The late Dr. Willis - The rumours respecting the death of this lamented gentleman which have prevailed for some weeks, and which have been noticed in former papers, we are assured will be met with the most perfect frankness by the family of the late Rev. P. Curtois (in whose house at Branston he died), and with a determination that the cause and circumstances of his death shall undergo the most rigid investigation. Pending the enquiry, we have been favored by the Rev. Atwill Curtois (son of the late Rev. P. Curtois), the present incumbent of Branston, with the following statement relating to the health of Dr. Willis, and the incidents of his death:-

"Monday Sept. 21, 1835.-Dr. Willis, after galloping a horse which was going to Lincoln races, complained of being very much exhausted : he made Miss M. Curtois feel his pulse, which was very intermittent, and repeated his frequent observation "that he should die as his father had done." On that day he went to dine at Burghley, but did not dance at the ball in the evening, although asked by Lady Exeter, as he said he "somehow did not feel equal to it." At this ball, Miss Curtois danced with Dr. Hopkinson, who said in answer to her remark that Dr. Willis was looking wonderfully well, "Yes, Dr. Willis does look very well now: but, depend upon it, whenever he dies, it will be suddenly; indeed, you need not be suprised to see him die at the dinner table at any time." Mr. Cooper made the same remark to Mr. Curtois at this very ball: both gentlemen frequently expressed this opinion the winter before, whilst attending him during the shingles. Dr. Willis was latterly very subject to faintliness and giddiness in his head, and used to complain of great fatigue after walking, and was often short-breathed; he also mentioned that a lump frequently rose in his side, which was dispersed by friction.

"On Wednesday Sept. 23rd, Dr. Willis came to Longhills [Branston]; in passing, he stopped his carriage to speak to Mr. Edward Chaplin, who remarking on his good looks, Dr. Willis answered him, "looks are often deceitful." He complained of lumbago very much the next morning; in spite of which, he rode to Lincoln, to the races, and he dined at the ordinary: this was the last meal of which Dr. Willis ever partook. On his health being drunk, he returned thanks, and alluded to his attendance on the King, and even shed tears. He afterwards appeared restless, and anxious to reuturn home, saying he did not feel well. At 11 o'clock he arrived at Longhills with Mr. Curtois: sat round the fire with him and the Miss Curtoises; the sago was brought in, and some mixed in a glass for him, but contrary to his usual habit, he refused it.

"Sept. 25th-Dr. Willis was called as usual: at 8 o'clock he desired Gane to tell the Miss Curtoises that he had had a very good night, and never felt better in his life." He desired Gane to order horses for the carriages for the ball, and also begged the breakfast might be punctual, as he wished to go to Lincoln to see his horses. About 20 minutes before 9, Miss M. Curtois, whose room was opposite to his, thought she heard him retching, and went and listened at his door, but all was quiet; and on the maid's coming in, she instantly asked her how Dr. Willis had passed the night, when the maid gave her the message sent by Dr. Willis at 8 o'clock; but added, Gane was very much suprised his master had not rung, and that he was going up to see the reason. A few minutes after 9, Gane's voice was heard screaming for Mr. Curtois. On rushing up stairs, Mr. Curtois found him lying on the floor, half dressed, apparently dead, but not cold. Mr. Curtois and Gane tried to pour brandy dowh his throat-his legs were put into hot water, he then was lifted into a hot bed, and his body was rubbed with vinegar. A groom was sent off instantly for Dr. Wm. Cookson. Mr. Curtois, becoming most impatient for his arrival, rode off to meet him, and saw Mr. Hett passing the gate, and brought him in. Mr. Hett pronounced that all was over, and that the cause of the sudden death was water at the chest, of which Dr. Willis' father had died. A bottle of camphorated spirits of wine was found by him, without the cork, and it appeared that while he was rubbing his back with the spirits, the water had gone to the heart; that he had slipped from his chair onto the floor and died without a struggle; his countenance was perfectly placid and unchanged. Dr. Wm. Cookson arrived in about an hour and a half; Mr. Curtois was not in the house, so after going up to see Dr. Willis, Dr. Wm. Cookson came into the drawing room to the Miss Curtoises, and informed them that the death was occasioned by water on the chest. Mr. Curtois told his daughters in the morning there must be an inquest, which he regretted, as Dr. Willis had always expressed his horror of inquests; he even on one occasion, when reading in the paper the account of an inquest, remarked to Miss Curtois, "what an abominable shame it was that people should be exposed to such a thing after death". It was therefore a great relief to all the family when Mr. Hett and Dr. Wm. Cookson gave their decided opinion that no inquest was necessary. The same opinion was given and acted upon on the occasion of Mr. F. Chaplin's sudden death, a short time afterwards, from the same cause. No one had entered Dr. Willis' room that morning, excepting Gane, unless it might be the housemaid to light the fire. No-one ever went into his room in the morning, except his own valet, and a housemaid to light the fire when the weather was cold, which it was not at that time. Dr. Willis' medicine chest was always kept in his own room."

