François Courvoisier

François Benjamin Courvoisier (August 1816 – 6 July 1840) was a Swiss-born valet who was convicted of murdering his employer Lord William Russell in London, England, and hanged outside Newgate Prison on 6 July 1840. A crowd of around 40,000 witnessed his death, including Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray.

Early life and career Courvoisier was born in the small village of Mont-la-Ville, Switzerland, in August 1816, the son of Abraham Courvoisier, a farmer. He was educated at the local village school, after which he assisted his father in farm duties, before moving to England in 1836.

Through the assistance of his uncle, who was employed as a butler by an English baronet, he secured a position as a footman in the household of Lady Julia Lockwood. now Dunraven Street, Mayfair, although the building, along with others on the east side, has since been demolished. Described as 'a small house', it had two rooms per floor with a kitchen and pantry in the basement, two parlours (used for dining) on the ground floor, a drawing room and library on the floor above, Russell's bedroom and dressing room on the floor above that, and servants' rooms on the top floor. On the day before his murder he left Courvoisier with a number of tasks, one of which was to advise his coachman to collect him from Brooks's at five o'clock in his private carriage. It was widely reported in the London newspapers and, among the many titled spectators, came forward, to Police and, during cross examination the following day, she testified that Courvoiser had left a parcel with her prior to the murder and, when it was opened by Police, it was found to contain items belonging to Russell. Returned to his cell, he was visited by the Swiss consul who gave him a letter from his mother in which she wrote that she forgave him, and he was permitted to write a short reply. including British aristocrats, Members of Parliament, and 'distinguished Russian noblemen'. with Thackeray, in his essay On going to see a man hanged, stating 'I feel myself shamed and degraded at the brutal curiosity that took me to that spot.'