The Mysterious Death of Charles Bravo. Tim Vicary

      THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF CHARLES BRAVO

      THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF CHARLES BRAVO

      In England in the 1800s, during the time of Queen Victoria, women did not have an easy time. A married woman had to obey her husband in everything; she could not decide things for herself. Only a man could do that for her. And if she had a bad husband, who beat her, she could do nothing about it.

      Florence Bravo was young, beautiful, and rich, but she was not lucky in her husbands. Her first husband drank too much, and beat her. She left him and took a lover, who was kind and gentle, but he was already married. Then she married Charles Bravo …

      Five months later, Charles Bravo was dead, killed by antimony poisoning. But who gave him the antimony? Who wanted him dead? Or was it an accident, and not murder at all?

      This is a true story about a murder in 1876. It was a very famous case. The newspapers at the time were full of it, and everybody in England was talking about it. But no murderer was ever found …

      PEOPLE IN THIS STORY

      Florence Bravo, wife of Charles Bravo; previously, Florence Ricardo, wife of Alexander Ricardo

      Charles Bravo, second husband of Florence Bravo; died April 1876

      Joseph Bravo, stepfather of Charles Bravo

      Alexander Ricardo, first husband of Florence Bravo; died April 1871

      Dr James Gully, famous doctor, and lover of Florence Bravo

      Mrs Jane Cox, friend and companion of Florence Bravo

      George Griffiths, Florence Bravo’s coachman

      Mary Ann Keeber, Florence Bravo’s maidservant

      Doctors who saw Charles Bravo during his illness:

      Dr Harrison, a doctor from Streatham

      Dr Moore, a doctor from Balham

      Dr Royes Bell, a doctor and cousin to Charles Bravo

      Dr George Johnson, a well-known London doctor, and a friend of Royes Bell