OK, pay attention meerkats. I was reading my (Scottish) great-grandmother's diaries last night. On one day, she makes mention of a notorious, scandalous death, in a startling one-line aside (she then describes a few social calls and going dancing); a few days later she writes about being at the funeral. Who was it that died?
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
Pritchard was executed in 1865! In fact Wikipedia tells me he was the last person to be publicly executed in Glasgow. Not him. Your estimate of the likely period is very close. I can give you plenty of clues once we get going.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
AW77 wrote:What about Walter Scott? Or might this be 30 years too early?
You are about 70 years too early, I think Scott died in the 1830s; and whilst he was quite poor when he died he wasn't a figure of scandal or notoriety, far from it.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
Walter Scott's novels are a scandal, for a variety of reasons and as for his 'singing shortbread tins' view of the people. It is a bit tough finding scandals at the right time.
The diaries are amazing and cover a number of years. As a young woman she saw a lot of things: her cousins being presented at one of Queen Victoria's 'Drawing Rooms', Victoria's funeral, society weddings. She talks about her parents dying (they both died young) and the young men she likes; gradually a man called Reggie starts to makes more appearances. Usually, it seems, he arrives fortuitously just in time to be fed; he was the brother of her friend Lilian, and his surname was Jewesbury.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
What about Oscar Wilde? He died in 1900 and clearly fulfills the scandal condition.
Speaking of Wilde, here's the Monty Python sketch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxXW6tfl2Y0
The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt know thy Port
20 years too early, exactly (Brown died in 1883). Interesting parallel though, Brown was a man from humble origins who rose in society. He didn't die in scandal though.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
1. Daniel's great-great granny was Scottish.
2. Someone died scandalously somewhere in the world in 1903.
3. Daniel's great-great granny was close enough to go to the funeral.
We have narrowed it down to anyone living anywhere in the world apart from the poles, Papua New Guinea and the central Amazon.
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
LGTrotter wrote:My wife informs me that you can get 'Mrs Gary Barlow' t-shirts and Take That pants with 'could it be magic' written across the bum. Just sayin'.
What Gary Barlow and Barry Manilow get up to in their own time is none of our business.
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
1. Daniel's great-great granny was Scottish.
2. Someone died scandalously somewhere in the world in 1903.
3. Daniel's great-great granny was close enough to go to the funeral.
We have narrowed it down to anyone living anywhere in the world apart from the poles, Papua New Guinea and the central Amazon.
Not quite all the clues.
Where did Oscar Wilde die?
This person rose from very humble origins to a very senior place in society.
Yet he was a victim of the establishment.
Further clue: the funeral was meant to be a secret, but 30,000 of the people of Edinburgh turned out for it.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
LGTrotter wrote:My wife informs me that you can get 'Mrs Gary Barlow' t-shirts and Take That pants with 'could it be magic' written across the bum. Just sayin'.
What Gary Barlow and Barry Manilow get up to in their own time is none of our business.
Now I won't have you dissin' Barry like that. Oh Sandy.
Oscar in Paris, I doubt 30,000 Miss Brodies went to Paris. So in an Hotel. Can't remember the name.
LGTrotter wrote:There's a Hector MacDonald who ended his own life after a scandal involving school boys in 1903?
That's it.
MacDonald was exonerated within months and the rumours (that he was having sexual relations with young boys in Ceylon) dismissed as malicious gossip. The Wikipedia page is fascinating. MacDonald was a crofter's son who joined the army as a private, became a war hero and died a General. Apparently the king himself advised him to shoot himself.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
djewesbury wrote:MacDonald was exonerated within months and the rumours (that he was having sexual relations with young boys in Ceylon) dismissed as malicious gossip.
My reading slightly different to yours. Some appeared to retain doubts about his character as a result of similar concerns in other parts of the Empire. Heaven forbid that the British establishment would even dream of making excuses and covering up the wrongdoings of a national treasure
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
