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The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse: An Extraordinary Edwardian Case of Deception and Intrigue
In 1898, an elderly widow, Anna Maria Druce, came to the British court with an astonishing request. She stood among the overflowing pews of St. Pauls Cathedral claiming that the merchant T. C. Druce, her late father-in-law, had in truth been a secret identity for none other than the deceased and enormously wealthy 5th Duke of Portland. Maintaining her composure amid growing agitation from the clutch of lawyers, journalists, and curious onlookers crowded into the church, Mrs. Druce claimed that Druce had been the duke's alter ego and that the duke had, in 1864, faked the death of his middle-class doppelgänger when he grew tired of the ruse. Mrs. Druce wanted the tomb unlocked and her father-in-law's coffin exhumed, adamant that it would lie empty, proving the falsehood and leaving her son to inherit the vast Portland estate. From that fateful afternoon, the lurid details of the Druce-Portland case spilled forth, seizing the attention of the British public for over a decade.
As the Victoria era gave way to the Edwardian, the rise of sensationalist media blurred every fact into fiction, and family secrets and fluid identities pushed class anxieties to new heights. The 5th Duke of Portland had long been the victim of suspicion and scandalous rumors; an odd man with a fervent penchant for privacy, he lived his days in precisely coordinated isolation in the dilapidated Welbeck Abbey estate. He constructed elaborate underground passageways from one end of his home to the other and communicated with his household staff through letters. T.C. Druce was a similarly mysterious figure and had always remained startlingly evasive about his origins; on his arrival in London he claimed to have "sprung from the clouds."
Drawing from revelations hidden within the Druce family tomb in the chilly confines of Highgate Cemetery, Piu Marie Eatwell recounts one of the most drawn-out sagas of the era in penetrating, gripping detail. From each thwarted investigation and wicked attempt to conceal evidence to the parade of peculiar figures announcing themselves as the rightful heir, Eatwell paints a portentous portrait of England at the dawn of the Edwardian age.
Few tales—be they by Charles Dickens or Wilkie Collins, The Importance of Being Earnest or The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—could surpass the bizarre and deliciously dark twists and turns of the Druce-Portland affair. A mesmerizing tour through the tangled hierarchies of Edwardian England, The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse illuminates the lies, deceit, and hypocrisy practiced by "genteel" society at the time—and their inevitably sordid consequences.
As the Victoria era gave way to the Edwardian, the rise of sensationalist media blurred every fact into fiction, and family secrets and fluid identities pushed class anxieties to new heights. The 5th Duke of Portland had long been the victim of suspicion and scandalous rumors; an odd man with a fervent penchant for privacy, he lived his days in precisely coordinated isolation in the dilapidated Welbeck Abbey estate. He constructed elaborate underground passageways from one end of his home to the other and communicated with his household staff through letters. T.C. Druce was a similarly mysterious figure and had always remained startlingly evasive about his origins; on his arrival in London he claimed to have "sprung from the clouds."
Drawing from revelations hidden within the Druce family tomb in the chilly confines of Highgate Cemetery, Piu Marie Eatwell recounts one of the most drawn-out sagas of the era in penetrating, gripping detail. From each thwarted investigation and wicked attempt to conceal evidence to the parade of peculiar figures announcing themselves as the rightful heir, Eatwell paints a portentous portrait of England at the dawn of the Edwardian age.
Few tales—be they by Charles Dickens or Wilkie Collins, The Importance of Being Earnest or The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—could surpass the bizarre and deliciously dark twists and turns of the Druce-Portland affair. A mesmerizing tour through the tangled hierarchies of Edwardian England, The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse illuminates the lies, deceit, and hypocrisy practiced by "genteel" society at the time—and their inevitably sordid consequences.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 11, 2014
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Piu Marie Eatwell
5 books167 followersPiu Eatwell is a writer based in Paris, France.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews
May 4, 2015
Piu Marie Eatwell has chosen an extraordinary title, and it suits her wonderfully written and researched telling of a true story that unfolded in late Victorian and early Edwardian England wonderfully well.
It’s readable, it’s accessible, and its utterly gripping.
In 1898 a widow named Anna Maria Druce applied for the exhumation of the grave of her late father-in-law, Thomas Charles Druce. Her claim was that he had faked his death 1864 death, because he had been the eccentric 5th Duke of Portland, who had chosen to live a different life under a different name.
Under that name the Duke had worked as a furniture dealer, married, and raised a family. Eventually he decided to end his double life and return to the ducal seat, Welbeck Abbey in Worksop, Nottinghamshire until his death some fifteen years later.
The Duke had never married a distant cousin inherited the title and everything that went with it.
Anna Maria said that her son was the true heir to the Portland estate.
It sounds ludicrous, but the truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction, and there was much that made Anna Maria’s assertion sound entirely plausible.
Each man could be described as eccentric. The 5th Duke of Portland was reclusive, he rarely went out in daylight hours, and he had constructed a labyrinth of underground tunnels beneath his estate where he disappeared for extended periods.
Witnesses testified that T C Druce looked exactly like the Duke, and that he had never spoken of his early life; it emerged that the tastes and patterns of behaviour of the two men were strikingly similar.
Of course, if Anna Maria’s claim was unfounded the executors of the Druce estate had simply to permit the exhumation, to prove that T C Druce had died and that his body was in his tomb to bring all of the legal proceedings and all of the public interest and speculation to an end
They refused, and so a long and complex legal battle that would become a cause célèbre began.
