She was the wealthy Glasgow socialite who had dared to enjoy sex and was accused of poisoning her lover.

In Victorian Scotland the public was most likely split on which was worse.

In evidence was a bottle, its crimson wax seal broken. A skull and crossbones printed above the word "poison" stood out, chalky white on its label.

Alongside it, a block of chocolate laced with arsenic.

In the dock in 1857 was Madeleine Hamilton Smith, a young woman of just 21, on trial for murder.

Reports from the time say she entered the courtroom in a brown silk dress with a black silk cloak, "her step as buoyant and her eyes as bright as if she were entering a box at the opera".

It was the most sensational murder trial of the century and the public could not get enough of her.

She was charged on three counts, two for attempting to murder her lover, Pierre Emile L'Angelier, by slipping arsenic into his cocoa or coffee.

The third, with the crime of eventually murdering him.

Each day of her nine day trial made headlines as the press published every minute detail, from the tone of her voice ("a sweet, clear treble") to the mutton chop she had for breakfast.

The story of Madeleine has survived the centuries with its lavish plot line of blackmail, lust and ultimately, murder.

A tantalising glimpse into the woman at the centre of it all is being offered to the public this August by the National Records of Scotland.

Fascinating objects from her trial such as scandalous love letters, a bottle of arsenic, and the very chocolate she was accused of using to poison Pierre will go on show together for the first time in Edinburgh as part of the Famous Scots from the Past exhibition.

Any attempts to solve the crime in the modern day are hampered by cross-contamination, with arsenic most likely to be found on the chocolate now regardless.

But who was this woman who had captured the imagination of nearly the entire British Empire? And did she actually poison the man she had once risked everything for?

The trial of Madeleine Smith took place on a wet and dismal Tuesday, on June 30, 1857.

She had been brought to the East Jail in Edinburgh the week before on a first class train carriage and was in her seat at court by 10.30am that morning.

A large crowd had gathered to try and catch a glimpse of her but only a privileged few were allowed into the courtroom.

According to Charles T Combe, who served on the jury and later recounted his memories of that day, the 21-year-old took her seat with perfect composure.

On her left was the matron of Edinburgh Prison, while she was flanked by two policemen.

She wore a small straw bonnet trimmed with white ribbon and lavender-coloured gloves.

In her hands were a white cambric handkerchief and a silver-topped smelling-bottle which she never used.

She pled not guilty in a strong, clear voice and the trial began.

Madeleine was born on March 28, 1835, the first child of five in an upper-middle-class family.

Her father, James, was a wealthy architect and her grandfather was David Hamilton, the leading architect whose work can still be seen across Glasgow today.

They lived at 7 Blythswood Square in Glasgow and also had a country property, Rowaleyn, near Helensburgh.

Described as a popular young girl, "affectionate, vivacious, and intelligent", she led a largely uneventful life other than being sent to Miss Gorton's London finishing school for young ladies when she was 14.

She returned home to Scotland a few years later and it was there that she first met the man known as Pierre Emile L'Angelier.

Pierre, a clerk, had been seeking an audience with young Madeleine for a while.

She was nearly ten years his junior and much above his station but he convinced a mutual friend of theirs, a young man named Robert Baird, to arrange a meeting.

They met on Sauchiehall Street for the first time and it seems the attraction was immediate as soon after they began to send secret letters to each other.

Madeleine wrote no fewer than 250 love letters to Pierre and promised to marry him. He put up a portrait of her in his room.

The letters themselves, when read out in court, were something of a scandal.

While it was accepted at this time that women probably could enjoy sex it certainly was not accepted that this should be outwith the marriage bed.

For two years they kept their relationship hidden, meeting whenever they could, even if only at her bedroom window.

During one of their infrequent meetings alone, she lost her virginity to Pierre, a travesty for an unmarried young lady at the time.

It is unclear at what point Madeleine parents learned of the clandestine affair but soon after a suitable fiance for their daughter suddenly appeared within the Glasgow upper-middle class - William Harper Minnoch.

Despite her earlier passionate promises to Pierre, Madeleine's feelings towards her French lover began to wane.

Pierre, who believed himself practically married to Madeleine, became a desperate man.

He had heard rumours of his sweetheart's impending engagement and when he received letters from Madeleine saying their "mutual love had grown cold" and "they had better forget each other" he refused to let her go.

Instead, he threatened to show their letters to her father, the contents of which would have left her reputation in tatters.

Pierre threatened to use the letters to expose her and force her to marry him.

In vain Madeleine wrote to Pierre begging him to return her letters but he refused.

Terrified of the truth getting out, Madeleine , it seemed, then tried a different tact. She denied the rumours she was to be married and encouraged Pierre to visit her.

In court, she admitted meeting him at her bedroom window, where they talked and she served him cocoa from her mantelpiece and hot coffee.

The prosecution claimed she had laced either or both with arsenic.

A few weeks after their secret meetings, Pierre collapsed suddenly at his lodgings in Glasgow on March 23, the month after Madeleine had agreed to marry William Minnoch.

