The Murder of Ellen Glendell: Oscar Wilde’s Ballad of Reading Gaol is without doubt a classic, but the subject of Mr. Wilde’s ingenious contribution to English literature is something very different from the words so perfectly executed. The focus of this masterpiece, written after Oscar’s release from Gaol, was 30 year-old Charles Wooldridge of the Royal Horse Guards. The wonderful Oscar, who was so callously and unjustly put behind bars, had seen him exercising in the prison yard, and upon enquiring of his crime was given a rather rose tinted version, so taken was Oscar with the story that started to pen his famous poem. The basis of ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ is that of a man who killed the thing he loved, and then he too was doomed. In that, and that alone, was the truth, for the ‘thing’ Wooldridge loved was 23-year-old Ellen Laura Glendell, who worked in the Eton Post Office. He had not obtained the correct permission from the army to marry so they wed in secret and set up home together in Arthur Road, Windsor. Unfortunately for poor Ellen the love story ended there, as Wooldridge quickly proved himself to be a wife-beater. When his regiment moved to London Ellen stayed in Windsor and the couple split up, leading separate lives. Sadly, it would seem, Wooldridge missed hitting his wife so went back to Windsor and began again. His arrival back was not at all fortuitous for them both, as Ellen had been seeing another soldier and, refusing him entry to her home Wooldridge became incensed with anger and jealousy. He made an appointment to meet her, so they could settle the financial agreement between them. As soon as Ellen opened the door Wooldridge launched an attack with a razor he had brought with him for the occasion. Desperate to save her own life Ellen staggered with blood streaming from the wound, into the street, but the callous brute of a man was on top of her in no time and slashed her throat twice more before she collapsed, dying at his feet. He confessed to the first policeman who arrived on the scene and was arrested on the spot. After his trial and subsequent guilty verdict he was taken to Reading Gaol, where he caught the eye of Oscar Wilde. Charles Wooldridge was hanged on this day, 7th July 1896, in Reading Prison. It seems so ironic that a peaceful, kind hearted and gentle man such as Oscar Wilde should have been duped into making such a cold hearted, wife beating, coward the subject of such a well celebrated romantic poem. Although Oscar Wilde deplored any kind of violence, especially that aimed at women, he would I am sure, have found some humour in its absurdity. An excerpt from ‘The Ballard of Reading Gaol’ gives a certain gallantry to this hanous act of wilful murder: ‘Yet each man kills the thing he loves By each let this be heard. Some do it with a bitter look, Some with a flattering word. The coward does it with a kiss, The brave man with a sword!’ …in this case a razor.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 11:22:49 +0000
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