Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Roderick Maclean

Roderick Edward Maclean (c. 1854 – 8 June 1921) was a Scottish man infamous for attempting to assassinate on 2 March 1882 outside Windsor railway station. Firing a single shot from a at the queen's as she departed by train, Maclean's effort was immediately foiled by two students, A. G. S. Wilson and C. T. Robinson, who subdued him with their umbrellas before he could reload or fire again. Tried for high treason—the only such prosecution among Victoria's would-be assassins—Maclean pleaded that the queen had snubbed him by ignoring poems he had submitted for her approval, fueling his grievances and delusions of persecution. A jury at the Old Bailey swiftly found him not guilty by reason of insanity after just five minutes of deliberation, leading to his indefinite confinement in Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. There, Maclean lived out the remaining nearly four decades of his life, dying of apoplexy (a stroke) without further incident, marking him as the final of at least seven documented assailants against the queen during her reign.

Early life

Family and upbringing

Roderick Edward Maclean was born circa 1854 in into a respectable middle-class . His was a carver and gilder who also owned the humorous periodical magazine. From an early age, Maclean displayed irregular and eccentric behavior, roaming aimlessly and prompting his to distance themselves while continuing to provide him a modest weekly allowance of 6 shillings. He later petitioned for an increase to 10 shillings, citing financial hardship. Maclean's upbringing involved some exposure to languages, as he was fluent in and , indicative of a basic formal amid his family's middle-class status. Despite this background, his conduct alienated relatives, who viewed him as unreliable, leading to his independent wandering across English towns such as , , , , and in his youth. No detailed records exist of siblings or specific parental influences, but the family's response underscores early signs of mental instability that persisted into adulthood.

Education and initial employment

Maclean was born around 1854 in to a respectable family; his father, Charles Maclean, owned the satirical magazine , a rival to , which provided financial stability. Details of his formal remain scarce in historical records, though he acquired proficiency in and , languages that later informed his poetic ambitions. His initial employment involved assisting his father at Fun magazine, where he contributed artistic work amid an otherwise idle marked by dependency on family support rather than independent pursuits. No evidence exists of other professional roles prior to his growing fixation on and delusions, which distanced him from structured work.

Career and creative pursuits

Work at Fun magazine

Roderick Maclean's only documented employment was as an contributing to magazine, a satirical weekly publication founded and owned by his father, Charles McLean, in 1861 as a direct competitor to the established . The magazine featured humorous illustrations, cartoons, and commentary on contemporary events, aligning with Maclean's artistic inclinations, though his contributions appear limited and are not extensively cataloged in surviving records. This role provided Maclean with financial support during his father's proprietorship, which lasted until Charles's death in , after which the family's circumstances declined and Maclean ceased regular work at the publication. Despite this involvement, Maclean's primary ambitions lay in rather than sustained professional illustration, reflecting his broader pattern of unfulfilled creative pursuits.

Poetry and artistic failures

Maclean harbored ambitions as a and artist but met with consistent failure in both fields, achieving neither nor professional recognition. His verses remained unpublished, and he lacked any sustained employment beyond sporadic assistance to his father's satirical periodical , a rival to launched in 1861, where he contributed minor artistic efforts without acclaim or advancement. A defining setback occurred when Maclean submitted directly to , only to receive a curt rejection via her , which he interpreted as a profound personal slight rather than standard protocol for unsolicited submissions. This rebuff, occurring shortly before his assassination attempt, exacerbated his grievances, as he fixated on it amid broader delusions of . Overall, Maclean's creative output evinced amateurish quality and isolation from literary or artistic circles, with no surviving works indicating merit sufficient for acceptance by publishers or peers. His idle wandering across English towns—such as , , and —reflected the practical consequences of these failures, as family support dwindled to a meager weekly allowance, underscoring his inability to monetize or validate his talents.