Piu Marie Eatwell brings that case to life. She is a wonderful guide to the times and to the places where her story will play out, making it easy to understand how contemporary observers would have viewed the case with reference to newspaper reports, to other cases they would have known, novels they might have read, and the legal framework and the world that they knew. She introduces everyone who had a part to play carefully, with their history, their character, their connection to the case; that made the human drama that played out fascinating, relatable, and so very engaging.
You might think that you were reading the finest of Victorian sensation novels; such is the quality of the storytelling, the drama of the plot, and the sheer page-turning quality of the whole thing.
The question at the centre of the case – whether T C Druce and the 5th Duke of Portland were two men or one – was beautifully balanced, and as the case twisted and turned, as new claimants and new evidence emerged I could never quite make up my mind. I knew that I could go away and look up the case, and I so wanted to know what would happen, but I resisted because I knew that this was too good a book to spoil.
I also knew that the answer to that question would not be the end; because whatever that answer was there would be more questions.
The resolution of the case comes before the end of the book, and it as that point the author moves smoothly from dramatic storyteller to interested researcher, offering answers to some of the unanswered questions and suggesting what might be answers to others.
That was fascinating, the depth of her interest was evident, and I continued to think of everything I had read long after I put the book down.
It’s readable, it’s accessible, and its utterly gripping.
In 1898 a widow named Anna Maria Druce applied for the exhumation of the grave of her late father-in-law, Thomas Charles Druce. Her claim was that he had faked his death 1864 death, because he had been the eccentric 5th Duke of Portland, who had chosen to live a different life under a different name.
Under that name the Duke had worked as a furniture dealer, married, and raised a family. Eventually he decided to end his double life and return to the ducal seat, Welbeck Abbey in Worksop, Nottinghamshire until his death some fifteen years later.
The Duke had never married a distant cousin inherited the title and everything that went with it.
Anna Maria said that her son was the true heir to the Portland estate.
It sounds ludicrous, but the truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction, and there was much that made Anna Maria’s assertion sound entirely plausible.
Each man could be described as eccentric. The 5th Duke of Portland was reclusive, he rarely went out in daylight hours, and he had constructed a labyrinth of underground tunnels beneath his estate where he disappeared for extended periods.
Witnesses testified that T C Druce looked exactly like the Duke, and that he had never spoken of his early life; it emerged that the tastes and patterns of behaviour of the two men were strikingly similar.
Of course, if Anna Maria’s claim was unfounded the executors of the Druce estate had simply to permit the exhumation, to prove that T C Druce had died and that his body was in his tomb to bring all of the legal proceedings and all of the public interest and speculation to an end
They refused, and so a long and complex legal battle that would become a cause célèbre began.
Piu Marie Eatwell brings that case to life. She is a wonderful guide to the times and to the places where her story will play out, making it easy to understand how contemporary observers would have viewed the case with reference to newspaper reports, to other cases they would have known, novels they might have read, and the legal framework and the world that they knew. She introduces everyone who had a part to play carefully, with their history, their character, their connection to the case; that made the human drama that played out fascinating, relatable, and so very engaging.
You might think that you were reading the finest of Victorian sensation novels; such is the quality of the storytelling, the drama of the plot, and the sheer page-turning quality of the whole thing.
The question at the centre of the case – whether T C Druce and the 5th Duke of Portland were two men or one – was beautifully balanced, and as the case twisted and turned, as new claimants and new evidence emerged I could never quite make up my mind. I knew that I could go away and look up the case, and I so wanted to know what would happen, but I resisted because I knew that this was too good a book to spoil.
I also knew that the answer to that question would not be the end; because whatever that answer was there would be more questions.
The resolution of the case comes before the end of the book, and it as that point the author moves smoothly from dramatic storyteller to interested researcher, offering answers to some of the unanswered questions and suggesting what might be answers to others.
That was fascinating, the depth of her interest was evident, and I continued to think of everything I had read long after I put the book down.
July 18, 2019
This story of the British case surrounding the 5th Duke of Portland certainly illustrates that truth is stranger than fiction. The unmarried, eccentric and reclusive Duke, died without issue in 1864, and the Dukedom passed to a distant cousin. At the end of the 19th century, a woman came forward who stated that her late father-in-law, Mr. Druce, was in fact the above mentioned Duke and that the Duke had been leading a double life. When the Duke tired of his alter ego, he "killed" him off" and that Mr. Druce's grave was empty since he was buried as the Duke, his true identity, later in the century; therefore, she claimed that her husband, Mr. Druce's son, was the rightful heir to the Portland titles and estates. She petitioned the court to have Mr. Druce"s grave opened to prove that it was empty. And thus it began.
The Druce/Portland case was a cause celebre at the end of the Victorian Age and dragged on for years. To make matters even more confusing, another man stepped forward who announced that he was the rightful heir as an out-of-wedlock son of the Duke and that the Druce case was balderdash. It couldn't have been more confusing.
The author did some amazing research on this case and keeps as unbiased as possible in her reporting. It was a legal nightmare and a very complicated state of affairs (literally). There are many characters to keep track of and this can sometimes be a problem for the reader but it is a minor complaint. I certainly won't give away any of the results of the legal battle or the rather amazing postscript to the narrative. It can be a slow read but an interesting one indeed. I round up the rating to 3.5 stars.
The Druce/Portland case was a cause celebre at the end of the Victorian Age and dragged on for years. To make matters even more confusing, another man stepped forward who announced that he was the rightful heir as an out-of-wedlock son of the Duke and that the Druce case was balderdash. It couldn't have been more confusing.
The author did some amazing research on this case and keeps as unbiased as possible in her reporting. It was a legal nightmare and a very complicated state of affairs (literally). There are many characters to keep track of and this can sometimes be a problem for the reader but it is a minor complaint. I certainly won't give away any of the results of the legal battle or the rather amazing postscript to the narrative. It can be a slow read but an interesting one indeed. I round up the rating to 3.5 stars.