Pierre was found in a doubled-up position at his door in the early hours of the morning and despite constant medical attention by a doctor he died the following day.

Shortly before his death, when he was feeling unwell, he had told a mutual friend of theirs, Miss Perry, that he would not be surprised if Madeleine was trying to poison him.

On March 2, Miss Perry told the court he had arrived at her home looking extremely ill and told her he had never expected to see her again, for he had been so ill.

Again on March 9 he called on her and on that occasion remarked: " I can't think why I was so unwell after getting that coffee and chocolate from her."

He talked of his extreme attachment to Madeleine and observed: "It is a perfect fascination my attachment to that girl, if she were to poison me I would forgive her."

Shocked at the insinuation, Miss Perry said she remonstrated with him and asked him what motive Madeleine could have for giving him anything to hurt him.

He replied: " I don't know that, perhaps she would not be sorry to be rid of me."

After Pierre's death, his body was exhumed and a post-mortem was conducted with the results handed over to the police.

A forensic examination detected more than 30 grains of arsenic in his remains.

The evidence against Madeleine seemed strong.

Not only were there witnesses and written records of her buying arsenic around the same time Pierre was poisoned, but a bottle of arsenic and the chocolate she had given her former lover were also found in her room.

At the heart of the case were the hundreds of letters the police found at Pierre's lodgings, written in Madeleine's hand.

They revealed the lovers' passionate liaison and helped piece together the events surrounding Pierre's suspicious death.

It was discovered that, despite her affair with Pierre, Madelaine had been attracted to William and she deemed him a high class member of society.

Soon after she became engaged to him and buckled under Pierre's threats to expose her.

She had allowed her ex-lover's nightly visits to resume but on two occasions he was seized with an inexplicable illness after being given a cup of cocoa from her hands.

On the evening of his death witnesses also testified he had been seen heading in the direction of Madeleine's house.

Madelaine claimed she had not seen Pierre for three weeks prior to his death.

The prosecution case rested on the overwhelming motive that the prisoner had for disposing of her erstwhile lover.

The defence proceeded to allege there was no evidence the couple ever met on the days in question.

In court, Madeleine did not deny buying arsenic but said it had been for cosmetic use, she had diluted it in water and used it on her skin - something not uncommon among young woman at the time despite the known dangers.

She said she had indeed served Pierre cocoa and coffee at some point but pointed out she had also drank both and not become unwell.

At the time, witnesses also said Pierre had been taking large amounts of laudanum to help him sleep, a popular Victorian-era beverage consisting of alcohol and opium.

It was unclear what affect that might also have had on him, though another theory abounded that a heartbroken Pierre had perhaps administered the arsenic on himself in despair when he realised Madeleine was likely to leave him.

The evidence occupied six days, the seventh was absorbed with the address for the prosecution and on the eighth the speech for the defence and a part of the Lord Justice-Clerk's charge to the jury were delivered.

There were around 80 witnesses, including William, and many more items of evidence.

On the last day of the trial, when the judge's charge was concluded, the public excitement, in anticipation of the declaration of the verdict, had reached its highest pitch.

On that day, at five minutes past one o'clock, the jury retired to consider their verdict and returned only half an hour later.

When the foreman delivered a verdict of "not guilty of the first charge by a majority, of the second charge not proven, and by a majority find the third charge also not proven", the result was greeted with cheers and applause as the judge called for order.

Not proven is a peculiarly Scottish verdict which does not establish the innocence of the defendant - rather it simply concludes the prosecution have not been able to mount a sufficiently convincing case to prove guilt.

Madeleine was taken from the courtroom a free woman and left through a trap door to change her dress.

She donned a green veil, dark ribbons and a new cloak and left a few hours later, unobserved, to a waiting taxi with her brother and left for their family home in the country.

Throughout the trial she never appeared perturbed and seemed to exert a peculiar fascination over the men in the court audience.

She later told her prison matron in a letter that she had received hundreds of letters "all from gentlemen, offering consolation, their hearts and money".

The notoriety of the alleged crime and trial were scandalous enough for Madeleine to leave Scotland.

She moved to London and in July 1861 she married George Wardle, the business manager of the artist William Morris.

They had one son, Thomas, and one daughter, Mary, known as Kitten.

For a time she became involved with the Fabian Society in London and sometimes made the coffee at meetings.

As she was known by her new married name not everyone knew who she was - but a few did.

After many years of marriage, she and her husband separated in 1889 and Madeleine moved to New York City.

Around 1916, she married a second time to William A Sheehy and this marriage lasted until his death in 1926.

She died two years later at the age of 93 and is believed to have been buried under the name of Lena Wardle Sheehy.

As for her lover Pierre, his remains were buried in the Ramshorn Cemetery in Ingram Street, Glasgow.

After the trial, Pierre's mother applied for possession of Madeleine's letters. Her request was denied.

Famous Scots from the Past will run from August 1,to September1, at General Register House, 2 Princes Street, Edinburgh - Fringe Venue 502.

Read more here online at National Records of Scotland blog.