Mental health decline

Head injury and medical history

Roderick Maclean sustained a severe in 1856 at the age of two, when he received deep scalp wounds from an accident whose details remain unclear; contemporaries speculated it may have contributed to his later mental instability, though its direct causal role was uncertain. This early trauma was cited in accounts of his childhood as precipitating erratic behavior and a tendency to wander, marking the onset of observed peculiarities in his demeanor. By and early adulthood, Maclean exhibited signs of mental disturbance, including and crankiness exacerbated by family tensions; in 1874, Dr. Manning evaluated him and deemed his mind unsound, though not warranting indefinite institutionalization. Associates regarded him as "absolutely insane" by 1876, prompting informal oversight rather than formal intervention at that stage. Maclean's institutional medical history began with confinement in a asylum, the precise dates of which are undocumented in available records, followed by admission to the and on 2 1880 at age 26, diagnosed as a "person of unsound mind" harboring delusions that he might kill . He remained there until discharge on an unspecified date prior to his 1882 attempt, with medical testimony at his trial affirming long-standing insanity unsupported by evidence of or rational motive. Following the attempt, during which Eton schoolboys struck his head repeatedly with umbrellas in the ensuing melee, Maclean suffered additional physical trauma, though this postdated his primary delusional symptoms.

Delusions and fixations on the Queen

Maclean harbored a fixation on stemming from his submission of a poem or loyal address to her, which received a formal acknowledgment but no material reward, leading to offense upon its rejection by a . This incident exacerbated his underlying mental instability, intertwining personal grievance with broader delusions. He subsequently composed letters denouncing the royalty as "bloated aristocrats" who robbed the poor, reflecting a fusion of persecutory beliefs and anti-royalist sentiments. Prior to the 1882 attempt, Maclean exhibited pronounced delusions of , believing the world was in enmity against him and experiencing a strong impulse to kill. Medical records from his admission to Wells Asylum documented these persecutory delusions, alongside nervous symptoms that improved temporarily but underscored chronic psychiatric disturbance. His history included multiple commitments to asylums, where similar delusional content—such as perceived conspiracies and homicidal urges—was noted, culminating in a diagnosis consistent with featuring persistent delusions. These fixations manifested in communications directed at , including a letter found on his person at the time of on 2 March 1882, which alluded to his grievances without explicit threat but aligned with his pattern of seeking royal attention amid escalating . Maclean's beliefs extended to conversing with and perceiving universal plots against him, with the monarchy symbolizing the apex of his imagined persecutors. This combination of targeted fixation and generalized delusions drove his actions, as evidenced by trial testimony on his psychiatric decline.

Assassination attempt

Motivations and planning

Maclean's primary motivation stemmed from perceived personal slights and financial hardship, exacerbated by a dismissive response to his unsolicited submitted to . He had mailed verses to the monarch, receiving what he interpreted as a curt acknowledgment, likely drafted by officials rather than herself, which fueled his sense of rejection and conspiracy against him. In a letter to his dated 2 March 1882, Maclean explicitly linked the act to familial penury, stating, “I should not have done this crime had you… allowed the 10s. per week instead of offering the insultingly small sum of 6s per week,” while expressing intent to “alarm the public” regarding his grievances rather than to inflict harm. He harbored broader resentment toward the , referring to as an “accursed robber,” though contemporaries attributed much of his rationale to delusions rather than coherent . Preparation for the attempt involved minimal but deliberate steps, reflecting premeditation amid his instability. Days prior, Maclean acquired a six-chambered revolver and ammunition, purchasing the weapon in before traveling on foot to . He positioned himself at Windsor railway station, composing explanatory correspondence to his sister outlining his motives, and fired a single shot at approximately 5:25 p.m. on 2 1882 as the Queen's departed following her arrival from . The bullet missed, embedding in the carriage frame, underscoring the rudimentary nature of his scheme compared to organized plots.

Events of 2 March 1882

On 2 March 1882, arrived at Windsor station from at approximately 5:25 p.m., accompanied by , and prepared to depart in an open carriage drawn by four grey ponies en route to . A crowd of onlookers, including students who had been cheering the Queen, gathered in the station yard as the carriage moved forward. Roderick Maclean, positioned about 15 yards from the carriage on the platform, drew a German-made six-chambered —two chambers loaded with ball cartridges—and fired a single shot toward . The bullet missed its target, producing a report likened by to an engine explosion, and lodged harmlessly, with the carriage windows raised in response as it accelerated away. remained outwardly composed during the incident, showing no signs of alarm. Maclean was immediately seized by bystanders before he could fire again; photographer James Burnside grabbed and wrenched the from his right hand, while two Eton scholars—identified in some accounts as and Robinson—tackled him to the ground and struck him with an . Locomotive foreman John Frost and others assisted in restraining him, and as Maclean cried "Don’t hurt me," Superintendent Hayes effected the arrest on the spot. A search yielded 14 additional ball cartridges in his possession, along with a letter decrying his family's neglect and perceived slights from the Queen.

