Madeleine Hamilton Smith (1835–c. 1920) was a 19th century Glasgow socialite who was the defendant in a sensational murder trial in Scotland in the summer of 1857.

Although she is widely regarded as a convicted murderess[citation needed], in fact, the verdict given at her trial was not proven.

The building where Madeline Smith and her alleged fiancé Mr. Minnoch each had apartments.
L'Angelier's rooming house.Madeleine was the first child of an upper-middle class family in Glasgow; her father James Smith (1808–1863) was a wealthy architect, and her mother, Janet, the daughter of leading neo-classical architect David Hamilton. The family lived at No 7, Blythswood Square, Glasgow, and also had a country property, "Rowaleyn", near Helensburgh.[1]

She broke the strict Victorian conventions of the time when, as a young woman in the spring of 1855, she began a secret love affair with Pierre Emile L'Angelier, an apprentice nurseryman who originally came from the Channel Islands.

The two met late at night at Madeleine’s bedroom window and also carried on a voluminous correspondence. During one of their infrequent meetings alone, she lost her virginity to Emile.

Madeleine’s parents, not knowing that Madeleine was carrying on an affair with Emile (whom she had promised to marry) found a suitable fiancé for her within the Glasgow upper-middle class — William Harper Minnoch.

Madeleine attempted to break her connection with Emile and, in February 1857, asked him to return the letters she had written to him. Instead, Emile threatened to use those letters to expose her and force her to marry him. She was soon observed in a druggist's office, ordering arsenic, and signed in as M.H. Smith.

Early in the morning of 23 March 1857, Emile died from arsenic poisoning. After Madeleine’s numerous letters were found in his lodging house, she was arrested for murder.