The name Margaret Nicholson might not be a household one today, but in 1786 she was the talk of London.
On 2 August of that year, George III arrived at St James' Palace in London from the royal residence at Windsor. Stepping out of his carriage, a woman who had been waiting in the crowds for the king to arrive walked forward and handed a petition to him. George took it from her hand, but underneath the piece of paper Margaret had concealed a knife. She lunged it at the king's heart, but it only penetrated his waistcoat. Guards and footmen close to the king saw what happened and seized Margaret by the arm. George, believing she was mentally ill, asked his attendants not to cause any harm to her, saying 'I have received no injury, don't hurt the woman, the poor creature appears insane'. Margaret was led away for questioning.
When Margaret's petition was examined, it was found that it was blank, except for the addressee written on the outside, being the king, as expected. She stood in front of officials wearing a flowered gown, black gauze bonnet, black silk cloak and a wire cap with blue ribbons. She had a 'moderate stature' and 'serious countenance', refusing to answer any questions. At 5pm she was taken before the council and was subject to a strip search, presumably in case she was hiding any other weapons. Women of the palace searched her, but no other weapon was found. The knife she had attacked the king with was actually found to have been a thin, blunt and low-quality dessert knife.
Now questioned by the king's council, Margaret began to tell her story. Her name was Margaret Nicholson, the daughter of George Nicholson of Stockton upon Tees in Yorkshire. She had a brother who kept a public house in Milford Lane and had arrived in London at the age of twelve, working as a maid for a number of different families.
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| Yale Center for British Art, Public Domain. |
Margaret muttered oaths about 'this matter of the Crown', saying that she wanted her right and property and that the crown was her right. A petition was found that she had handed to the palace ten days before, but it was not escalated as it was said to contain 'such stuff and nonsense'. Margaret insisted that if she did not receive what was due to her 'England would be in blood for a thousand generations'. Unable to complete questioning, Margaret was taken to the home of a court messenger named Mr Coates who kept her safe until she could attend on the council again. Coates lived on Half-Moon Street in Piccadilly, London.
Further interviews revealed that Margaret believed King George had no right to the throne and that it was actually hers. She also said that the Lord Mansfield and Lord Loughborough owed everything they had to her. Mr Justice Addington continued to question her about the attack on the king, Margaret replying that she never intended to hurt the king but acted out of necessity having handed in 17 petitions for him to read, but none had been replied to. She simply stated that in one of her petitions she did threaten to kill the king if he didn't make 'some provision for me without delay'. The source of her frustration appears to have been a personal legal issue, where she had been left an annuity after the death of her partner, an officer of the king's guards. However the money had been retained by her solicitor, hence the large quantity of petitions asking for the king to assist.
Margaret's frustration seems understandable, as she asked for the king to intervene to help settle her dispute but received no answer. However she clearly crossed the line when she threatened violence. Perhaps in jabbing at the king with a flexible and blunt dessert knife she believed he would give her attention so she could talk matters through with him. However, this was a gross miscalculation, as were claims that she had a right to the throne. Those presiding over her case did not see her frustration and ruled that she was insane. She was taken by the messenger Mr Coates, from his house, to Bedlam by carriage. Arriving at around 6pm, she was given dinner and taken to a cell that had been fitted out with fresh bedding. She was then chained by her leg to a loop on the floor so that she could not attempt escape. The account that survives states that she went willingly, and was put to work at Bedlam for her keep.
You might also like: The Women of Bedlam and LGBTQ Georgian Britain: Mary East.
Source: A Plot Investigated, or a Circumstantial Account of the Late Horrid Attempt of Margaret Nicholson to Assassinate the King. London, 1786. via archive.org.
Image credit: Robert Dighton, 1752–1814, Margaret Nicholson Attempting to Assassinate His Majesty, George III, at the Garden Entrance of St. James's Palace, 2nd August 1786, 1786, Watercolor, pen and black ink, graphite, and gouache on medium, slightly textured, cream laid paper, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, B1986.29.373.
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