The Ardlamont Mystery: Alfred John Monson, 1893 by Mark John Maguire

When Cecil Hambrough left Ardlamont House in West Scotland on the morning of August 10th 1893 with his friend Alfred John Monson, and a mysterious man named Edward Scott, he had no idea that it would be for the last time. Monson and Scott returned to the House a little time afterwards to report that 20 year old Hambrough had accidentally shot himself. But what appeared at first to be a tragic accident led to one of the most famous murder trials in British history, and to Scotland's most sensational case since the Trial of Madeleine Smith in 1857. The Ardlamont mystery, as it became widely known, is noted also because it heard evidence from Dr Joseph Bell - the man whom Arthur Conan Doyle based the character of Sherlock Holmes...

Ardlamont Mystery; Cecil Hambrough; They Got Away With Murder; TGAWM; Alfred John Monson; Mark John Maguire; Sherlock Holmes; Dr Joseph Bell; Murder Not Proven

[deaththeworld]

The quality of the writing for the scripts of these videos is astounding, and serve as a marker of a lifelong and skilled writer producing these videos. What a treat to find this channel with such talent behind it and what a disgrace that youtube demotes such content.

[nope]

I always feel these channels are about attention for the creator & not the story. But not Mark's wonderful channel. No loud unnecessary music or sound effects. No self glorifying commentary. Just a well researched story delivered in warm hypnotic voice. This is the only channel I wait in suspense for the next post. Such a treasure.

[rdwwdr]

These are to me among the very very best true crime pieces on the internet. The writing is stunningly good and the episodes drip deliciously with a keen sense of irony. In fact these videos are actually real art.

[kevinrobinson]

A high Victorian melodrama involving fraud, usury, and murder played out against the backdrop of a Scottish country estate, compellingly told, forensically analysed, and brought to a convincing conclusion ... a true pleasure as always ...

[zenith]

I love the reader of this story. Such a calm voice...with the perfect intonation...not like some other readers who are overly dramatic. More of him, please. Thank you.

[rjbrjb]

Mark, this episode is a masterpiece. You fuse rare analytical and literary gifts. Your summation of the evidence is mercilessly logical and cumulatively irresistible. Then the barrister turns novelist and you deftly sketch character and both vividly and persuasively reconstruct events.

Our villain here possessed extraordinary nerve. Two murder attempts within 16 hours, the second necessarily improvised -- outstanding resilience. Had he been put in Lord Lucan's position of embarrassingly murdering the wrong woman, he would have retained his resolve and momentum when the right woman appeared. Strange how the qualities of deviousness, tenacity and audacity brought him no business success.

By the way, in America in 2020, the underwriters are obliged to pay an innocent spouse beneficiary even in the event of provable chicanery by her husband. That case may have been worth litigating. I Hate to see insurers skate.

Bravo and thank you.

[merriestroscher]

These presentations are so very excellently executed, that it is astonishing that they are produced by an individual and not an enormous production company. Well done sir!

[daisyjoyce]

Poor Cecil Hambrough only 21 with his life ahead of him, terrible what greed does to people. Another excellent video thank you.

[jocarruthers]

Am I wicked for secretly hoping there are hundreds of unpunished murderers in history for MJM to make videos about?! Can’t begin to describe how much I enjoy them. I listen to the playlist over and over, it both grips me and lulls me to sleep! Merry Christmas and thank you so much for another brilliant presentation ❤️

[stephaniesealy]

I'm in hospital having had major abdominal surgery, it was great to hear your wonderful voice, beautiful diction and a great story line. Perfect timing, thank you!

[primesspct]

I finally saw your name on the sketches sir, I had pondered whether you drew some of them in the past.
Your ability to capture a scene, in a rough sketch, is uncanny. Thank you for all the extra effort you put into your work, it certainly enhances the quality of your stories. It makes my evening when I see your uploads!

[diamondleigh]

Your voice is so soothing it takes me days to watch your videos, from falling You have the perfect voice for narrating and telling stories....

[hillshounds]

Enjoyed this story immensely, as I have your others. You have a wonderful voice for narration.

[MelanieMaguire]

Ooooo goody! I shall save this for later this evening to enjoy properly. :) Back later...

[catherinejohnson]

Every episode is better - if possible - than the last. Just captivating in all ways. This is professional!

[madonnaujmajuridze]

Another brilliant presentation! I have watched this smashing documentary - The Ardamamont Mystery, an interesting case for sure and can only say thank you for such excellent research reported in a manner that completely fascinated me, Mark! It takes you a long time to produce this with the level of research and investigation you do, but I really appreciate it. You have examined the evidence of the case that gripped Victorian Britain, putting forward your own theory as to why Cecil Hambrough was murdered. The documentary was interesting in many aspects: it recounted the atmosphere of late-Victorian crime investigating and court procedures, gave insights into the characters. The case itself was very intriguing in its complexity and described in a clear, concise way. The research undertaken by yourself on this case, history, and also the post-trial life of the accused is excellent. Thanks for your diligence and clearly very professional abilities in bringing the telling of this long ago not remembered murder incident.
The accompanying photos and your impressionistic drawings in the documentary help us to keep track of the characters involved and the scene of the trial. You are by far my favourite storyteller, Mark Maguire!
So all in all, it’s the perfect subject matter and great delivery and overall, just an exciting documentary. How could 10 people dislike this video? I am sorry to say, but I think of them as people with no taste. By the way, this is the best channel on Youtube for crime documentaries.

[alanjackson]

Fantastic! Yet another masterpiece of narration, presentation and deductive reasoning.
Thank you.
It still amazes me the level of incompetence of certain doctors back then. How they were allowed to proceed with a burial on the word of a doctor when there was a bloody great hole in the back of the poor boy's head is beyond belief.

[jakedavis]

My goodness, im overwhelmed by the quality of both the content and execution of the videos on this so fortunate to have found it!!

[lisafelines]

This is one of the best YouTube channels ever. Brilliant work, so captivating. Thank you so much!

[mangot]

I can’t be the only person who always tries to see what’s on the bookcase lol. Another great video, thank you! Keep thinking about some merch!