Immediate public reaction

Following Roderick Maclean's discharge of a at Victoria's from approximately 15 yards away at Windsor railway station on 2 March 1882 at 5:25 p.m., the assembled crowd—estimated at several hundred onlookers who had gathered to cheer the Queen's arrival—responded with immediate and physical indignation. Two schoolboys, Henry B. Wolf and another unnamed student, rushed forward and struck Maclean repeatedly with their umbrellas, while local James Burnside seized the from his grasp and a foreman, John Frost, assisted in restraining him. Maclean, who had missed his target as the bullet embedded in the carriage's side, cried out, "Don't hurt me," amid the assault, which continued until police arrived to take him into custody. This spontaneous mob action reflected a surge of protective toward the , with bystanders viewing the act as an outrageous affront rather than a credible from a coherent political actor. Initial press coverage in outlets such as on 3 March 1882 framed Maclean as afflicted by a "morbid mind," swiftly depoliticizing the incident by highlighting his recent release from Wells Asylum and lack of ties to —a reassurance echoed by William Harcourt to alleviate public anxieties over Fenian agitation. No was proclaimed, unlike prior attempts, signaling a public perception of the event as an isolated derangement rather than a systemic danger to . Queen Victoria, unharmed and composed, proceeded directly to , where she noted in her journal the crowd's "great " toward the assailant, underscoring the event's reinforcement of monarchical with the populace. The rapid subduing of Maclean by civilians, without awaiting official intervention, exemplified a pattern in responses to such attacks, where public outrage prioritized immediate retribution over deference to authorities.

Trial and verdict

Charges and court proceedings

Maclean was arrested immediately following the shooting on 2 March 1882 and brought before the Windsor Magistrates' Court at the Guildhall, where he was charged with attempting to murder Queen Victoria; a special wooden dock was hastily constructed by a local carpenter for the hearing to accommodate security concerns. He was subsequently indicted on the more serious charge of high treason under the Treason Act 1842 for willful intent to kill or maim the sovereign, which carried the potential penalty of death. The trial commenced on 20 April 1882 at the Berkshire Assizes in Reading, presided over by the Lord Chief Justice; Maclean, representing himself after dismissing counsel, entered a of not guilty. The prosecution, led by figures including acting for the Treasury, outlined the premeditated nature of the act, presenting physical evidence such as the six-chamber revolver loaded with a single bullet, testimony from eyewitnesses including Eton schoolboys who disarmed Maclean, and ballistic details confirming the shot's toward the Queen's . Maclean's defense centered on a claim of provocation by the Queen's indifference to his poetic grievances, though medical experts were called to testify on his , with prior institutionalizations noted as context for potential . The proceedings were expedited, reflecting authorities' intent to secure a verdict aligned with psychiatric assessments of Maclean's long-standing delusions.

Evidence of insanity and jury decision

During the trial at Reading Assizes on 20 April 1882, presided over by Lord Chief Justice John Duke Coleridge, the defense, led by Montague Williams, presented medical testimony establishing Maclean's long-standing mental instability. Dr. Charles Vernon Hitchins testified that Maclean had been certified insane in June 1880, nearly two years prior to the attempt, based on examinations revealing delusions and erratic behavior. Additional evidence included Maclean's history of fixations, such as his obsessive communications with the Queen demanding recognition for his poetry, and prior institutionalizations for symptoms consistent with paranoid delusions, which Williams argued negated criminal intent under the . Prosecution witnesses, including asylum officials, corroborated the defense's claims by detailing Maclean's incoherent ramblings post-arrest and his refusal to acknowledge the gravity of his actions, further supporting the conclusion of unsound mind. No contradictory medical evidence was effectively raised, as the overwhelming consensus among experts affirmed that Maclean's condition rendered him incapable of understanding the nature and quality of his act. The jury deliberated for approximately five minutes before returning a verdict of "not guilty on the ground of insanity," ordering Maclean detained during Her Majesty's pleasure, effectively committing him indefinitely to Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. This swift decision reflected the uncontroverted psychiatric evidence and avoided the political sensitivities of executing a demonstrably deranged individual, though it later prompted Queen Victoria's advocacy for reforming the phrasing to "guilty but insane" via the Trial of Lunatics Act 1883.

