Regency Villains: The Duke of Cumberland and His Valet

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Isaac Cruikshank (1810)

CW: Suicide, murder, assault, violence

MIDDLESEX The Information of Ann the Wife of CORNELIUS NEALE Housekeeper to his Royal Highness the Duke of CUMBERLAND Who being upon oath saith that she was called
up this morning about three o clock by her husband and at the same time heard his Royal Highness exclaim that he had been murdered Upon going into Mr Neale's room called the Page's Room she found his Royal Highness bleeding very much Mr Neale was with him His Royal Highness desired her to call the servants and after his Royal Highness had got back to his bed room she went and called Joseph Sellis at his room door but no one answered the door was fast The porter was with her and tried to open it but could not He then knocked very violently at the door but no one answered She then tried to open the door of the yellow room leading to the ball room but could not open it and found afterwards that the door was bolted withinside which she never knew it to be before Informant saith that she then returned by the ball room through the yellow rooms and through the summer rooms to get at Sellis's room the other way and thinks five or six minutes had elapsed since they tried at the first door and just as she got to the bedroom door she heard a guggling sort of noise like water in a man's throat and heard a dropping on the floor like water and the porter looked into the room and exclaimed good God Mr Sellis has cut his throat upon which she
became very much frightened and went away and desired the porter to get assistance Informant says that the folding doors leading from the ball room into the yellow room were shut and all the other doors from the ball room to Sellis's room were open ulius ANN NEALE A Minute Detail of the Attempt to assassinate … the Duke of Cumberland … in a letter to W. I. Esq. preceded by the depositions before the chief magistrate … and the coroner; with a plan of the Duke’s apartments, etc (1810)

The housekeeper’s account is the most brief, and greatest summary of an outsider’s perspective of the events that crisp May morning in 1810.  The infamous Duke of Cumberland was to be embroiled in the worst of all his scandals, the mysterious and violent death of his valet.

The press reported the Duke had murdered his valet, Joseph Sellis and the motives were as salacious as they were married; blackmail, an affair between the Duchess and Sellis, or self-defense (A Life of Scandal: Ernest, Duke of Cumberland – Royal Central).  Self-defense seemed to be what the evidence best supported, as the Duke had serious wounds to his head, neck, and thighs.  It was thought when the Duke awoke, Sellis fled back to his rooms under the cover of darkness and then committed suicide by slashing his own throat.  This would be the verdict when the case went before a jury, but the public would still speculate as to the Bad Duke’s guilt.

The crime caught the interest of the public so much that his apartments at St. James Palace, adorned with blood, were opened for public viewing of the crime scene (A Life of Scandal: Ernest, Duke of Cumberland – Royal Central).

The Duke would continue to live a live of scandal and infamy; a bad marriage, reduction in allowance, and a rumor of siring his younger sister’s illegitimate child.  Even that could not extinguish the interest in the attempted assassination of the Duke and subsequent death of the Duke’s valet.

Dr Home now returned and said there was no doubt but that the man had killed himself Sellis cautioned him not to be friends with Neale He complained to him of the Duke's making him ride in a dickey as it shook him much and riding backwards made him ill Sellis however had the carriage altered to go easier without asking the Duke's leave at Windsor and he had appeared content with it ever since Sellis often talked about leaving the Duke's service saying he could not remain in the family if Neale did He urged him to the contrary reminding him how kind the Duke was to bim and to his family The Duke's anxiety for the services of his faithful valet Sellis manifested itself by his Royal Highness repeatedly calling for him Some person called at the door that Sellis was found murdered another proof that the first impression of the servants was the true one Indeed truth is ever uppermost in the mind but artifice requires time to mature its plans We are sure that our readers will admire with us the anxiety of his Royal Highness for the safety of Sellis for as soon as his wounds were dressed the Duke sent his own surgeon to attend Sellis Where shall we look for greater care or condescension than this How truly fortunate was the Duke in being blessed with so expeditious and so penetrating a surgeon Secret History of the Court of England, from the Accession of George the Third to the Death of George the Fourth (1832)

It would continue decades later, with speculation as to the motives:

horrid scene Discarding as very improbable if not utterly worthless the scandalous rumours which were current at the time we are inclined to adopt as setting forth the true causes of Sellis's murderous attack on the Duke of Cumberland the following MS version of a well informed contemporary I strongly suspect writes Colonel Willis that the motives which actuated Sellis in his attempt to assassinate the Duke of Cumberland were the taunts and sarcasms that the Duke was constantly in his violent coarse manner lavishing on Sellis's religion who was a Catholic This conduct in addition to the part the Duke had notoriously taken to prevent the extension of entire toleration to that religion appear to be very sufficient motives to induce a bigot to commit the most desperate action Again in the month of July Colonel Willis inserts in his Diary Called at Carlton House In going out saw Colonel McMahon t who told me that the Duke of Cumberland had dismissed Captain Stephenson in a very harsh severe manner the cause as follows Stephenson dined at the Prince's table in company among others with Mr Blomberg I Stephenson was asked if the Duke had on any occasions treated his servants cruelly or harshly He replied No his conduct was much the contrary membered indeed some years ago Sellis the assassin being in the act of pulling off the Duke's boots the latter gave him a kick which threw him that this act at the He re
7 time seemed to produce no resentment on the part of Sellis who with the Duke and Stephenson all joined in the laugh Blomberg the next day went to Windsor and related this story to the King probably with some His Majesty on hearing it expressed strong at Stephenson's conduct and said he was a very improper person to remain in the Duke's service he could not but suppose Sellis would wait an of revenging himself Memoirs of the Life of King George the Third (1867)

Rachel Knowles did an excellent job summarizing the case a few years ago, so I recommend giving her version a read: Regency History: The scandalous death of the Duke of Cumberland’s valet

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