Robert Francis Pate Jr. (25 December 1819 – February 1895) was a former

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

, remembered for his

assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in cr ...

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

on 27 June 1850.

Early life

Robert Pate was born on Christmas Day, 1819, in

Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland port and civil parish in the Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bordering Norfolk and only 5 miles ...

Isle of Ely The Isle of Ely () is a historic region around the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. Between 1889 and 1965, it formed an administrative county. Etymology Its name has been said to mean "island of eels", a reference to the creatures th ...

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to t ...

, the son of Robert Francis Pate, a wealthy corn dealer and Maria (née Wilson). His parents married in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

on 16 March 1818. His mother died on 27 April in 1821. His father came from humble origins, but through trade became a gentleman and eventually Deputy Lieutenant of

and High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in 1847. Pate was educated in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...

. In 1841, his father purchased for him a

Cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a so ...

cy in the 10th Light Dragoons. 'Robert Pate to be Cornet, vice Lord G A Beauclerk' War Office 5 Feb 1841 in The Commercial Telegraph of 11 February 1841. He purchased a

Lieutenancy A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

the following year. Gazetted 'Cornet Robert Pate to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Williams. Dated 22d July 1842'. 'Francis Leigh, Gent. To be Cornet, by purchase, vice Pate. Dated 22d July 1842'. In 1844 while on a tour of duty in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

, his horses including his favourite, and his dog were put down because of

rabies Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, ...

, and Pate began to show signs of lunacy. He returned to Wisbech without leave in 1844. He resigned his commission in March 1846 and took up residence in

Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Cour ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, where he lived the life of a recluse. He took frequent walks in the royal parks, where his dandy clothing and strange behaviour drew attention.

Assassination attempt

The Queen was visiting

Cambridge House Cambridge House is a Grade I listed former townhouse in central London, England. It sits on the northern side of Piccadilly at number 94, in the fashionable district of Mayfair. , the property is being converted into a luxury hotel and seven r ...

on 27 June 1850, in order to see her dying uncle,

Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, (Adolphus Frederick; 24 February 1774 – 8 July 1850) was the tenth child and seventh son of the British king George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 18 ...

. About 6:20 that evening, her carriage was leaving the courtyard when Pate hit her on the head with the short feruled cane that he was carrying. The blow was heavy enough to crush her bonnet and draw a little blood. The attack was the only one that caused Victoria actual harm and the mark on her forehead remained for a decade. Pate was immediately arrested by sergeant James Silver and taken to

Vine Street Vine Street is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that runs north–south between Franklin Avenue and Melrose Avenue. The intersection with Hollywood Boulevard was once a symbol of Hollywood itself. The famed intersection fell into d ...

police station; later he was held at

Newgate prison Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey Street just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, t ...

Trial

He was put on trial at the Central Criminal Court. The Presiding Judge Mr Baron Anderson was accompanied by Mr Justice Patterson and Mr Justice Talfound. He was charged with three indictments; firstly unlawfully and maliciously striking the Queen, secondly with alarming the Queen, and thirdly with breach of the peace. The Attorney-General, the Solicitor-General (Mr Welsby), Mr Bodkin, and Mr Clerk were engaged for the prosecution and Mr Cockburn QC and Mr Huddlestone for the defendant. His defence team did not plead

insanity Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or t ...

, but instead asked for a lenient sentence on the grounds of a momentary lapse caused by a weak mind. The jury retired at twenty minutes past three, and did not return into court until five minutes past seven, when they gave a verdict of Guilty. The prisoner was immediately called up for judgement. Pate was sentenced to seven years of

penal transportation Penal transportation or transportation was the relocation of convicted criminals, or other persons regarded as undesirable, to a distant place, often a colony, for a specified term; later, specifically established penal colonies became thei ...

, which his father thought a better result than the ignominy of imprisonment in the UK accompanied by a

birching Birching is a form of corporal punishment with a birch rod, typically applied to the recipient's bare buttocks, although occasionally to the back and/or shoulders. Implement A birch rod (often shortened to "birch") is a bundle of leafless t ...

, even though that was a nominally lesser sentence.

In Tasmania

Pate's class ensured that he received lenient treatment in prison and on the subsequent journey as one of 261 convicts on the ''William Jardine'' departing on 9 August 1850 to

Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sep ...

(now known as

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

) where he arrived on 14 November 1850. However, on arrival he was consigned to the Cascades penal settlement on the

Tasman Peninsula The Tasman Peninsula, officially Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula, is a peninsula located in south-east Tasmania, Australia, approximately by the Arthur Highway, south-east of Hobart. The Tasman Peninsula lies south and west of Forestier Peninsula ...

like a common criminal. He served less than a year under what for him must have been an especially hard regime, and was then transferred to more amenable work in the community until the end of his sentence.

Later life

Pate's father died in 1856, but most of his money passed to other relations and Pate only received an annuity of £300 and a share of his personal possessions. However, his money problems were solved the following year when Pate married Mary Elizabeth Brown, a rich heiress. They lived in

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/ Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

Town,

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

for eight years before selling up and returning to London. The incident received further publicity when newspapers published articles about subsequent attacks on the Queen. Robert Pate lived a quiet life in the capital until his death in 1895 at which time he was living at Broughton, Ross Road, South Norwood. Under the terms of his will (dated 20 July), he left £22,464 to his widow, the sole

executrix An executor is someone who is responsible for executing, or following through on, an assigned task or duty. The feminine form, executrix, may sometimes be used. Overview An executor is a legal term referring to a person named by the maker of a ...

. He is buried in

Beckenham Crematorium and Cemetery Beckenham Crematorium and Cemetery is a cemetery in the London Borough of Bromley, opened in 1876. Location and history Beckenham Crematorium and Cemetery is located between South Norwood Country Park and Birkbeck. The cemetery was opened in ...

.Charles 2012, p82-85

Footnotes

References

Charles, Barrie (2012). ''Kill the Queen! The Eight Assassination Attempts on Queen Victoria'', Amberley Publishing, {{DEFAULTSORT:Pate, Robert 10th Royal Hussars officers 1819 births 1895 deaths Convicts transported to Australia People from Wisbech Failed regicides Failed assassins English emigrants to Australia