Piu Marie Eatwell - The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and the Missing Corpse. An Extraordinary Edwardian Case of Deception and Intrigue

www.headofzeus.com

To my sister Pieta Dalglish,

for whom, as for me, the past is always present

Welbeck Abbey, 1889

A THERLEY -J ONES , L LEWELLYN

Barrister representing George Hollamby Druce/the prosecution in the perjury trial of R . v. Herbert Druce .

A VORY , H ORACE

Barrister representing Herbert Druce/the defence in the perjury trial of R . v. Herbert Druce .

B AILEY , H ORSEMAN

Solicitor at Baileys, Shaw & Gillett, legal representatives of the Dukes of Portland.

B ARNES , M R J USTICE

Judge on the probate action brought by Anna Maria Druce to set aside the will of T. C. Druce in 1898.

B AYLY , C ATHERINE

Long-serving nurse to the Druce family; testified to the death of T. C. Druce in legal proceedings.

C ALDWELL , R OBERT

Witness for the prosecution/George Hollamby Druce in the perjury trial of R . v. Herbert Druce .

C AVENDISH -B ENTINCK , C HRISTINA A NNE J ESSICA , LATER L ADY T ATTON S YKES

Descended from the 3rd Duke of Portland. Married Sir Tatton Sykes, Baronet of Sledmere House, Sledmere, Yorkshire in 1874.

C AVENDISH -B ENTINCK , W ILLIAM J OHN A RTHUR C HARLES J AMES , 6 TH D UKE OF P ORTLAND

A cousin of the 5th Duke of Portland, inherited the dukedom when the 5th Duke died in December 1879. Died in 1943.

C AVENDISH -B ENTINCK , W INIFRED A NNA , D UCHESS OF P ORTLAND

Wife of the 6th Duke of Portland.

C AVENDISH -B ENTINCK -S COTT , W ILLIAM J OHN , 5 TH D UKE OF P ORTLAND

referred to as the 5 th Duke, Marquess of Titchfield or Lord John

The second of four sons to the 4th Duke of Portland, previously the Marquess of Titchfield, inherited the dukedom in 1854. Notorious eccentric. Alleged to have led a double life as T. C. Druce of the Baker Street Bazaar. Died in December 1879.

C AVENDISH -B ENTINCK -S COTT , G EORGE F REDERICK , L ORD

referred to as Lord George

Younger brother of the 5th Duke of Portland. English Conservative politician and racehorse owner, notable for his role with Disraeli in unseating the prime minister, Sir Robert Peel, over the Corn Laws. Died in mysterious circumstances in 1848 at the age of forty-six.

C OBURN , T HOMAS K ENNEDY V ERNON

Australian barrister, legal advisor and confederate of George Hollamby Druce.

C OOPER -M ATHIESON , V ENI

see Amanda Gibson, below

Australian novelist, mystic and self-help guru extraordinaire. Worked in 1907 as secretary to the Druce-Portland Company.

C UFFE , H AMILTON J OHN A GMONDESHAM , 5 TH E ARL OF D ESART

referred to as Lord Desart

Treasury Solicitor and Director of Public Prosecutions.

D EW , W ALTER , D ETECTIVE C HIEF I NSPECTOR

A leading detective at Scotland Yard CID, in charge of the Druce case at a late stage of the proceedings.

D RUCE , A NNA M ARIA

Daughter-in-law to Thomas Charles Druce, married his son Walter Thomas in 1872.

D RUCE , F RANCES E LIZABETH (F ANNY )

The first daughter of T. C. Druce, generally regarded as his favourite.

D RUCE , C HARLES E DGAR

Great-grandson of T. C. Druce and cousin of George Hollamby Druce. Lived in Sydney.

D RUCE , G EORGE

The second son of T. C. Druce; emigrated to Australia.

D RUCE , G EORGE H OLLAMBY

Son of George Druce; came from Melbourne, Australia.

D RUCE , H ERBERT

Eldest son of T. C. Druce and Annie May. Inherited the business at the Baker Street Bazaar. Refused to give permission for T. C. Druces grave to be opened.

D RUCE , S IDNEY

Eldest surviving son of Anna Maria Druce; emigrated to Australia.

D RUCE , T HOMAS C HARLES

London businessman who made a fortune from the department store the Baker Street Bazaar. Ostensibly died in December 1864. Alleged to have been the 5th Duke of Portland in disguise.

D RUCE , W ALTER T HOMAS

Son of T. C. Druce, married Anna Maria Druce in 1872.

F RESHFIELD , E DWIN

Senior partner at the firm of Freshfield and Williams, legal advisor to Herbert Druce; in charge of the Druce case.

G IBSON , A MANDA

later known as Veni Cooper-Mathieson

Australian novelist, mystic and self-help guru extraordinaire. Worked in 1907 as secretary to the Druce-Portland Company.

H AMILTON , M ARGARET L OUISE J ANE

Witness for the prosecution/George Hollamby Druce in the perjury trial of R . v. Herbert Druce . Known as the Veiled Lady.

H ENDERSON , K ENNETH

Grandson of Fanny Druce, T. C. Druces daughter. Managing editor of The Idler , which produced a series of pamphlets advertising the Druce case.

J EUNE , S IR F RANCIS

President of the probate division of the High Court.

K IMBER , E DMUND

Solicitor; legal representative of George Hollamby Druce.

M ARLOW , T HOMAS AND H ENRY

Brothers; shady figures on the fringes of the London underworld.

M AY , A NNIE

Wife of T. C. Druce and mother of Herbert Druce.

P LOWDEN , A LFRED C HICHELE

Police magistrate, acting magistrate at the preliminary hearing of R . v. Herbert Druce .

R OBINSON , M ARY A NN , ALSO KNOWN AS M ARY R OBINSON

Witness for the prosecution/George Hollamby Druce in the perjury trial of R . v. Herbert Druce .

S HERIDAN , J OHN

Journalist for Lloyds Weekly Newspaper .

S TATHAM , A RNOLD

Barrister representing Anna Maria Druce.

S YKES , L ADY T ATTON , NE C HRISTINA A NNE J ESSICA C AVENDISH -B ENTINCK

Descended from the 3rd Duke of Portland. Married Sir Tatton Sykes, baronet of Sledmere House, Sledmere, Yorkshire in 1874.

S YKES , S IR T ATTON , 5 TH B ARONET

Landowner, racehorse-breeder, flower-hater and church-going eccentric. Seat at Sledmere House, Yorkshire. Married Jessica Cavendish-Bentinck in 1874.

T RISTRAM , T HOMAS H UTCHINSON , C HANCELLOR

Judge at the hearing of Anna Marias case in the church court/consistory court at St Pauls Cathedral. Twice granted a faculty for the opening of the Druce vault.

T URNER , T HOMAS W ARNER

Land agent for the 6th Duke of Portland, placed in charge of much of the evidence-gathering in the Druce case. His father, J. F. Turner, was land agent to both the 5th and 6th Dukes.

Y OUNG , A LEXANDER

Accountant, old friend of T. C. Druce and executor of Druces will. Defendant to proceedings brought in the probate division of the High Court by Anna Maria, Druce v. Young .

All the worlds a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

W ILLIAM S HAKESPEARE ,
As You Like It , A CT II , S CENE VII

I set forth to pave the way for discovery the dark and doubtful way.

W ILKIE C OLLINS , The Woman in White

Mrs Druce at T. C. Druces grave in Highgate Cemetery
(the Penny Illustrated Paper , 18 March 1899)

Eccentric men have peculiar habits; they do not seem to move in the same sphere with other mortals, but are actuated by different influences from those which affect the bulk of mankind.