The Pimlico Poisoning: Adelaide Bartlett and the Mystery of Edwin's Death

The Mysterious Death of Edwin Bartlett

• 🎯 Thomas Edwin Bartlett, aged 40, died on January 1st, 1886, after a month-long illness, with a post-mortem revealing a fatal dose of chloroform in his stomach.
• 🔍 His wife, Adelaide, and a minister named George Dyson, with whom she was having an intimate relationship, were suspected of his murder.

Adelaide Bartlett's Background and Marriage

• 👶 Adelaide Blanch de la Trimmile was born in France in 1855, likely an illegitimate child, and was sent to England to live with her aunt and uncle.
• 🎓 She met and married Thomas Edwin Bartlett in 1875. Edwin, 11 years her senior and a wealthy grocer, sent her to boarding and finishing schools to improve her education.
• 💔 The marriage was unconventional; while sources suggest they cared for each other, Adelaide later claimed they only had sex once to conceive their child, who was stillborn.

The Relationship with George Dyson

• ⛪ In 1885, the Bartletts met George Dyson, a 27-year-old minister. Edwin encouraged an affectionate relationship between Adelaide and Dyson, even expressing a wish for them to marry after his death.
• 🤝 Edwin's father accused Adelaide of an affair with Edwin's brother, but Edwin defended his wife. However, Edwin's father later visited and was denied access to Edwin by Adelaide.
• 💔 Edwin's health deteriorated due to severe dental problems, possible mercury poisoning, and depression, leading him to express thoughts of dying.

The Chloroform and Final Days

• 🛍️ On December 27th, 1885, Adelaide asked George Dyson to purchase chloroform, claiming it could ease Edwin's pain. Dyson bought it from multiple stores and gave it to her.
• 🤫 Adelaide confessed to Edwin on December 31st that she had chloroform and intended to use it to subdue him, but claimed she did not administer it.
• 💀 Edwin was found dead on January 1st, 1886. A post-mortem revealed chloroform in his stomach, but no definitive cause of death was established by the initial examiners.

Trial and Acquittal

• ⚖️ Adelaide and George Dyson were charged. Dyson was tried separately and quickly found not guilty due to lack of evidence.
• ❓ Adelaide's trial was highly publicized. The prosecution argued she poisoned Edwin to marry Dyson, while the defense claimed she bought the chloroform for protection but never used it.
• 📜 The jury found Adelaide not guilty of murder, stating there was insufficient evidence to prove how or by whom the chloroform was administered, despite acknowledging grave suspicion.

Lingering Mystery

• 🤔 The true circumstances of Edwin Bartlett's death remain debated, with theories ranging from suicide due to his health issues to accidental or deliberate poisoning by Adelaide.
• 🇫🇷 Adelaide returned to France after her acquittal and died there. George Dyson is believed to have immigrated to the US under a new name.
• ❓ The Pimlico poisoning remains a fascinating unsolved mystery, with many believing Adelaide got away with murder.