The Trial of John Donnellan, Esq (Late Master of Ceremonies at the..

1781. Scarce Account of a Covetous Poisoner Donellan, John [1737/8-1781], Defendant. The Trial of John Donnellan [sic], Esq. (Late Master of the Ceremonies at the Pantheon in Oxford-Street) at the Assizes Holden at Warwick, On Tuesday the 27th of March, 1781, Before Francis Buller, Esq. One of the Judges of the Court of King's Bench, For the Wilful Murder of Sir Theodosius Boughton, Bart. Taken in Short-Hand by a Barrister at Law, Attending the Midland Circuit. London: Printed for, and sold by, T. Brewman, at No. 1, the Top of Fleet-Market, facing the Obelisk, in Fleet-Street, [1781]. 43, [1] pp. Final page is a publisher advertisement. Octavo (7-3/4" x 5"; 20 x 12.5 cm). Stab-stitched pamphlet in contemporary thick marbled wrappers. Light rubbing, a few minor chips and tears to edges of wrappers, moderate rubbing to edges of wrappers and text block. Moderate toning to interior, light foxing in places, contemporary annotations, doodles and marks, both in ink and pencil, in a few places. A very good copy. $150. * Only edition, one of two 1781 imprints. "Coveting the estates of Sir Theodosius Boughton, who lived at resplendent Lawford Hall in Warwickshire, England, Captain John Donellan poisoned his host with essence of laurel water in 1780. This was later uncovered at a probing inquest which led to Donellan's conviction and execution; he was hanged at Warwickshire in 1781" (Nash). Both imprints are scarce. OCLC locates 3 copies of the London issue in North American law libraries (Library of Congress, University of Georgia, Yale). The English Short-Title Catalogue adds another (Harvard). Nash, Encyclopedia of World Crime II:999. English Short-Title Catalogue T92907.