses. Thorne, record in her journal the fact that he had him ‘the same story that he told you’, in the same article, also stated that the repeatedly complained of great tiredness that is the blackmail story; that he had illness of 1807 was accompanied by during the Session of Parliament that expressed the belief that Wellington’s ‘internal haemorrhaging’, and if that had ended on 6 August and that she had manner towards him on 7 August had was so there was little or no question found him ‘always languid and worn and shown that he ‘had heard something of mental disorder, except in as far out of spirits’.10 against him and believed it’; and that he as anxiety would have been caused. Early on 5 August Mrs Arbuthnot had told a garbled tale of having been Bartlett recorded another illness in was told by her husband that he had given word by some unidentified person 1819. ‘Castlereagh was ill for part consulted Londonderry about certain that his horses had been ‘ordered up’ of the session,’ he wrote, ‘and while blackmail letters that he had received, from the country, with his inference his own standing in Parliament was not because they were dangerous but that ‘there was so much against him that unshaken, he gave signs of tiredness because they were a nuisance, and that he ought to fly the country’. Wellington and lack of confidence’.18 Tiredness and the Foreign Secretary had surprised told Arbuthnot that Londonderry ‘cried lack of confidence may be considered him by taking them to be referring to excessively’ during this recital. non-specific symptoms, but they are himself. ‘On this day,’ she noted later, ‘as particularly common in depressive soon as he came into the room he took Background illness; more significant here is the my hand and entreated me in the most The most important factor in the fact that it was out of character for earnest manner to tell him if I had ever background is the family history: the Castlereagh (Londonderry) to display heard anything against his honour or presence of a positive family history signs of lack of confidence, particularly character.’11 He told her then that three is important since, in general, it helps when his standing in Parliament years before this he had received an to validate the concept of illness and, was unshaken, since the more out anonymous letter, threatening to reveal in particular, if relevant, it tends to of character are the signs of mental the fact that he had been seen going into confirm a particular diagnosis. There disorder the more likely it is that the a brothel. He returned on 6 August with are claims of a family history in some disorder amounts to a major mental more to say. ‘So strongly had business of the accounts, notably in The Diary illness. and fatigue affected his usually calm of Henry Hobhouse (1820–1827) and mind,’ she wrote, perhaps of this but The Memoirs of the Comtesse de Boigne Differential diagnosis perhaps of what he had previously told (1820–1830): Hobhouse noted that Diagnoses other than major depressive Mr Arbuthnot, and without making it ‘Lord Londonderry’s mother was a illness have to be considered. Granted clear to which letter she referred, ‘that Seymour-Conway’ [a daughter of the 1st that there was loss of touch with reality, he actually fancied the purport of this ], ‘in wch. family,’ the possibilities are limited: there is the letter was to accuse him of a crime not he went on, ‘there is undoubtedly an affective (mood) disorder in which there to be named, and this notion could not hereditary taint’;14 Madame de Boigne are phases of both abnormal depression be put out of his head.’12 The crime not wrote of ‘a fit of madness which was and abnormal elation, that is bipolar to be named was then in the news, the hereditary’.15 The present Marquess affective disorder or manic-depressive Bishop of Clogher having been caught of Hertford has no knowledge of a disorder; there is schizophrenia; and in flagrante delicto with a guardsman. family history of depressive illness. In there are illnesses in which there is either But this was not all: at the same time the Stewart family, however, there is a acute confusion (delirious states) or Londonderry expressed the belief that history that is certainly interesting and chronic confusion (states of dementia). his colleagues, with Wellington at their may be relevant. The present Marquess There is no evidence that Londonderry head, were conspiring against him. She of Londonderry has said that the 4th ever went through episodes of abnormal saw him for the last time on 7 August, Marquess, the 2nd Marquess’s nephew, elation. Delusions, particularly paranoid when he asked her if he had ever suffered from a sufficiently serious form delusions, are common in schizophrenia, displeased her or offended her. of mental disorder to necessitate his but they are not necessarily consistent Wellington’s Memorandum13 on confinement for ten years, until he died with a mood of depression, as are Londonderry’s illness is a particularly at the age of sixty-seven. It is reasonable those of depressive illness. But important source of information, since to assume that so serious a disorder other symptoms, so-called passivity