September 16, 2015
This was an interesting read that I was looking forward to getting my hands on. I'm being picky but there was a mistake on page 88 - Queen Victoria did not die in March of 1901 - it was in fact January 22nd of that year. Having facts correct in non-fiction is important to me when I'm reading it.
November 14, 2015
The premise of this book was interesting - as were the bizarre events that unfolded. However- the reason I only rated it 2 stars was the writing. This book needed editing significantly. The author included so much irrelevant detail that it became mind-numbing and tedious to read. Every time a new character was brought into the plot there were pages about that character's history that didn't help at all with understanding the main events and in fact made things confusing. Similarly, the author would give every detail of an event that wasn't part of this plot but may have some similarities to illustrate that these things were possible. While I understand the need to set the stage for legal precedence this could have been done in a much more concise way so that it didn't detract from the main events. This would have been an interesting book if about 2/3rds of it were edited out. I probably wouldn't have finished it but for the fact that I was reading it for a book group discussion.
October 17, 2019
Rating this as a 3, but closer to a 3.5. The author deserves thanks and praise for researching and presenting this fascinating case. A few strikes, though; there were some mistakes that could have been easily caught, such as a scandal that took place in the 1890s that several times is mentioned as having happened in the 1870s. In addition, one of the most obvious questions is never even touched on, that of genetic testing. While it doesn’t prove everything, it’s strange that the possibility of DNA research is not at play, even if just to say that so-and-so have been asked but have refused. HAVE they been asked? HAVE they refused? Thus, a story that is bound to still leave some questions unresolved is made more opaque than necessary, in my opinion. Having said that, I did not feel my time wasted.
May 4, 2015
Piu Marie Eatwell has chosen one of the most fantastical of legal trials that spanned the late Victorian to the Edwardian period for another entry into the genre of turning well-researched historical crimes into an accessible book for non-academics.
The journey the author takes us through started in 1898 when a widow named Anna Maria Druce applied for the exhumation of the grave of her late father-in-law, Thomas Charles Druce. Mr Druce had been a furniture dealer, owning the Baker Street Bazaar, a forerunner of what we know as a department store, but Anna Maria believed that he had been the alter ego of the eccentric 5th Duke of Portland. Her claims meant that Tomas Druce had faked his death in 1864 and spent the next fifteen living at the ducal seat, Welbeck Abbey in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.
This real life drama ended up spanning an entire decade after Anna Maria’s request for the grave in Highgate Cemetery being refused but with the discovery that Thomas Druce had been married before. Both men were eccentrics, Thomas Druce refused to reveal any details about his early life, he had fixed habits and moved his family frequently from property to property whereas the Duke was rarely seen in public, had an aversion to sunlight and spent his time at Welbeck Abbey constructing a series of tunnels and rooms underground. Who can deny that fact is often stranger than fiction?
The beauty of this book, and others of its ilk like The Suspicion of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale or The Magnificent Spilsbury and the case of the Brides in the Bath by Jane Robins, is that they give a real feel for the time as well as providing us with well-researched historical evidence. This tale is complex, particularly as it is full of claim, counter-claim, hypothesis and, on the flip-side lies and forgeries, but the chapters are divided up to give background to the next part as well as the new revelations that kept the courts, and the media, busy. A story running for so long had the public eager to find out the latest, especially as the revelations uncovered some behaviour that was definitely against the morals of the time.
The story doesn’t end when the mystery is resolved, the police were also kept busy following up some of the claims made including Inspector Dew who became known for his apprehension of Dr Crippen which meant for me, this story had links to other true crimes committed in the same period, presumably so few were the members of the newly formed CID that his career saw a wide variety of criminals. Mentions are also made of the love of Sherlock Holmes but without it feeling like the author was trying to cram every detail into the book.
Apart from in the first chapter where the author gives us a potted history of the ownership of Welbeck Abbey, the book couldn’t read less like a history book so well thought out is the structure making it an immensely readable and enjoyable piece of what must have been months of research.
I’d like to thank Midas PR or allowing me to read a copy of this book for review purposes, it will now stand next to the rest of my historical crime selection on my bookshelf. The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and the Missing Corpse was published by Head of Zeus in hardback in September 2014 and the author will be on tour in the UK during the summer of 2015.
The journey the author takes us through started in 1898 when a widow named Anna Maria Druce applied for the exhumation of the grave of her late father-in-law, Thomas Charles Druce. Mr Druce had been a furniture dealer, owning the Baker Street Bazaar, a forerunner of what we know as a department store, but Anna Maria believed that he had been the alter ego of the eccentric 5th Duke of Portland. Her claims meant that Tomas Druce had faked his death in 1864 and spent the next fifteen living at the ducal seat, Welbeck Abbey in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.
This real life drama ended up spanning an entire decade after Anna Maria’s request for the grave in Highgate Cemetery being refused but with the discovery that Thomas Druce had been married before. Both men were eccentrics, Thomas Druce refused to reveal any details about his early life, he had fixed habits and moved his family frequently from property to property whereas the Duke was rarely seen in public, had an aversion to sunlight and spent his time at Welbeck Abbey constructing a series of tunnels and rooms underground. Who can deny that fact is often stranger than fiction?
The beauty of this book, and others of its ilk like The Suspicion of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale or The Magnificent Spilsbury and the case of the Brides in the Bath by Jane Robins, is that they give a real feel for the time as well as providing us with well-researched historical evidence. This tale is complex, particularly as it is full of claim, counter-claim, hypothesis and, on the flip-side lies and forgeries, but the chapters are divided up to give background to the next part as well as the new revelations that kept the courts, and the media, busy. A story running for so long had the public eager to find out the latest, especially as the revelations uncovered some behaviour that was definitely against the morals of the time.
