Why a Booktrail?
1857: A story of murder, deception and greed – based on a true life tale
Blackmail, Sex and Lies
What you need to know before your trail
Blackmail, Sex and Lies is a story of deception, scandal, and fractured traditional Victorian social values. It is the tale of Madeleine Hamilton Smith, a naïve, young woman caught up in a whirlwind romance with an older man, Pierre Emile L’Angelier. However, both lovers have personality flaws that result in poor choices, ultimately leading to a tragic end. For 160 years, people have believed Madeleine Smith was guilty of murder. But was she? Could she have been innocent after all?
Travel Guide
Glasgow 1857
Madeleine Hamilton Smith (29 March 1835 – 12 April 1928) was a 19th-century Glasgow socialite who was the accused in a sensational murder trial in Scotland in 1857.
The family lived in Blythswood Square in the centre of Glasgow. Her father was a famous architect and is renowned for many of the designs around the city including the Theatre Royal
Smith broke the strict Victorian rules and expectations of the time when she began a secret love affair with Pierre Emile L’Angelier, an apprentice nurseryman.
Her parents didn’t know about the affair and chose a husband for her. Madeline therefore had to leave Emilie but he threatened to reveal the letters. He died not long after of arsenic poisoning. Madeleine’s letters were found in his rooms and so she was charged with murder.
The alleged crime and trial were scandalous enough for Smith to leave Scotland. She remarried and when that marriage ended, she moved to New York and ,married again. She died in 1928
Edinburgh
The trial of the Century took place in Edinburgh’s High Court
Trail Gallery
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Blackmail, Sex and Lies
Destination: Glasgow, Edinburgh Author/Guide: Kathryn McMaster Departure Time: 1857
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