22 The Historian / Winter 2007 phenomena, are more important Conclusion Thanks are due to: diagnostically in schizophrenia than 1. At the time of his death, Lord 1. The Controller of Her Majesty’s are delusions as such, though they are Londonderry was suffering from Stationery Office for permission to not experienced in all cases: it is the a definite illness. It was not an quote from the Wellington Papers. subject’s belief that his thoughts and understandable reaction to stress. 2. The Deputy Keeper of the Records, feelings are no longer private to him, 2. The diagnosis now would be either Public Record Office of Northern and that his thoughts, feelings and ‘severe depressive episode with Ireland, and The Lady Mairi Bury actions are influenced or controlled psychotic symptoms’ or ‘recurrent for permission to quote from the by some agency external to himself. depressive disorder, current episode Castlereagh Papers. Confusion, both acute and chronic, can severe with psychotic symptoms’ 3. Dr C. M. Woolgar for advice. be ruled out by Londonderry’s ability to (Tenth Revision of the International lead an outwardly normal life; we have Classification of Diseases). What is Wellington’s word for it that he was ‘quite known of his past history would tend clear and right’ in certain important to support the latter. matters.19 Confusion, in the psychiatric 3. The psychotic symptoms were sense of the word, implies disorientation, delusions of persecution and guilt. Dr. Robert Franklin is a retired and Castlereagh was not disorientated. 4. All that has been quoted to Consultant Psychiatrist, and author. Londonderry’s discredit emanated The blackmail story directly or indirectly from his Hyde’s opinion on the case is based diseased mind. There is no chiefly on an account of the affair given independent evidence of the truth by the Reverend John Richardson of anything of which he accused in his book Recollections of the Last himself, or the story that he was Half-Century,20 published in 1856. In being blackmailed, as there is no this, Richardson repeats a story that he evidence to support his belief that his attributes to one of Londonderry’s close colleagues were conspiring against friends and colleagues, whom he does him. not name. The story is that Londonderry 5. Suicide was the outcome of the was in the habit of visiting prostitutes, illness as it is frequently the outcome and that on one occasion he was trapped of depressive illness. by a young man dressed as a woman and accused ‘of being about to commit an act from which nature shrinks with horror’. According to the story, he was References blackmailed and went to the Duke of 1. The Annual Register 1822 (London, 1823) p.437. 2. Alison, Sir Archibald, Bart. Lives of Lord Wellington for advice. The Duke advised Castlereagh and Sir Charles Stewart (Blackwood, him to prosecute his blackmailers Edinburgh and London, 1861). and face the consequences, but he 3. Marriott, Sir J. A. R. Castlereagh – The Political Life of Robert, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry chose instead to commit suicide. The (Methuen, London, 1936) p.334. disgrace of the Bishop of Clogher is the 4. Leigh, Ione. Castlereagh (Collins, London, 1951). background to this. 5. Hyde, H.Montgomery. The Strange Death of Lord Castlereagh (William Heinemann, It can reasonably be argued that London,1959) p.190. the story can only have come from 6. Henry, William Desmond. ‘The Psychiatric Illness Londonderry himself in the first place, of Lord Castlereagh’, The Practitioner, 204 (1970), p.318–23. however reliable Richardson’s informant 7. Hinde, Wendy. Castlereagh (Collins, London, was, and the point has already been 1981) p.280. made that his delusions were the 8. Castlereagh Papers. Public Record Office of . D/3030/Q2/ p 305. products of a diseased mind. 9. The Private Letters of Princess Lieven to Prince When Londonderry’s doctor, who Metternich 1820–1826, ed. Peter Quennell had not come well out of the case, (John Murray, London, 1937) p.175. 10. The Journal of Mrs Arbuthnot 1820–1832, ed. attempted to justify himself later by Francis Bamford and The Duke of Wellington claiming that, after all, the story was (Macmillan, London, 1950) v.1, p.177. true, Wellington caused investigations to 11. Ibid, p.178. 12. Ibid. be made, according to Mrs Arbuthnot. 13. Wellington Papers. Hartley Library, University of The italics are Mrs Arbuthnot’s. Southampton. WP1/720/9. 14. The Diary of Henry Hobhouse 1820-1827, ed. Arthur Aspinall (Home and Van Thal, London, He came to the Duke & told him a 1947) p.93. long story of what Ld L[ondonderry] 15. The Memoirs of the Comtesse de Boigne, ed. had himself told him & stated to him M. Charles Nicoullaud (Heinemann, London, 1907) v.3, p.69. two facts & told it all so plausibly 16. Diary of Henry Hobhouse, p.93. that he actually made the Duke 17. Alison, v.1, p.139 footnote. believe there was some truth in what 18. Bartlett, C.J. Castlereagh (Macmillan, London, 1966) p.175. he said. However, luckily, the Duke 19. Wellington Papers: WP1/720/9. ascertained, beyond a doubt, that the 20. Richardson, The Reverend John. Recollections facts were both positively false.21 of the Last Half-Century (C. Mitchell, London, 1856) v.1, p.286. 21. Journal of Mrs Arbuthnot, v.1, p.253.

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