Perceval Shot Dead: Britain's Only Assassinated Prime Minister

A single pistol shot in the lobby of the House of Commons killed the only British prime minister ever assassinated in office. Spencer Perceval, walking through the lobby toward a parliamentary inquiry on May 11, 1812, was struck in the chest at point-blank range by John Bellingham, a Liverpool merchant who believed the government owed him compensation for a business dispute in Russia. Bellingham had spent five years in a Russian prison over a debt claim and repeatedly petitioned the British government for redress after his return. Every petition was rejected. He bought two pistols, tailored a special pocket into his coat to conceal the weapon, and waited in the Commons lobby for several days before Perceval appeared. The prime minister died within minutes, slumping onto a bench as other MPs rushed to restrain the shooter. The assassination stunned a nation already under strain from the Napoleonic Wars and economic depression. News of the killing sparked celebrations in some industrial cities where Perceval's government was deeply unpopular for its handling of the Luddite disturbances and food shortages. Bellingham's trial lasted a single day. His lawyers attempted an insanity defense, but the court rejected it, and he was hanged within a week. Perceval's death reshaped British politics at a critical juncture. Lord Liverpool replaced him and would govern for fifteen years, the longest continuous premiership in British history. The assassination also led to tightened security around Parliament, though it would take another century before comprehensive protection measures were implemented. Bellingham remains the only person to have successfully assassinated a sitting British head of government.