James Paull

James Paull (1770–1808) was a British politician and duellist.

Early life Born at Perth, Scotland, he was the son of a tailor and clothier. He was educated at the University of St Andrews, and placed with a writer to the signet at Edinburgh. At the age of 18 he went out as a writer to India, in the ship of Sir Home Popham, and about 1790 settled at Lucknow. Within two years from his arrival he was able to provide an annuity for his mother, then a widow. Paull was involved in a duel with Michael George Prendergast in 1795; he was wounded, and in later life lost the use of his right arm. In 1801 he left Lucknow and came back to England for a time, but returned again to India the following year. The friends of Lord Wellesley tried in July 1806 to force his hand, but, through the interposition of Sir Samuel Romilly, were prevented from carrying out their purpose. At the close of the election Burdett and Lord Cochrane were at the head of the poll with 5,134 and 3,708 votes respectively, while Paull obtained only 269.

Death Paull neglected his wounds, and suffered for three months. His election expenses had exhausted his resources, and he was disappointed in his expectations of assistance from India. For some weeks he showed signs of mental derangement. He lost over 1,600 guineas at a gaming-house in Pall Mall on the night of 14 April 1808.

On the following day Paull deliberately attempted suicide, by piercing his right arm, and then by cutting his throat. He died at his house, Charles Street, Westminster, on 15 April 1808, and was buried at St. James's, Piccadilly, on 21 April.

Correspondence, aftermath In 1806 a "Lover of Consistency", presumed to be Paull himself, published A Letter to the Right Hon. C. J. Fox, on Fox's conduct on the charges against Lord Wellesley. The accusations brought against the Prince of Wales were repelled in 1806 in A Letter to the Earl of Moira. After the duel with Burdett there appeared in The Times a letter from Tooke, which was published separately; and he also issued a pamphlet, entitled A Warning to the Electors of Westminster from Mr. Horne Tooke, alleging that Paull had imposed on him; the accusation was countered in A Refutation of the Calumnies of John Horne Tooke, by James Paull, 1807. In 1808 there came out A Letter from Mr. Paull to Samuel Whitbread, in which he attributed the loss of his election for Westminster to the influence of another politician. His letter to Viscount Folkestone on the impeachment of the Marquis of Wellesley is in Cobbett's Political Register, on 25 October 1806.

The charges against Wellesley were renewed in the House of Commons by Viscount Folkestone on 9 March 1808, but were negatived by 182 votes to 31.