Unnatural Murder: Poison at the Court of James I

Summary (from the publisher): In autumn of 1615 the Earl and Countess of Somerset were detained on suspicion of having murdered Sir Thomas Overbury. The arrest of these leading court figures created a sensation. The Countess of Somerset was both young and beautiful. The Earl of Somerset was one of the richest and most powerful men in the kingdom. Unnatural Murder is at once a story rich in passion and intrigue and a murder mystery, for, despite the guilty verdicts, there is much about Overbury's death that remains enigmatic.

 

Review: Meticulously researched, this work of non-fiction analyzes the true events and trial surrounding the seventeenth century death of Sir Thomas Overbury. A complex tale, it involves the dissolution of the Countess of Somerset's first marriage, the rise in favor of the Earl of Somerset, and the soured friendship between Overbury and Somerset.

 

The gist is this - in 1606, the younger daughter of Thomas Howard, Earl of Suffolk, one of the highest ranking officials at the court of King James I of England was married to Robert Devereux, third Earl of Essex. However, the marriage was not a happy one, for the young Earl was unable to consummate the marriage. Meanwhile, his young bride, reportedly one of the most beautiful women at court, fell in love with Robert Carr, the King's current favorite. Robert Carr, beloved of the King (who had clear homosexual tendencies), was awarded privileges, land, and titles (eventually become the Earl of Somerset). Carr was also given significant responsibilities in running the kingdom and turned to his closest friend and adviser, Thomas Overbury, to assist him.

 

This was all well and good, until the unhappy Countess of Essex, Frances, decides to pursue an annulment of her marriage, with hopes of marrying Robert Carr upon dissolution of her first marriage. Overbury was strongly in opposition to this annulment and of Carr having any relationship with the lady. Eventually, Overbury (who apparently was deeply unpleasant) offends the king by refusing to serve as an ambassador, is imprisoned in the tower, and later dies. Several years later, Frances and her now husband, the Earl of Somerset, are tried for poisoning him, along with a whole host of accomplices. As I said, it's a complex tale.

 

There's a whole lot of he-said/she-said contradictions throughout this story. Additionally, the issue is complicated by the relative primitive investigation practices of the era, the tacit understanding to respect the king and avoid implicating his involvement in any way, and the complicated dynamics of court life, where friends became enemies and vice versa, and names are constantly changing as titles are bestowed and marriages take place. Furthermore, the author seems intent on going down every side street and alley possible in the storyline. For example, because several involved in the trial claim that life at court corrupted them, the author spends endless pages proving the corruption and excess of the court, referencing particular balls and masques, payments to courtiers, the cost of the finery of women at court, etc. Long, descriptive biographies of each servant, doctor, and the presiding legal authority are provided. I felt overloaded by information that was being heaped on an already very dense and complicated series of events. Additionally, there is an exceedingly long list of characters, but no character list is provided, which would have helped clarify the narrative for the reader.

 

Ultimately, four people were executed for Overbury's murder. Although the Earl and Countess of Somerset were both also found guilty, they were pardoned. While they lived freely, they lost their social status and never escaped the notoriety of being involved in the trial.

 

This trial has historical significance and certainly illustrates the complex dynamics of King James I's court. "The Overbury murder case was the greatest scandal of James I's reign and, arguably, the greatest court scandal to have occurred at any time in English history" (461). "The fact that such a wicked deed was committed by a man towards whom the King had not only displayed such marked affection, but had loaded with honours, riches and public office raised serious questions about James's judgment. [...] The case further blighted the reputation of the court as a whole by enhancing the impression that it was fundamentally rotten" (465).

 

Stars: 3