Russian Imprisonment
In autumn 1803, a Russian ship Soleure (or sometimes "Sojus") insured at Lloyd's of London was lost in the White Sea. The owners (the house of R. Van Brienen) attempted to claim on their insurance but an anonymous letter informed Lloyd's that the ship had been sabotaged. Soloman Van Brienen suspected Bellingham was the author, and decided to retaliate by accusing him of a debt of 4,890 roubles to a bankrupt for which he was an assignee. Bellingham, on the verge of leaving for Britain on 16 November 1804, had his travelling pass withdrawn because of the debt.
Van Brienen also persuaded the Governor-General of the area to imprison Bellingham. A year later, Bellingham secured his release and managed to get to Saint Petersburg, where he attempted to impeach the Governor-General. This provoked the Russian authorities and he was charged with leaving Arkhangelsk in a clandestine manner, and again imprisoned. He was in prison until October 1808 when he was put out onto the streets, but without permission to leave. In his desperation, he personally petitioned the Tsar. He was permitted to leave in 1809 and arrived back in England in December.
Read more about this topic: John Bellingham
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