Imprisonment and death

Confinement in Broadmoor

Following the verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity at his trial on 20 April 1882, Roderick Maclean was committed to at Criminal Lunatic Asylum in , , under the authority of the and during Her Majesty's pleasure. He was formally admitted to the facility on 8 May 1882, joining other high-profile inmates confined for violent crimes deemed products of . , established in 1863 as England's primary secure hospital for the criminally insane, housed Maclean in conditions emphasizing restraint, medical observation, and limited privileges, with no recorded attempts at discharge despite periodic evaluations of patient sanity under prevailing asylum protocols. Maclean's confinement spanned nearly 39 years, during which he remained institutionalized without remission, reflecting the era's cautious approach to releasing individuals convicted of regicidal acts, even when was adjudicated. Medical assessments consistently upheld his unsound mind, rooted in prior delusions and fixations, precluding any reintegration into society; archival references to Broadmoor's operations indicate routine monitoring for violent tendencies, though no specific incidents involving Maclean are documented post-admission. His case underscored the asylum's role in indefinite containment for those whose threats to the sovereign warranted perpetual segregation, amid Queen Victoria's advocacy for stricter legal handling of such verdicts.

Final years and demise

Maclean spent the ensuing decades in indefinite confinement at Criminal , with no recorded petitions for release or notable incidents altering his status during this period. He died there on 8 June 1921 at approximately age 67, succumbing to —a term then used for sudden hemorrhage or . This outcome marked the end of a 39-year institutionalization following his 1882 trial verdict.

Legacy

Influence on British law

Maclean's trial for high treason on 20 April 1882 at resulted in a of "not guilty, but insane," which technically acquitted him of the charge despite evidence of his mental instability, confining him indefinitely under the Criminal Lunatics Act 1800. This outcome provoked Queen Victoria's strong disapproval, as she viewed the phrasing as implying innocence rather than excusing culpability due to , prompting her to urge legislative reform to reflect the moral and legal gravity of regicidal acts. In response, enacted the Trial of Lunatics Act 1883 (46 & 47 Vict. c. 38), which established a special of "guilty, but insane" for defendants proven to have committed the offense while laboring under such defect of reason from of the mind as not to know the nature and quality of the act or that it was wrong. The legislation, directly influenced by the Maclean case, replaced the prior "not guilty by reason of insanity" formulation in applicable trials, ensuring detention as a criminal without formal and reinforcing accountability for serious crimes like against the Crown. This reform addressed procedural anomalies in insanity defenses for capital offenses, standardizing outcomes to prioritize public safety and deterrence over perceived leniency, though it did not alter the substantive governing insanity established in 1843. The Act's provisions remain embedded in modern English criminal procedure, influencing subsequent handling of similar verdicts under the Criminal Procedure (Insanity) Act 1964.

Assessments of the insanity defense

The application of the in Roderick Maclean's 1882 trial for high treason adhered to the , requiring proof that he was laboring under such a defect of reason from disease of the mind as not to know the nature and quality of the act or that it was wrong. Medical witnesses, including Dr. Francis Richardson of Wells Asylum, testified to Maclean's long-standing delusions, such as his belief that owed him £20 for an unappreciated poem and his history of incoherent writings and institutionalizations since 1866. Family members corroborated erratic conduct, including threats and fantasies of grandeur, leading the jury to return a of "not guilty by reason of insanity" after approximately twelve minutes of deliberation on April 4, 1882. The prosecution, while presenting the case, did not vigorously contest the psychiatric evidence, effectively conceding mental unsoundness. This outcome provoked immediate criticism centered on the verdict's phrasing, which technically acquitted Maclean of guilt despite his indefinite detention in Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum as a "criminal lunatic" under the Criminal Lunatics Act 1800. Queen Victoria expressed strong displeasure, viewing the "not guilty" element as undermining accountability for regicidal intent and petitioning authorities for a verdict that retained the "guilty" prefix to reflect the crime's gravity while accommodating insanity. Public and parliamentary discourse echoed these concerns, highlighting how the defense's success in prior royal attack cases (e.g., Edward Oxford in 1840) had evaded conviction, fostering perceptions of leniency toward mentally disordered offenders. These assessments directly influenced the Trial of Lunatics Act 1883, enacted on July 2, which formalized the special verdict "guilty but insane" to balance recognition of incapacity with affirmation of criminal responsibility, thereby addressing the perceived inadequacy of pure acquittal-by-insanity in high-profile threats to the sovereign. Retrospective evaluations by forensic psychiatrists have scrutinized the diagnosis's robustness, arguing that trial evidence—while indicative of eccentricity and possible —combined with Maclean's subsequent 39-year confinement (until his death by on January 21, 1921) raises doubts about profound under M'Naghten standards. He exhibited no violent in , repeatedly petitioned for release citing rational grievances, and engaged in lucid correspondence, suggesting symptoms may have been amplified for defensive purposes or represented a rather than disqualifying . Such analyses posit that the defense's evidentiary threshold, reliant on contemporaneous certifications prone to institutional toward over-diagnosis, may have facilitated outcomes prioritizing over precise culpability assessment in politically sensitive cases.

