Autograph Signature of Edward Drummond, private secretary to Sir Robert Peel, whose murder by Daniel McNaughtan gave rise to the 'McNaughten Rules' on criminal responsibility.

On rectangular panel cut from the front of an envelope, with address and frank by Drummond, and crown postmark in red ink ('PAID | 31 OC 31 | 1842') . The address, in Drummond's autograph, reads: 'Private | The Earl of Clanwilliam | Gill Hall | Dromore | Ireland | [signed in bottom left] Edwd Drummond'. In good condition, lightly-aged, and laid down on piece of paper cut from album, carrying contemporary manuscript caption: 'E. Drummond Esq | Priv. Sec. to Sir Robt Peel. | Assassinated in the street'. According to Drummond's entry in the Oxford DNB, 'Having been seen travelling alone in Scotland in Peel's carriage and coming out of Peel's London house by Daniel McNaughtan (or McNaghten) (1815?–1865), a wood-turner of Glasgow, Drummond was shot by him in the back in mistake for Peel as he was walking towards Downing Street on 20 January 1843. Medical treatment of him may have been incompetent; he died at 9 a.m. on 25 January, at Charlton, near Woolwich, where he was buried on 31 January. McNaughtan was acquitted on the ground of insanity and the criteria for this judgment became known as the ‘McNaghten rules’.'