The story doesn’t end when the mystery is resolved, the police were also kept busy following up some of the claims made including Inspector Dew who became known for his apprehension of Dr Crippen which meant for me, this story had links to other true crimes committed in the same period, presumably so few were the members of the newly formed CID that his career saw a wide variety of criminals. Mentions are also made of the love of Sherlock Holmes but without it feeling like the author was trying to cram every detail into the book.
Apart from in the first chapter where the author gives us a potted history of the ownership of Welbeck Abbey, the book couldn’t read less like a history book so well thought out is the structure making it an immensely readable and enjoyable piece of what must have been months of research.
I’d like to thank Midas PR or allowing me to read a copy of this book for review purposes, it will now stand next to the rest of my historical crime selection on my bookshelf. The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and the Missing Corpse was published by Head of Zeus in hardback in September 2014 and the author will be on tour in the UK during the summer of 2015.
February 3, 2016
I was pretty eager to read this book and the first 1/2 was really interesting. But the second 1/2 was just boring material that felt like filler.
To quote Tim Gunn, "it needed an editing eye."
To quote Tim Gunn, "it needed an editing eye."
November 24, 2015
This sounded like such an interesting book, but I found myself basically trudging through it. And it all felt like a pointless exercise by the end. I did enjoy learning more about late Victorian England, but my main takeaway was that it was another example of how being ultra rich can lead some people to become weird recluses who spend vast quantities of money on the most ridiculous things (like an underground ballroom).
January 5, 2015
Thomas Charles Druce, owner of a London department store and quite affluent dies in December of 1864. He leaves several children, one of whom inherits the Baker Street Bazaar.
William John Cavendish-Bentick-Scott, 5th Duke of Portland, reclusive, unmarried with no heirs, dies at his estate, Welbeck Abbey in December 1879.
Two very distinct gentlemen, one of whom was contracted to do some work on Welbeck Abbey by the other, but seemingly with no other connections, died 15 years apart in two locations, considerably distant from each other.
End of story or so it would seem. Until, in March of 1898 when Anna Maria Druce, the daughter-in-law of T.C. Druce and the widow of his son, Walter Thomas, appears in St Paul's Cathedral. She bears a petition to the church court to allow the exhumation of TC Druce. She claims he did not die in 1864 but rather feigned his death so that he could shed the double life he was leading. That, in actuality, T.C. Druse was the 5th Duke of Portland and that her family is therefore the rightful heirs to the Welbeck Estate and the title, not the distant relative who at present is the 6th Duke of Portland.
To say that this claim is a dropped bombshell in society, opens many cans of worms and becomes a cause celebre is all to quite understate the events that unfolded through the next ten years.
The cast of characters and their tales are fascinating, the unearthed secrets of the lives led by the people involved in the two families are amazing.
The book is divided into nice short chapters, each of which carries one further into the story and leads one to jump right into the next one to see where the threads will lead. Australian bushmen, New Zealand widows, nurses, lawyers, detectives, newspapermen, secretaries --some of whom claim that these two men were one and the same, others who say they were not--keep the reader guessing until almost the moment when the grave is finally open--but even then, the author leaves you hanging a bit longer before the findings are revealed.
But, the story does not end there, the author carries the lives of the characters beyond that final legal decision. And the reader is glad to know what happened to them all once the case is closed and the mystery laid to rest.
As good as any fictional mystery but all the more enjoyable because it is not fiction.
William John Cavendish-Bentick-Scott, 5th Duke of Portland, reclusive, unmarried with no heirs, dies at his estate, Welbeck Abbey in December 1879.
Two very distinct gentlemen, one of whom was contracted to do some work on Welbeck Abbey by the other, but seemingly with no other connections, died 15 years apart in two locations, considerably distant from each other.
End of story or so it would seem. Until, in March of 1898 when Anna Maria Druce, the daughter-in-law of T.C. Druce and the widow of his son, Walter Thomas, appears in St Paul's Cathedral. She bears a petition to the church court to allow the exhumation of TC Druce. She claims he did not die in 1864 but rather feigned his death so that he could shed the double life he was leading. That, in actuality, T.C. Druse was the 5th Duke of Portland and that her family is therefore the rightful heirs to the Welbeck Estate and the title, not the distant relative who at present is the 6th Duke of Portland.
To say that this claim is a dropped bombshell in society, opens many cans of worms and becomes a cause celebre is all to quite understate the events that unfolded through the next ten years.
The cast of characters and their tales are fascinating, the unearthed secrets of the lives led by the people involved in the two families are amazing.
The book is divided into nice short chapters, each of which carries one further into the story and leads one to jump right into the next one to see where the threads will lead. Australian bushmen, New Zealand widows, nurses, lawyers, detectives, newspapermen, secretaries --some of whom claim that these two men were one and the same, others who say they were not--keep the reader guessing until almost the moment when the grave is finally open--but even then, the author leaves you hanging a bit longer before the findings are revealed.
But, the story does not end there, the author carries the lives of the characters beyond that final legal decision. And the reader is glad to know what happened to them all once the case is closed and the mystery laid to rest.
As good as any fictional mystery but all the more enjoyable because it is not fiction.
July 26, 2017
I really looked forward to reading this book. Interesting story, Edwardian times. The first inkling that all would not be well was when I read the opening sentence: "It was a dark, windy winter evening a few days before Christmas 1879". You are kidding me, right? But this was no joke. What came after was a never ending morass of who was related to who, no matter how small the role of the person played in this drama was. At those
times when there was an actual narrative it was so badly written you almost wished to return to the list of ancestors. Easily one of the worst books I have read this year.
times when there was an actual narrative it was so badly written you almost wished to return to the list of ancestors. Easily one of the worst books I have read this year.