Stamford Mercury, 10 March 1848

THE LATE DR WILLIS, PHYSICIAN IN ORDINARY TO KING GEORGE III.-HIS RUMOURED MURDER.

For some time past a strong feeling of excitement has prevailed throughout the County of Lincoln, by the circulation of report of a nature tending to lead to suspicions that the death of the late Doctor Willis, physician in ordinary to his late Majesty, King George III., who died on the 25th of September, 1835, did not arise from natural causes, as was at the time alleged and believed, but from the effects of more subtle agents. The first public announcement of the existence of doubts as to the nature of the death of Dr. Willis, who left a personalty amounting to the enormous sum of £300,000, appeared in the Lincoln and Stamford Mercury of the 25th of February last, which stated that "Society around Stamford is at this time agitated by a most extraordinary story relating to the death of Dr. Willis. The story now current is, that a person in the domestic establishment of the deceased on his death – bed lately, made a confession that he poisoned the doctor, and circumstances are added which seemed to make it necessary that, remote as the period is at which the event occurred, an investigation should take place. At present we cannot say more on so delicate and important a subject, and it is only the great respectability of the circles in which the matter is daily discussed that warrants as in making an allusion to it."

It will here be necessary to state that subsequent to the death of George III., Dr. Willis for years, and up to his death, resided at Greatford in Lincolnshire, where he kept race horses, and was himself a constant attendant at Lincoln Races, at which his horses were ended. During his residence in Lincolnshire he was a frequent visitor at the residence of the Rev. P. Curtois, rector of Branston, near Lincoln, where he was staying at the time of his death, which was represented at the period of its occurrence to have taken place in a fit while in the act of dressing on getting up in the morning. In stating that that was the fact, the Lincoln and Stamford Mercury of March 3 states, "with reference to the extraordinary report of the murder of the late Dr. Willis, of Greatford, to which we alluded last week, we can say positively that an investigation is now going on, under the proper authorities, and that the remains of the deceased have been (or will be) exhumed for the purpose." The same paper of March 10, in allusion to the affair, says "We are assured the rumours in circulation will be met with the most perfect frankness by the family of the late Reverend P. Curtois, and with a determination that the cause and circumstances of his death shall undergo the most rigid investigation," which paragraph is immediately followed by an ex parte statement, which the editor had received from the Reverend Atwill Curtois (son of the late Rev. P. Curtois), the present incumbent of Branston, relating to the health of Dr. Willis, and the incidents of his death, and tending to show that his health had been for some time previous in a precarious state, and that his death took place in effect caused by water on the chest, according to the opinion of Mr. Hett, a surgeon, and Dr. William Cookson, who were called in, but neither of whom, it appears, made a post-mortem examination of the body. From the statement it further appears that no inquest was held, on the ground that the two medical gentlemen did not consider it necessary, and Mr. Curtois told his daughters that Dr. Willis had always expressed his horror of inquests, and had, on one occasion, said, "what an abominable shame it was that people should be exposed to such a thing after death."

It further appears that the publicity given to the rumours in the local papers, has caused much conversation at the different clubs at the west end of the town, which has led to enquiries into the matter being made by direction of the Commissioners of the Metropolitan Police, from which it is stated that it has been ascertained that James Ganes, who was for 38 years valet to Dr. Willis, and who was in attendance upon him on the morning of his death, is still living, and that he states that his master was quite well on the morning of his death, about half–past eight o'clock, after he had assisted him to dress; that he begged of the Rev. P. Curtois to call an inquest, which was not, however, done. The Lincoln and Stamford Mercury, in its edition of March 17th, further acquaintance its readers: "We are informed that the most eminent police solicitors are employed in the investigation to which we have referred, and that the London Police Commissioners have entrusted the affair to Mr. Inspector Tedman, who was engaged in the investigation of the murder of Lord William Russell. "

From later enquiries made on the subject, it has been ascertained that the body has not yet been exhumed, the chemists and medical men consulted in the case, giving it as their opinion that after such a lapse of time it will be impossible to discover any description of vegetable poison, while they admit that there would not be so much difficulty should a mineral poison have been used. Until a post-mortem examination is made nothing positive can be said on the subject, while a thousand rumours are in circulation from one end of Lincolnshire to the other.

The Observer, 2 April 1848