Caroline Mary Hartley- Luard: Unsolved Murder of Major- Generals Wife

 

Caroline Mary Hartley was born Oct 1850 in Whitehaven, Cumberland, England, to Thomas Hartley (1803-1855) & Georgiana Elizabeth Rimington (1814-1878).

She married Major-General Charles Edward Luard 1 July 1875 in Plaxtol, Kent, England. (Photos below).

They had two sons:

Capt. Charles Elmhirst Luard 1839-1914 (photo below). He was a lieutenant when he was attached to the Central African Regiment from 1899 to 1904. On 30 Sep 1900 he was badly wounded at Obassa, Ashanti (Ghana), losing the sight in one eye. He was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the DSO.

Was reported missing in action on 15 September 1914 at Chivres Hill, Missy-sur-Aisne. His body was never found.

Luet. Eric Dalbiac Luard 1878-1903

He served in two major campaigns:

South African Campaign (1899–1902) with the Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), taking part in operations in the Wittenberg, Transvaal, Orange Free State, and Cape Colony. 

Somaliland Campaign (1900–1904) with the King’s African Rifles, where he was stationed at Guerrero when he died. He died on 13 November 1903 at Guerrero, Somaliland, aged 25, from enteric fever contracted in the field.

Here's some newspaper articles about Caroline's murder, and the Major-Generals suicide.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/hull-daily-mail-caroline-mary-hartley-lu/207812492/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/hampshire-telegraph-and-naval-chronicle/207814096/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bolton-news-caroline-mary-luard/206766469/ 

The General as he was called found his wife's body. She had been shot in the head below the left eye, and one behind her right ear. Her rings hand been so severely scrapped off her fingers leaving cuts on them. Her dress was torn at the back as if someone tried to turn her over. No gin found. The shots were heard by people nearby.

This was such a tragedy for her husband that the grief was too much and on 17 Sep 1908 he took his life by stepping into the front of a train.

This family has a very long elegant family line that came from France in around 1685.

So sad they never found who killed her. This family went through many trials and tribulations. 

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