References

  1. [1]
    Roderick Maclean Attempts to Assassinate Queen Victoria at ...
    While the Queen's other would-be assassins had been tried under the 1842 Act, Maclean was tried for high treason, which carried the death penalty rather than a ...
  2. [2]
    Roderick Maclean's attempt to assassinate Queen Victoria, 2nd ...
    Mar 2, 2024 · When officers arrived they found that two Eton boys, named Wilson and Robinson, had been responsible for taking hold of the assassin and beating ...
  3. [3]
    The Attempted Assassination of Queen Victoria - Eton College ...
    Aug 24, 2020 · The Attempted Assassination of Queen Victoria. Home News & Diary ... Roderick Maclean attempted to take the life of Queen Victoria in 1882.
  4. [4]
    The seven men who tried to kill Queen Victoria - BBC
    Roderick Maclean was not unique. He was the last of seven would-be assassins to attack the Queen. Each could have brought the Victorian era to a premature end.
  5. [5]
    Seven Assassination Attempts On Queen Victoria | HistoryExtra
    Apr 11, 2023 · Assassinating Queen Victoria: the men who attempted to murder the monarch ... Roderick Maclean aims at the queen's carriage as it departs ...<|separator|>
  6. [6]
    Roderick Maclean - Research and Writing from Barrie Charles
    He spent 39 years in Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, where he died of apoplexy in 1921. The full chapter in the book describes his colourful family, his mad ...
  7. [7]
    On this day in history….2nd March 1882 – Cottage Capers
    His father was the proprietor of 'Fun' magazine – a rival to 'Punch' – and so the family would have been comfortable and Roderick Maclean depended upon them ...
  8. [8]
    Roderick Maclean: Attempted Assassination of Queen Victoria
    Aug 23, 2021 · Author's collection. Maclean came from a respectable family, spoke ... Roderick Maclean being seized after the assassination attempt.Missing: upbringing | Show results with:upbringing
  9. [9]
    Charles McLean (1806-1876) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree
    Mar 3, 2023 · In 1861, Charles McLean founded a magazine called "Fun" to rival the established comic weekly magazine "Punch". He established this magazine ...
  10. [10]
    Roderick Maclean was committed to the Somerset and Bath Lunatic ...
    He was discharged in July 1881 and in March 1882 at Windsor he attempted to assassinate Queen Victoria. He was charged and found guilty of High Treason, but ...
  11. [11]
    Attempted Assassination of the Queen - McGonagall Online
    This assassination attempt, which took place on the 2nd March 1882, was the last of eight such attempts made during her long reign. The would-be assassin turned ...
  12. [12]
    Attacks on the British Royal Family: The role of psychotic illness
    Aug 7, 2025 · These psychotic symptoms can include experiences such as delusions, hallucinations (particularly command hallucinations), and significantly ...
  13. [13]
    Roderick Maclean At Wells Asylum on JSTOR
    Roderick Maclean At Wells Asylum, The British Medical Journal, Vol ... 11, 1882 Roderick Maclean At Wells Asylum ... he was removed to the Somerset and Bath Lunatic ...
  14. [14]
    Attacks on the British Royal Family: The Role of Psychotic Illness
    Those cases in which there are clear reports that the attackers had been experiencing delusions and/or hallucinations at the time, we designate psychotic. Those ...
  15. [15]
    Attacks on the British Royal Family: The Role of Psychotic Illness
    Sep 1, 2025 · Roderick Maclean, 28 years, Fired a pistol at Queen Victoria as she ... Prior history of psychiatric disorder; deluded; diagnosed schizophrenia ...
  16. [16]
    Arthur O'Connor's Illness - Shooting Victoria
