Page 78 - All About History - Issue 09-14

Killing for honour

from Italy began to influence English thinking on “ Men risked being ostracised from society
phenomenon in Britain. Written guides imported
such things as etiquette, chivalry and honour – as for not issuing a duelling challenge in
did the idea that breaches of such codes should be
settled by duelling. response to an insult”
When duelling became unfashionable in the
mid-19th century, there wasn’t any need for a because they were close friends, but then found the saddle was brief and unglamorous. He had
specific new law because existing legislation himself in the awkward position of not owning purchased his cavalry commission, and although
to do with violence, manslaughter and murder duelling pistols. As a military man he would this was common at the time, he was not the
already covered all aspects of the practice. The obviously have had access to firearms of all kinds, captain he was often described as at the time and
one important move at this time was a change to but duelling pistols were specialist weapons whose in subsequent retellings of the story, but a mere
the Articles of War, which governed the behaviour design had evolved over the years to suit their sole cornet – the lowest commissioned rank. Moreover,
of army officers. Prince Albert had wanted to purpose. He and Pym were obliged to trawl the gun his ‘career’ only lasted 12 months.
introduce a ‘court of honour’ to which officers could shops of Portsmouth until they were able to obtain At 5pm, Hawkey and Seton took up their places
take their grievances instead of duelling. Although a good pair. at a distance of 15 paces and readied themselves.
this was rejected, the sending and accepting of There were rumours Hawkey had been involved In the public consciousness, dawn is the typical
challenges was banned in 1844 under the revised in a previous duel and he was certainly not a man time for duels and it was indeed a fairly common
Articles of War, and the Royal Navy adopted the to be trifled with; he was a serving officer from a time for duels to take place because it lessened
same principle. In this respect, Britain was ahead of family with a strong military tradition and had seen the chances of being interrupted or witnessed.
the times. Duelling in Europe continued for much military action. His own father had killed a man in However, there were no set rules and basically any
longer – for several decades in France. a duel. Seton, by contrast, was something of a fraud. time and place that suited the participants was
The last fatal duel in England had its roots in He liked to boast about his cavalry background and considered acceptable. The same applies to duelling
1845 when Lieutenant Henry Hawkey of the Royal his time with the illustrious Eleventh Hussars, of distances; it was up to the principals and seconds
Marines and his attractive wife Isabella met James Charge of the Light Brigade fame. But the reality to come to an agreement. A kind of convention
Alexander Seton, a former cavalry officer in the was that the grossly overweight Seton’s time in did evolve over time, though, and most duels were
genteel Portsmouth suburb of Southsea. They were
all in their mid-twenties. Before long, the wealthy
Seton was paying Isabella a great deal of attention.
He offered her gifts, suggested trips in his carriage How to duel
and visited her at home when he knew Hawkey
was on duty. Isabella Hawkey later portrayed herself
as a completely innocent victim of his predatory
ways but this account has been questioned. Seton
was an arrogant, determined man and barely made
a secret of his lecherous designs. Hawkey certainly
had his suspicions and instructed the landlady to
make excuses to interrupt Seton and his wife if the
former ever called on her while he was out.
Things came to a head during a ball, when
Seton insisted on dancing with Isabella against
Hawkey’s wishes. Seton made overt advances
while they danced, having already said he had no
fear of ‘going out’ (ie duelling) with her husband
if it meant he had his way with her. Hawkey
knew something was amiss and, finally provoked
beyond the limits of his patience, took Seton to
one side. No one knows exactly what words were
spoken, but Hawkey almost certainly demanded
a meeting, because Seton’s air of bravura was A remote location,
instantly dropped and he claimed it was beneath such as a forest,
a cavalryman to duel with a mere ‘infantryman.’ avoids interruptions.
This was not only insulting to both Hawkey and
the Royal Marines but a cowardly way of avoiding All duellists must have
a duel. It didn’t work. Hawkey knew that if he made a second who carries
a big enough scene, Seton would be humiliated their weapons.
into having to offer a challenge. As Seton attempted
to leave the King’s Rooms, Hawkey accosted him,
threatening to ‘horsewhip him up and down the
high street’, and even kicked out at him. Seton had
been backed into a corner. Early the next morning,
a friend of his arrived at Hawkey’s house and
issued Seton’s challenge.
Hawkey chose young, inexperienced fellow
marine Edward Pym as his own second, probably
78