After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

Episode Title: The Only Prime Minister Ever Assassinated
Date: December 1, 2025
Hosts: Anthony Delaney & Maddy Pelling

Episode Overview

This episode takes listeners to the dramatic and singular historical moment when, on May 11th, 1812, British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval was assassinated in the House of Commons. Historians Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling explore the wider social, political, and psychological context of the assassination, unpack the personal story behind John Bellingham—the man who pulled the trigger—and debate whether this event came close to sparking a British revolution. With their signature wit and candid banter, the hosts also reflect on the construction of national identity, public reactions to political violence, and the complicated legacies of those involved.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Britain in 1812

[04:17–06:34]

• Tumultuous Times: Britain is embroiled in the Napoleonic Wars, facing a blockade, recession, and rising poverty. Civil unrest is spreading, with the Luddites destroying machinery and sporadic uprisings flaring up.
• Leadership Instability: King George III is incapacitated; the unpopular Prince Regent rules in his stead.
• Revolutionary Tensions: The hosts raise the provocative question—was this the moment Britain came closest to revolution?

Notable Quote:
"There are some historians who think that this moment in time is the closest that Britain ever came to revolution. Let's revisit that at the end." — Maddy [04:17]

2. The Assassinated PM: Spencer Perceval

[06:34–16:25]

• Background: An aristocratic, seventh son with an evangelical streak and a "ghostly" persona.
• Political Path: Rose from law to politics unexpectedly, after rivals were discredited by a duel.
• Legacy: Remembered, unusually for a Tory, as an anti-slavery reformer who worked with Wilberforce to stop the slave trade (though British slavery continued in practice).

Notable Quote:
"He looks quite skeletal or ghostly. There's something very interesting about that man's face. It's otherworldly." — Maddy [12:17]

"He is devoted to that. He's quite a hardworking man. There's lots to admire about him... there's no pizzazz." — Anthony [15:31]

3. The Assassin: John Bellingham

[07:17–13:00]

• Ordinary Roots, Extraordinary Grievance: Bellingham was a middle-class, well-travelled Liverpool shipbroker. In 1804, he was detained in Russia over a controversial (possibly inherited) debt and spent five years appealing fruitlessly to the British government for help.
• From Petition to Violence: On returning to Britain, Bellingham lobbied Parliament ceaselessly for compensation, inspiring the term "lobbyist."
• Careful Planning: He bought two pistols and tailored his coat with special pockets—clear indication of premeditation.

Notable Quote:
"He becomes obsessed... he is petitioning them constantly from Russia, the Foreign Office, the Home Office... He is desperate and you can understand why." — Maddy [09:11]

4. The Act of Assassination: What Happened on May 11, 1812

[22:35–28:31]

• Location of the Murder: The lobby of the Houses of Parliament—then a public space for lobbyists and petitioners.
• Sequence: At 5:15 PM, Bellingham lay in wait with his pistols concealed. As Perceval entered, Bellingham shot him point blank in the chest before calmly sitting down to await arrest.

Notable Quote:
"He goes back to his bench and he sits there and he waits for what's coming to him. And if he had run for it... he wouldn't have been caught." — Maddy [25:44]

Notable Moment:
A solicitor present described:
"I heard a hoarse cry of 'murder, murder.' And then Percival himself exclaimed, 'O!' and fell on his face. So sinister...Three beats there: a hoarse cry, an exclamation, and then the fall." — Maddy [25:35]

• Immediate Aftermath:
  • Public confusion and chaos ensued in the lobby.
  • Word spread quickly; within hours, Bellingham was both cheered and reviled as he was transported to Newgate Prison.
  • Government feared further unrest or even revolution.

5. Public and Political Reaction

[30:02–35:23]

• Mixed Feelings: Some hailed Bellingham as a folk hero; in places like Wolverhampton, celebratory gunfire lasted into the night.
• Press and Official Response: The government attempted to control the narrative, framing assassination as “un-English” and dangerous in light of nearby revolutionary France.
• Parallel Fears of Revolution: With other establishment figures recently attacked (e.g., Luddite mill assassinations), authorities braced for wider upheaval.

Notable Quote:
"They were firing guns till near midnight. And the greater part of this day, boys in the streets are taught to exclaim, 'Now the great man in the Parliament House is dead, we shall have a big loaf.'" — Maddy [33:00]

"To react in this way, the way Bellingham did and the way people are celebrating it, is un-English." — Maddy, quoting the press [34:21]

6. The Trial and Execution of John Bellingham

[37:09–41:39]

• Swift Justice: Tried at the Old Bailey just four days later, on May 15th. Armed troops surrounded the courthouse fearing a rescue attempt.
• Bellingham’s Defense: Refused to claim insanity. Justified his actions as redress for being denied government support abroad, grounding his act in the idea of English dignity and manly honour.
• Guilty Verdict: Jury took only minutes; Bellingham was executed a week after the assassination.