April 2, 2020
Could have been a fun book if not literally every other sentence was another tangent.
December 4, 2020
A pretty interesting and twisted leal story about 5th Duke of Portland and is identity. It gives us a good look into the the Victorian times and what it used to be like. A really weird story that was a big media sensation of it's time. I can imagine myself if I lived then following it and gossiping about it.
The author did a really great research. Definitely great work. Unfortunately because of it it also loses some points from me. There is so much information, so many details that the story itself gets a bit lost. A little bit cutting down and it would have been much better. Still liked it.
The author did a really great research. Definitely great work. Unfortunately because of it it also loses some points from me. There is so much information, so many details that the story itself gets a bit lost. A little bit cutting down and it would have been much better. Still liked it.
October 13, 2015
See my full review at The Emerald City Book Review. The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse doesn't quite reach the summit of great nonfiction, but it's still an absorbing story with a factually respectable basis. In 1897, a woman surfaced with the wild claim that her father-in-law, a London merchant, was actually the fifth Duke of Portland, an ultra-rich, ultra-eccentric aristocrat who was leading a double life. This meant that her son was the the heir of the childless duke...and so a frenzied legal battle commenced, to be played out over decades on a very public stage. Corruption, madness, fortune-hunting, identify theft: it's all here, in a plot worthy of a Wilkie Collins novel.
In fact, all the ingredients for a fantastic stranger-than-fiction narrative are present, but I was left just slightly unsatisfied. The large cast of characters (identified and listed as such in the front matter) is hard to keep track of, as many don't have enough personality to be memorable. The device of announcing some startling turn of events but then abandoning it for another narrative thread was also confusing, and some obvious questions were not addressed for too long -- where was the evidence of the movements of the duke and his supposed alter ego, for example? I was also a bit skeptical of the scenes that go into certain characters' inner thoughts and experiences without apparent basis in diary or letters, though these are unobtrusive and plausible enough.
Still, I don't want to dissuade you from meeting the Dead Duke and his manifold associates. You'll be immersed in a colorful, and dramatic slice of Victorian and Edwardian life, and learn about an example of media frenzy that rivals any to be found in our own times. (Whole companies were created for the purpose of floating shares to speculate on the outcome of the case, and fortunes made and lost in the process.) You'll be grateful for the author's scrupulous research that turned up important elements overlooked for many years, putting together a puzzle left unsolved by history. And you'll be tantalized by the still-unknown motive that sparked the whole spectacle. As it delves into the mysteries of the human mind and heart, The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse gives a fascinating window into an era that in many ways is not so far from our own.
In fact, all the ingredients for a fantastic stranger-than-fiction narrative are present, but I was left just slightly unsatisfied. The large cast of characters (identified and listed as such in the front matter) is hard to keep track of, as many don't have enough personality to be memorable. The device of announcing some startling turn of events but then abandoning it for another narrative thread was also confusing, and some obvious questions were not addressed for too long -- where was the evidence of the movements of the duke and his supposed alter ego, for example? I was also a bit skeptical of the scenes that go into certain characters' inner thoughts and experiences without apparent basis in diary or letters, though these are unobtrusive and plausible enough.
Still, I don't want to dissuade you from meeting the Dead Duke and his manifold associates. You'll be immersed in a colorful, and dramatic slice of Victorian and Edwardian life, and learn about an example of media frenzy that rivals any to be found in our own times. (Whole companies were created for the purpose of floating shares to speculate on the outcome of the case, and fortunes made and lost in the process.) You'll be grateful for the author's scrupulous research that turned up important elements overlooked for many years, putting together a puzzle left unsolved by history. And you'll be tantalized by the still-unknown motive that sparked the whole spectacle. As it delves into the mysteries of the human mind and heart, The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse gives a fascinating window into an era that in many ways is not so far from our own.
May 16, 2020
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love historical true crime books. Whenever a new one gets added to Kindle Unlimited, I try to be one of the first to read it. I will say with The Dead Duke, the pacing was VERY slow. Normally it takes a few hours for me to read a kindle book from start to finish. This took me about three weeks. Set at the end of Victorian Britain, a sensational accusation is made regarding a false death of the 5th duke of Portland which kickstarts the tabloid papers and has virtually the whole world talking. In the courtrooms, cemeteries and abroad in Australia, there were so many characters to try and get to understand. I did feel lost at times. The overall writing style was OK, however, I did expect a little more explaining in a simple way.
January 5, 2016
So good! This case is crazier than a Dickens or Collins novel.
1) Eatwell writes great cliffhangers.
2) Regardless of the outcome of the Druce cases and whether the coffin is exhumed and we find out what's inside, the cast of characters (for some of these people should have gone on the stage) is bonkers. Only the Victorians/Edwardians could create so many real-life twists.
3) The US edition has an Epilogue - after the book was published in the UK, she got some more information about the Duke!
1) Eatwell writes great cliffhangers.
2) Regardless of the outcome of the Druce cases and whether the coffin is exhumed and we find out what's inside, the cast of characters (for some of these people should have gone on the stage) is bonkers. Only the Victorians/Edwardians could create so many real-life twists.
3) The US edition has an Epilogue - after the book was published in the UK, she got some more information about the Duke!
June 29, 2016
I just wish I could keep all the characters straight. Also the way the author writes the last few chapters from her own research was way more compelling and engrossing to me than the main part of the book. An interesting story but I wish it was more engaging.
