Jo here. A while ago I shared information about a duel that didn't happen -- the Paget/Wellesley affair. This time it's about one that happened and was tragically fatal.
Duels were a real part of the historical setting, up into the Regency and sometimes beyond. There were laws against them, and sometimes a principal who killed his opponent was executed for murder. Occasionally seconds were involved in the action, and even without they could be prosecuted. However, most cases slid by the legal system, in part because the duelers were upper class.
Here's a Wikipedia list of notable duels of the early 19th century in Britain which shows the variety of outcomes.
1803: Captain James Macnamara and Colonel Montgomery; over a dispute between their dogs fighting in Hyde Park. Both were wounded, Montgomery mortally. Macnamara was tried for manslaughter at the Old Bailey but was acquitted.
1804: Captain Best fatally wounded Thomas Pitt, 2nd Baron Camelford. He died three days later.
1804: A duel was fought on Kersal Moor, Salford in July 1804 between Mr. Jones and Mr. Shakspere Philips. Mr. Jones fired at Mr. Philips without effect and Mr. Philips then fired his pistol in the air, upon which the seconds interfered, the two man shook hands, and honour was satisfied.
1807: Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet and James Pauli; both men were wounded.
1808: Major Campbell and Captain Boyd; Major Campbell was tried and executed for killing Captain Boyd.
1809: George Canning and Lord Castlereagh; Canning was slightly wounded.
1815: Daniel O'Connell and Captain John Norcot d'Esterre; d'Esterre was killed.
Of course there was a famous American one.
July 11, 1804: U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton; Hamilton was killed.
Duels in historical romances.
We don't see many duels in historical romance these days, especially ones in which someone dies. Piers Verderan, hero of my Emily and the Dark Angel, has killed some men in duels, but that was in his earlier days before he quietened down a bit. In Devilish, the Marquess of Rothgar kills a man in a sword duel on the page. It's interesting to me that I was writing the "Dark Angel" and the "Eminence Noir", the dark power behind the throne. Clearly the duels were part of their character development for me.
Have you come across notable duels in historical romance?
I did have another duel in a book -- in one of my Company of Rogues books called The Rogue's Return. It starts off in Canada, where Simon St. Bride has been involved in various adventures, including the American invasion of Canada in 1812. He decides it's time to go home, but then he's entangled in a duel. He survives the duel with a wound, but I based some of the action of a real duel in York, Upper Canada (now Toronto), not long after Simon's story -- the Ridout duel.
The Ridout Duel.
In the acknowledgements at the front of The Rogue's Return I noted The Ridout Letters (available to read here), which provided me with a vivid sense of life in York, now Toronto, in the early 19th century. Those letters end before the tragic duel, though it is mentioned as an aside in the accompanying text.
John Ridout did well during the War of 1812, taking an active part in the defence of his country at only age 14. His brief life is laid out on his gravestone, which was erected in the graveyard of St. James’s Church. The memorial is now preserved in the porch of St. James’s Cathedral, which was built on the same site. (The picture is of Thomas Ridout, 1754-1829, John's father.)
“In Memory of John Ridout. Son of Thomas Ridout, Surveyor General.
His filial affection, engaging manners, and nobleness of mind gave early promise of future excellence. This promise he gallantly fulfilled by his brave, active, and enterprising conduct which gained the praise of his superiors while serving as midshipman in the Provincial Navy during the late War. At the return of peace he commenced with ardour the study of law, and with the fairest prospects, but a Blight came, and he was consigned to an early grave on July 12 1817, aged 18.”
The “blight” was Samuel Peter Jarvis, a York businessman in his twenties who had previously been on friendly terms with the Ridout family. Business led to some disagreements and somehow it ended up on July 12th, 1817 in a duel at dawn at Elmsley’s Farm.
All was conducted according to the code but for some reason on the count of “two” Ridout fired, missed, and began to walk away. One hypothesis is that Ridout, who had issued the challenge, thought a symbolic shot would show he regretted the affair and end the matter. It was, however, a shocking act that could have been meant to cheat and murder.
He was brought back and after a conference it was decided that the duel must go on. At first the intention was to start from scratch by reloading Ridout’s pistol but Sam Jarvis claimed his shot, so Ridout took his stance to await it. Perhaps it was reasonable that Jarvis not expose himself to danger, but what possessed him to shoot to kill, no one ever knew. But in moments, young John Ridout was dead.
Jarvis was arrested and tried, but acquitted on the grounds that his action was within the duelling code. The seconds were also tried later, and also acquitted.
For the record, Sam Jarvis, shown right in middle age, ended up as Superintendent of Indian Affairs and died in 1857, despite the efforts of John Ridout's mother, who never forgave or forgot, and haunted him, calling for justice.
There's an interesting, and very negative, blog post about Jarvis here.
Duels can seem romantic, and are certainly a dramatic inclusion in fiction, but they sometimes were exceptionally tragic. In a humorous book I'll be talking about in the "What We're Reading" blog at the end of the month one young gentleman is all for duels, but only in the form of cricket matches. I can support that!
What's your opinion of dueling, in reality and in fiction?
Jo