Spencer Perceval: The Tragic Tale of Britain's Assassinated Prime Minister

On May 11, 1812, Spencer Perceval, the United Kingdom's Prime Minister from 1809 to 1812, was shot and killed in the House of Commons lobby by John Bellingham. Perceval holds the unfortunate distinction of being the only British prime minister assassinated in office.

Why this matters: The assassination of Spencer Perceval serves as a stark reminder of the risks and consequences of political violence, highlighting the need for governments to address grievances and ensure the safety of theirleaders. This event also underscores the importance of effective governance and the potential consequences of unchecked personal vendettas.

Bellingham, a merchant from Cambridgeshire, had been imprisoned in Russia for five years from 1804 to 1809 over a disputed debt. After his release, he sought compensation from the British government but was repeatedly rejected. This personal grievance led Bellingham to take drastic action.

At 5:15 pm on that fateful day, Bellingham lay in wait on a bench in the House of Commons lobby. As Perceval entered, Bellingham shot him at point-blank range. Perceval collapsed, uttering his final words: "Oh! Murder! Murder!" He died shortly after.

Bellingham was immediately arrested. The government, deeply unpopular at the time, had to call in troops to escort him to prison due to fears of a mob uprising. Just one week after the assassination, Bellingham was hanged for his crime.

Spencer Perceval was the son of an earl and fathered 13 children himself. A lawyer by trade, he served as both attorney general and head of the government. The assassination took place in the old parliament building, which was destroyed by fire in 1834.

Today, two reminders of this extraordinary event remain in parliament. A plaque in St Stephen's Hall memorializes Perceval, while Henry Bellingham, Baron Bellingham, a descendant of John Bellingham, has sat in the House of Lords since 2020 - a striking historical footnote to a shocking act of political violence that forever changed the course of British history.