Madeleine Hamilton Smith - Scotlands Oldest Murder Mystery 1857

Madeleine Hamilton Smith was a Glaswegian socialite, beautiful, well mannered and from a wealthy family.  When she was arrested for the murder of her ex lover, it rocked Victorian Scottish society to the core.  A scandal of pre marital sex, blackmail and poison played out in the court room and the newspapers.  She received a verdict of “Not Proven” a result unique to the Scottish judicial system.  A verdict that left a cloud of suspicion over Madeleine that even today 165 years after the crime has historians divided.  The Scotman sums it up best quote “Madeleine Smith was a wanton woman with a great lawyer or an innocent in a deadly game of revenge and spite” End Quote. So let’s dive into the case and decide for ourselves