January 29, 2017
My book club gave this a 1.4. Our lowest rating ever since we've been rating books. I gave it 2 because she put in a lot of work and gave me new vocabulary words.
If it wasn't filled with extras we didn't need to tell the point I would have liked it better.
If it wasn't filled with extras we didn't need to tell the point I would have liked it better.
October 31, 2017
I chose this for book club & had to profusely apologize to the group. I actually never finished it. NOT the story I was expecting. Too bogged down with so many details & people's histories. And the writing style was VERY dry.
April 5, 2021
In one of my first forays into true crime, this Victorian mystery filters through a duke's secrets after a lawsuit claimed he once led a double life before faking the death of his alter ego. With titles and massive inheritances on the line, more and more players and spectators get drawn into its orbit. Lies and deceptions lurk at every corner, and everyone has something to gain or lose.
This story had intriguing content, clever storytelling, and arresting narration. The audiobook was a quick listen for me because of its unputdownable nature, and I spent a lot of brain power puzzling through the clues presented and making shocked exclamations when big reveals and twists dropped on my theories. Nancy Drew, I am not.
The tone and masterful timed release of information made for a spellbinding read. The author didn't give away coming events or prime the reader for a particular result. In addition, each important figure is dissected in terms of personal history to frame key interactions. I appreciated the context and deeper understanding this allowed. I also enjoyed the end of the book, when the author shared stories from her search for clues about the case. I thought the shift to a present day narrative was seamless and made the nature of some of her fascinating discoveries more tangible and compelling when combined with the author's own reflections. She acknowledges where some information has been lost or intentionally withheld by historical actors, not attempting to pretend that the full truth will ever be available for our perusal.
My only disappointment was that the author was too quick to adopt Victorian assessment of who was mad, a notoriously problematic lens. Sexist views of the time about emotional women being "hysterical" were perpetuated by this book at a few important junctures. It's enough to give me pause about recommending it unreservedly despite my own massive enjoyment. It's a fascinating and quick read, bursting with human weirdness and other more sinister traits.
This story had intriguing content, clever storytelling, and arresting narration. The audiobook was a quick listen for me because of its unputdownable nature, and I spent a lot of brain power puzzling through the clues presented and making shocked exclamations when big reveals and twists dropped on my theories. Nancy Drew, I am not.
The tone and masterful timed release of information made for a spellbinding read. The author didn't give away coming events or prime the reader for a particular result. In addition, each important figure is dissected in terms of personal history to frame key interactions. I appreciated the context and deeper understanding this allowed. I also enjoyed the end of the book, when the author shared stories from her search for clues about the case. I thought the shift to a present day narrative was seamless and made the nature of some of her fascinating discoveries more tangible and compelling when combined with the author's own reflections. She acknowledges where some information has been lost or intentionally withheld by historical actors, not attempting to pretend that the full truth will ever be available for our perusal.
My only disappointment was that the author was too quick to adopt Victorian assessment of who was mad, a notoriously problematic lens. Sexist views of the time about emotional women being "hysterical" were perpetuated by this book at a few important junctures. It's enough to give me pause about recommending it unreservedly despite my own massive enjoyment. It's a fascinating and quick read, bursting with human weirdness and other more sinister traits.
April 28, 2016
Non-Fiction
This non-fiction title caught my attention instantly the first time I saw it. I knew I had to read it! The words from the title "Extraordinary, Deception and Intrigue" perfectly describe this true life Edwardian Era case, set in London. I enjoyed the book very much.
A woman comes forward, stating that the 5th Duke of Portland (deceased and enormously wealthy) was also her late father-in-law, T.C. Druce. The extremely shy and seldom seen 5th Duke's eccentric behavior played into the scenario presented by the widow, who claimed the 5th Duke was using a secret identity while alive, posing as T.C. Druce.
There is quite a lot of fascinating discussion of the not-infrequent use of secret identities in this era, or a man of wealth's having two separate families, usually unknown to each other.
The book is packed with quotes, book references, etc. that I was literally taking notes as I read:
* "All the world's a stage ...", Wm. Shakespeare's famous quote from As You Like It - added to TBR.
* The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - added to TBR.
* "Eccentric men have peculiar habits; they do not seem to move in the same sphere with other mortals, but are actuated by different influences from those which affect the bulk of mankind." - George Frederick Graham quote, English Synonymes Classified and Explained: With Practical Exercises, Designed for Schools and Private Tuition (1857) - adding to my Favorite Quotes
* Lady Audley's Secret Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1862) - added to TBR
* William Palmer, aka the "Rugeley Poisoner" a doctor who poisoned a number of victims in the 1840's and 1850's for their insurance policies and to feed his gambling habit. (page 14) - Look for a book on him (I'm a big fan of death by poison fiction or non-fiction.)
This non-fiction title caught my attention instantly the first time I saw it. I knew I had to read it! The words from the title "Extraordinary, Deception and Intrigue" perfectly describe this true life Edwardian Era case, set in London. I enjoyed the book very much.
A woman comes forward, stating that the 5th Duke of Portland (deceased and enormously wealthy) was also her late father-in-law, T.C. Druce. The extremely shy and seldom seen 5th Duke's eccentric behavior played into the scenario presented by the widow, who claimed the 5th Duke was using a secret identity while alive, posing as T.C. Druce.
There is quite a lot of fascinating discussion of the not-infrequent use of secret identities in this era, or a man of wealth's having two separate families, usually unknown to each other.
The book is packed with quotes, book references, etc. that I was literally taking notes as I read:
* "All the world's a stage ...", Wm. Shakespeare's famous quote from As You Like It - added to TBR.
* The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - added to TBR.
