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Eugene Marie Chantrelle (1834 in Nantes – 31 May 1878 in Edinburgh) was a French teacher who lived in
Chantrelle was teaching French at the private Newington Academy in Edinburgh when he began a relationship with a 15 year old pupil, Elizabeth Dyer. They married when she was 16 years old and their first child was born 2 months after they were married. They lived together at 81a George Street and the marriage was not a happy one from the start. His trial heard that in addition to physical violence, he regularly threatened to poison her.
He took out a £1000 life insurance policy against the accidental death of Mrs Chantrelle in August 1877. She was found unconscious on the morning of 2 January 1878 and later died in hospital. He was arrested after her funeral at 
He pleaded not guilty to her murder. His trial lasted four days and he was convicted by a jury within an hour and ten minutes.
He was hanged in the grounds of Calton Prison on 31 May and his body buried in an unmarked grave on that site.
In 1906 the trial was included in a series of articles on Scottish trials published by ''
Eugene Marie Chantrelle (1834 in Nantes – 31 May 1878 in Edinburgh) was a French teacher who lived in Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
and who was convicted for the murder of his wife, Elizabeth Dyer. He is claimed to be the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's character Dr Jekyll featured in ''The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...
''. Stevenson met Chantrelle at the home of Victor Richon, Stevenson's old French master.
Chantrelle was hanged for his crimes at Calton Prison in Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
.
Murder of Elizabeth Chantrelle
Chantrelle was teaching French at the private Newington Academy in Edinburgh when he began a relationship with a 15 year old pupil, Elizabeth Dyer. They married when she was 16 years old and their first child was born 2 months after they were married. They lived together at 81a George Street and the marriage was not a happy one from the start. His trial heard that in addition to physical violence, he regularly threatened to poison her.
He took out a £1000 life insurance policy against the accidental death of Mrs Chantrelle in August 1877. She was found unconscious on the morning of 2 January 1878 and later died in hospital. He was arrested after her funeral at Grange Cemetery
The Grange (originally St Giles' Grange) is an affluent suburb of Edinburgh, just south of the city centre, with Morningside and Greenhill to the west, Newington to the east, The Meadows park and Marchmont to the north, and Blackford Hil ...
on 5 January 1878 when traces of opium were found in vomit on her nightgown.
He pleaded not guilty to her murder. His trial lasted four days and he was convicted by a jury within an hour and ten minutes.
He was hanged in the grounds of Calton Prison on 31 May and his body buried in an unmarked grave on that site.
In 1906 the trial was included in a series of articles on Scottish trials published by ''The Spectator
''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world.
It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...
'' magazine.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chantrelle, Eugene 1834 births 1878 deaths People from Nantes French emigrants to the United Kingdom French people convicted of murder People executed by Scotland by hanging 19th-century executions by Scotland