    May 1, 2012 · And Roderick Maclean –who conversed with God and believed the world leagued in a plot against him–would today certainly be medicated as a ...
  17. [17]
    Assassination attempt on Queen Victoria, 2nd March 1882, Roderick ...
    Mar 2, 2024 · Queen Victoria's Journal - Assassination attempt on Queen Victoria, 2nd March 1882, Roderick Edward Maclean ... assassin and beating him ...
  18. [18]
    The Assassination Attempt on Queen Victoria, 1882 - Visit Windsor
    Mar 2, 2020 · That man was Roderick Edward MacClean who had fired an errant shot at the queen. He was hustled to the ground by two Eton Scholars named Wilson ...
  19. [19]
    Eight Assassination Attempts on Queen Victoria - Historic UK
    Feb 28, 2022 · The final attempt on Queen Victoria's life was on March 2nd 1882 by twenty-eight-year old Roderick Maclean. The Queen was being serenaded ...Missing: school | Show results with:school
  20. [20]
    “An Offence New in Its Kind”: Responses to Assassination Attempts ...
    Dec 6, 2022 · As she sat in her carriage, she was fired on by Roderick Maclean, a delusional and disappointed poet who had a visceral fear of the color blue ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  21. [21]
    The Trial Following the Attempted Assassination of Queen Victoria
    Flashback to 1882 and we have Roderick McLean about to appear before Windsor Magistrates on a charge of attempting to murder the Queen.
  22. [22]
    Attempted Assassination of Queen Victoria in Windsor in 1882
    An assassination attempt by Roderick McLean on Queen Victoria at Windsor Great Weatern Railway station on 2 March 1882.
  23. [23]
    Roderick Maclean's Attempt to Kill Queen Victoria
    Dec 7, 2018 · “Maclean was tried on 19 April 1882 at Reading for high treason. Mr. Montague Williams presented overwhelming evidence that the prisoner was a ...Missing: court proceedings
  24. [24]
    Berkshire - History - Historic crime trials go online - BBC
    Aug 3, 2009 · Roderick Maclean attempted to murder Queen Victoria at Windsor railway station in 1882 ... Tried for high treason on April 20 the same year, the ...
  25. [25]
    5 famous early Broadmoor patients - Crime+Investigation
    After just five minutes the jury came back with a verdict, finding Maclean to be 'not guilty, but insane'. He was ordered to be detained at Broadmoor, where ...
  26. [26]
    Roderick Edward McLean (abt.1854-1921) - WikiTree
    Jul 6, 2022 · Roderick Edward McLean was born about 1854. He was the son of Charles McLean and Caroline Naybours. At the house in Gloucester, Roderick fell, ...
  27. [27]
    The life of Roderick Maclean, the man who tried to kill Queen Victoria
    Mar 2, 2023 · Victoria was the target of a staggering eight separate assassination attempts during her 63-year reign, the last of which was made by Roderick Maclean.
  28. [28]
    Worth being shot at—135 years ago today - Shooting Victoria
    Mar 2, 2017 · Roderick Maclean Queen Victoria Shooting Victoria Windsor Railway Station 2 March 1882 ... The attack, he realized, had been recent, but not all ...Missing: crowd | Show results with:crowd
  29. [29]
    Queen Victoria assassination attempt: From the archive, 4 March 1882
    Mar 4, 2013 · Roderick Maclean was tried for high treason and found "not ... father was SS officer. 15 Apr 2014. 2. 2. comments. From the archive, 25 ...
  30. [30]
    The Eight Assassination Attempts on Queen Victoria Just Made Her ...
    May 30, 2017 · Those changes came with the assassination attempt made by Roderick Maclean in 1882. After he fired a revolver at her in a train station ...<|separator|>
  31. [31]
    Queen Victoria - Chapter XI. Old Age - American Literature
    In 1883 an Act was passed changing the form of the verdict in cases of insanity, and the confusing anomaly remains upon the Statute Book to this day. But it was ...<|separator|>