* "Eccentric men have peculiar habits; they do not seem to move in the same sphere with other mortals, but are actuated by different influences from those which affect the bulk of mankind." - George Frederick Graham quote, English Synonymes Classified and Explained: With Practical Exercises, Designed for Schools and Private Tuition (1857) - adding to my Favorite Quotes
* Lady Audley's Secret Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1862) - added to TBR
* William Palmer, aka the "Rugeley Poisoner" a doctor who poisoned a number of victims in the 1840's and 1850's for their insurance policies and to feed his gambling habit. (page 14) - Look for a book on him (I'm a big fan of death by poison fiction or non-fiction.)
February 7, 2017
WELL THIS IS BONKERS.
I mean. Look at that title. That title promises bonkers nonsense going on, right? THE BOOK LIVES UP TO IT. There is so much weirdness occurring in this book, and the most bonkers thing of all of it is that it all really happened. And that there is still unexplained weirdness.
Okay. So. This book is about a court case in the last years of the nineteenth century that argued that the 5th Duke of Portland, he of the massive underground complex at his country home and the severe reclusiveness bordering on total isolation, was also, in his secret life, a shopkeeper named TC Druce, and that he had apparently faked his death in 1864 to go back to being the Duke of Portland. Yeah. This court case dragged on for nearly a decade, with descendants of Druce popping out of the woodwork every couple of years to claim that they were owed the dukedom of Portland. There was the original claimant, Anna Maria Druce in her son Sidney's name, then a couple of guys from Australia, then a couple more guys who popped up between the two who ended up doing something completely different. Druce had some unexplainable things in his life, such as where he came from and why he completely dropped his first family in favor of his second, and so did the Duke of Portland (almost everything in his life, being honest). And all of this weirdness was dredged up during and after the trial. Just. So much weirdness.
The book is written in a very accessible, chatty style, which for me bordered on too chatty at times, but it's certainly not that stuffy academic style that blocks people out, and it does really bring home just how deeply weird every single fact of this case is. And it is so. Weird. Recommended because holy crap, guys. Everything about this is bonkers and must be read.
One caveat: there is a bit toward the end of the book where the reader is suddenly confronted with a picture of a rotting corpse in a coffin. There's no warning and it's a pretty grody picture. Please be aware of this and ben careful as you draw nearer to the end.
I mean. Look at that title. That title promises bonkers nonsense going on, right? THE BOOK LIVES UP TO IT. There is so much weirdness occurring in this book, and the most bonkers thing of all of it is that it all really happened. And that there is still unexplained weirdness.
Okay. So. This book is about a court case in the last years of the nineteenth century that argued that the 5th Duke of Portland, he of the massive underground complex at his country home and the severe reclusiveness bordering on total isolation, was also, in his secret life, a shopkeeper named TC Druce, and that he had apparently faked his death in 1864 to go back to being the Duke of Portland. Yeah. This court case dragged on for nearly a decade, with descendants of Druce popping out of the woodwork every couple of years to claim that they were owed the dukedom of Portland. There was the original claimant, Anna Maria Druce in her son Sidney's name, then a couple of guys from Australia, then a couple more guys who popped up between the two who ended up doing something completely different. Druce had some unexplainable things in his life, such as where he came from and why he completely dropped his first family in favor of his second, and so did the Duke of Portland (almost everything in his life, being honest). And all of this weirdness was dredged up during and after the trial. Just. So much weirdness.
The book is written in a very accessible, chatty style, which for me bordered on too chatty at times, but it's certainly not that stuffy academic style that blocks people out, and it does really bring home just how deeply weird every single fact of this case is. And it is so. Weird. Recommended because holy crap, guys. Everything about this is bonkers and must be read.
One caveat: there is a bit toward the end of the book where the reader is suddenly confronted with a picture of a rotting corpse in a coffin. There's no warning and it's a pretty grody picture. Please be aware of this and ben careful as you draw nearer to the end.
December 2, 2015
This is a rip roaring tale of a long-running legal case in late Victorian England. It has fraud, eccentricities, double lives, large sums of money and abject poverty. It should have been really good.
There are many characters involved but the telling of this messy story is over complicated by multiple diversions and a sensationalist style that crosses over into speculative fiction. The writer goes in for teasers at the end of chapters that always promise more than they deliver. Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Rosetti, they are all there and not part of the story but dragged in to bulk out the pages (perhaps), to provide other examples of eccentricities and double lives (certainly)and (maybe) to give a late C19th flavour.
I started out loving it but Ms Eatwell's diversionary tricks and chapters which left you hanging tired me and much as I wanted to find out what happened I was glad to escape from it by the end. I did finish it but by the end I just didn't care.
There are many characters involved but the telling of this messy story is over complicated by multiple diversions and a sensationalist style that crosses over into speculative fiction. The writer goes in for teasers at the end of chapters that always promise more than they deliver. Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Rosetti, they are all there and not part of the story but dragged in to bulk out the pages (perhaps), to provide other examples of eccentricities and double lives (certainly)and (maybe) to give a late C19th flavour.
I started out loving it but Ms Eatwell's diversionary tricks and chapters which left you hanging tired me and much as I wanted to find out what happened I was glad to escape from it by the end. I did finish it but by the end I just didn't care.
March 5, 2016
Did the 5th Duke of Portland fake his death or was he really in that grave?
Anna Marie Druce the late Duke's daughter -law wanted to prove that her children should be heirs to the family. She took her claim to the high courts. There was much court wrangling, that it lasted ten years. The grave was the opened. The officials present deemed it was T C Druce in the grave.
There were plenty of rumors a illegitimate chidren fathered by T C Druce. He was also very private, having tunnels under his home.
