Page 5 - GB Parliamentary and Other Stories

Edward Drummond (1792-1843), Personal Secretary to The Prime Minister
whose murder by Daniel M'Naghten brought about the legal test for insanity
Free Front panel dated 11 October 1833 from Dtm.keld, Perthshire, addressed to Edward Drummond at his home in
Stratford Place, a cul-de-sac off Oxford Street, London, with Morning Duty single-rim datestamp of 14 October 1833.

The signature is 'Talbot', of Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 2nd Earl Talbot (1777-1849), who in the year
Of this communication had been encouraged to stand for the Chancellorship of Ox:ford University,
but had withdrawn in deference to the ~uke of Wellington.

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On the afternoon of20 January 1843, the Prime Minister Robert Peel's Private Secretary, Edward Drummond, a scion
of the Drununond's Bank family, was walking towards Downing Street from Charing Cross when political activist
Daniel M'Naghten approached him from behind and injured him with a pistol shot at point-blank range.
Dnumnond died five days later from medical complications.

It was believed, though not conclusively proven, that M'Naghten thought he had shot the Prime Minister. At trial, the
defence successfully argued that he was not legally responsible for an act which arose from a delusion, and he was
acquitted on the grounds of insanity. Following this high profile case upon which even The Queen commented in
writing, a judicial review wrote the M'Naghten Rules which dominated the law 011 criminal responsibility for 100 years.