Notable Quote:
"He said he did it, but this is my defense: he had been denied his birthright and the privilege of every Englishman when he was in Russia, by not being saved by the government, and therefore had carte blanche to seek redress." — Maddy [39:23]

7. The Wider Significance—Did This Nearly Spark Revolution?

[41:44–48:46]

• Is this Britain’s ‘almost’ revolution? The hosts debate whether this assassination was a symptom of coordinated revolutionary sentiment or an isolated act amidst widespread unrest.
• Fragmented Unrest: Maddy argues the lack of unified grievances or organization prevented true revolutionary momentum, despite what the government feared.
• Historical Parallels: Both draw lines to earlier (the Gordon Riots, 1780) and later (Irish independence, early 20th century) revolutionary moments, emphasizing the complexity of drawing direct parallels.
• Personal vs. Political: Bellingham’s motivations were strikingly personal, though his act resonated widely.

Notable Quotes:
"It’s difficult because those causes are not unified in an organized way. ...There’s not an organizational unification amongst all of this disparate unrest, and therefore, that’s why I really don’t see... that this is a revolutionary moment in 1812." — Maddy [44:43]

"This could be seen as a tinderbox moment that doesn’t quite ignite in the way that maybe Bellingham thought that it would." — Anthony [46:29]

8. Reflections on Lone ‘Assassins’ Past and Present

[47:08–48:46]

• Contemporary parallels with so-called “lone wolf” attackers—are they truly alone, or products of shared grievances and, in modern terms, virtual communities?
• Maddy recounts new research on online radicalization and ponders if historical “lone” assassins were more connected to broader social realities than assumed.

Notable Quote:
"Is the mistake we're making about these incel men—and I wonder if it applies...to Bellingham—is that they are not acting alone. That is the misconception..." — Maddy [47:27]

9. The Hosts’ Final Thoughts

[48:46–49:37]

• Both agree this is a vital, under-told moment in British history and encourage listeners to look up images of Perceval (“an individual looking man”).
• Classic podcast sign-off banter, as Anthony jokes about Googling “is he a hottie?” on his producer’s laptop.

Timestamps of Major Segments

• Background on 1812 & context: [04:17–06:34]
• Spencer Perceval’s rise, character, and politics: [06:34–16:25]
• John Bellingham’s backstory: [07:17–13:00]
• Lead-up to the assassination: [22:35–28:31]
• Eyewitness description of the killing: [25:35]
• Immediate aftermath & public reaction: [28:31–35:23]
• Trial and execution of Bellingham: [37:09–41:39]
• Analysis: Revolution or isolated event? [41:44–48:46]
• Comparisons to modern “lone wolf” attackers: [47:08–48:46]

Memorable Quotes

• "A harbinger of bloody doom." — Maddy [02:16]
• "If you were in a ballroom, you'd be thriving 100%. But we're not talking about ballrooms. We're talking about an assassination." — Anthony [03:32]
• "He's a familiar person there... he’s prepared. He’s not gonna be able to claim that he hasn’t planned this." — Maddy [10:44, 11:49]
• "There’s so much pathos in that tiny 'O' expressed by Percival." — Anthony [25:40]
• "Bellingham… very much knows what he’s doing." — Maddy [28:47]
• "Within the government, within minutes and hours... there becomes a fear of revolution." — Maddy [30:33]
• "He is executed... one week following the murder. So, like, we’re moving, we’re moving fast forward." — Maddy [41:28]
• "To kill a British Prime Minister is a huge deal. He’s the only one who does it in history." — Anthony [41:44]
• "That’s Spencer Perceval and his assassination." — Anthony [48:56]

Tone and Style

The hosts maintain an engaging, irreverent, and candid style, blending serious historical analysis with humor and colloquial banter. They frequently draw parallels with current events, poke gentle fun at history's oddities, and are refreshingly transparent about their own research processes and opinions.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is an accessible and thought-provoking deep dive into one of Britain’s rarest and most dramatic political crimes. Anthony and Maddy peel back the layers on both public and personal motives, bringing early 19th-century anxieties to life for a modern audience—and reminding us of the ways violence, protest, and discontent echo across centuries.