The author did extensive research into public records about this family and other of that time.
It was such an interesting story, I could hardly wait to see what would happen next.
This book was a gift from the author for my honest review.
Anna Marie Druce the late Duke's daughter -law wanted to prove that her children should be heirs to the family. She took her claim to the high courts. There was much court wrangling, that it lasted ten years. The grave was the opened. The officials present deemed it was T C Druce in the grave.
There were plenty of rumors a illegitimate chidren fathered by T C Druce. He was also very private, having tunnels under his home.
The author did extensive research into public records about this family and other of that time.
It was such an interesting story, I could hardly wait to see what would happen next.
This book was a gift from the author for my honest review.
February 6, 2017
Read for book club and cheating right now since we're not supposed to leave reviews until after book club but I just want to put review behind me, get ready for book club, and laugh over food and liquor.
Not a fan of non-fiction, especially set over 100 years ago, but I gave it the old college try. The writing seemed a bit haphazard and it sometimes went on a tangent that I really didn't care about. I would've liked it a lot better with a co-author and the story being written as fiction-based-on-true-facts. Then all the present day information written by Piu Marie regarding the actual facts and events would've been fascinating.
As is, it could've been edited down. A lot. Sadly, the title is the most intriguing thing about the book.
Not a fan of non-fiction, especially set over 100 years ago, but I gave it the old college try. The writing seemed a bit haphazard and it sometimes went on a tangent that I really didn't care about. I would've liked it a lot better with a co-author and the story being written as fiction-based-on-true-facts. Then all the present day information written by Piu Marie regarding the actual facts and events would've been fascinating.
As is, it could've been edited down. A lot. Sadly, the title is the most intriguing thing about the book.
June 12, 2016
Very bizarre story, strange individuals and corrupt legal machinations.
The author has done a very thorough job of researching the story and its actors. Every time you get to a point and say "Well that's that then. It's over.", along comes another surprising revelation and away you go again.
Can drag a bit in places if you're not a real fan of legal manoeverings.
The author has done a very thorough job of researching the story and its actors. Every time you get to a point and say "Well that's that then. It's over.", along comes another surprising revelation and away you go again.
Can drag a bit in places if you're not a real fan of legal manoeverings.
September 8, 2016
I love, Ioved the first 3/4, but the final few chapters didn't really do it for me. I appreciate that they tied the story into a neat bow, but at the same time it's tough to be ripped from the past into the present(ish). Even so, this book is intriguing and quite a wonderful read about Victorian sensibilities, mystery and class divide.
September 2, 2017
There is a great story buried somewhere in this book. Unfortunately it is way to much effort to dig through and find it. I found it poorly written. No index and the "footnotes were not helpful. Too bad. Wanted to like it.
May 6, 2018
Piu Marie Eatwell paints a fascinating and vibrant picture of Victorian and Edwardian England in this too crazy to be fictional account of the very strange Druce vs. Portland legal battle.
Despite an almost twenty-year timeline, ludicrous legal actions, and a revolving cast upwards of 60, Eatwell gives readers history, suspense, humor, and humanity in a highly readable, understandable, and gripping style.
As a lawyer herself, Eatwell knows how and when to unveil or withhold information to reach her intended conclusion. She does this with mastery throughout The Dead Duke, and it wasn’t until the very end that Eatwell finally laid bare all of her answers.
Despite an almost twenty-year timeline, ludicrous legal actions, and a revolving cast upwards of 60, Eatwell gives readers history, suspense, humor, and humanity in a highly readable, understandable, and gripping style.
As a lawyer herself, Eatwell knows how and when to unveil or withhold information to reach her intended conclusion. She does this with mastery throughout The Dead Duke, and it wasn’t until the very end that Eatwell finally laid bare all of her answers.
November 30, 2021
This book gets 5 stars for its title, which is what made me liberate it from a little free library. The legal machinations of the long-running case Eatwell describes are mind-bending, with multiple claimants, witnesses and a host of shady lawyers, and even with a list of characters at the start, it's difficult to keep track of who's who. I can definitely appreciate the amount of research required to make any kind of sense out of this morass.
However, this book suffers from scope creep - what starts out as a request to open a coffin quickly spirals out of control as the years progress and new witnesses emerge from the woodwork. And it continues even after the case itself ends. It often feels like the author includes information because it's neat and not because it helps the narrative. And the literary device of setting a fictional scene from one person's point of view is effective at helping the reader know who to sympathize with, but it is wildly overused here, to the point where you stop caring about anyone. Restricting the focus to one or two people - like the 6th Duke and Detective Dew - would have helped provide some desperately needed stability to the narrative.
Parts of this are fascinating, parts are rambling, but it definitely highlights the Victorians' eccentricities and skeletons in family closets!!
However, this book suffers from scope creep - what starts out as a request to open a coffin quickly spirals out of control as the years progress and new witnesses emerge from the woodwork. And it continues even after the case itself ends. It often feels like the author includes information because it's neat and not because it helps the narrative. And the literary device of setting a fictional scene from one person's point of view is effective at helping the reader know who to sympathize with, but it is wildly overused here, to the point where you stop caring about anyone. Restricting the focus to one or two people - like the 6th Duke and Detective Dew - would have helped provide some desperately needed stability to the narrative.
Parts of this are fascinating, parts are rambling, but it definitely highlights the Victorians' eccentricities and skeletons in family closets!!
August 19, 2017
I heartily recommend this book. The lies, secrecy, sensationalism, and tabloid frenzy of a mystery in the late 1800's makes for some great reading. Piu Eatwell researched this mystery and laid it out for the reader, leading you with twists and turns along the way. A fun read!
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