Only five victims of Jack the Ripper?

This contemporary newspaper report, November 1888, didn't think Mary Kelly was the fifth victim.

Mary Jane Kelly

Mary Jane Kelly A.K.A. Marie Jeanette Kelly, Mary Ann Kelly, Ginger, Fair Emma. Trying to find the first reference to Mary Kelly using the middle name, Ann. Frustrating. I have found someone, within the records; there is a peculiarity about her. She has a son in 1880 and is unmarried. The son becomes a rabble rouser and appears in newsprint on several occasions.

Coincidence?

My Jack the Ripper arrived in London in 1884 the same year as Mary Kelly.

9th Lancer's nickname was the Delhi spearmen.

9th Lancer's nickname was the Delhi spearmen. And not for nothing ...

Officers under suspicion

Delhi Spearmen

The 9th Lancer's nickname is the Delhi Spearmen. The 9th Lancer’s earlier history was an officer’s wife having her unborn child ripped from her womb. The story was retold to instil a sense of revenge in the men. The men would train using a knife in both left and right hand.
Battles won and lost. Wars won. An officer’s wife got a bit stuck up. - nothing new there - on the point of a butcher’s knife. An Afghan ripped her up. Mrs Chambers, was pregnant; her unborn child was ripped from her womb by a local butcher. The other, a Mrs Dawson, was recovering from smallpox; to avoid contagion, the mob threw burning torches at her until her clothes caught fire and burnt her to death. The British left the room untouched, and filled in the well where they’d tossed the baby, only partially, so that they would stand as terrible reminders to new troops from England that their duty must be sustained by a desire for revenge. One soldier, his head full of tales of atrocities, reported: “I seed two Moors talking in a cart. Presently I heard one of ‘em say ‘Cawnpore.’ I knowed what that meant; so I fetched Tom Walker, and he heard ‘em say ‘Cawnpore,’ and he knowed what that meant. So we polished ‘em.” Bastards. But you couldn’t help but admire their tenacity. When their turn came to fight in Afghanistan, they had something to live up to. They fought alright. He still had the knife.

Blood moon.

Jack the Ripper. A new suspect. He arrived in London on the evening of a full eclipse of the moon - a so called blood moon. Unfortunate women shivered as a darkness crept across the streets of Whitechapel. Jack took his victim’s body parts, but more than that he stole their lives. They had little. He thought them worthless. But he placed such value on these women that he risked his life to possess them. This Jack isn’t famous, rich, or royal, but you will have heard of him. He is a self-made man. Not for him an idle life led in the dosshouses. He chose a different course. Everyone would remember him. He wrote his name in chalk. He signed his name in ink. He hid in plain sight. Billy Helston portrays the lives of the murdered women with sensitivity and humour. Helston effectively uses contemporary accounts to illustrate the horror and confusion surrounding the silent, cloaked, Whitechapel killer.

Parisian filles de maison

The number of filles de maison remained roughly the same during the last half of the century, but the number of tolerated and licensed houses decreased steadily. From 300 in 1840, the number declined to about 190 in 1860, to 128 in 1878, and to only 70 in 1886. Because the business expanded at the extreme ends of the social spectrum of brothel prostitution, the types of houses that remained in operation changed a great deal. Located for the most part between the exterior boulevards and the fortifications, houses of the most squalid variety, catering to the least elite customers, carried on and prospered. 

The second-rate houses almost disappeared, while the number of maisons de luxe (often called grandes tolerances) increased, mostly in proximity to the newly prosperous grands boulevards, the commercial centre of Paris, and particularly in the streets adjoining the Madeleine, the Bourse, and the Opera. During 1878, the year of an Exposition Universelle in Paris, establishments in the deluxe category doubled their earnings. 

Hollis Clayson painted Love.

Presumably, Mary Kelly didn't work at the lower end of the French market. She would have sold her gowns prior to her return to journey to London. So she worked upmarket and those few houses were registered.

 

If not Mary Kelly

If not Mary Kelly, someone from that village (area) knew a Davies died in a mine accident in 1880 and spoke about it to Joe Barnett. This was local to Wrexham knowledge not national news. Whoever told him that snippet is 'Mary Kelly' and that person is interested in, and is knowledgeable of, the Kelly Family. Maybe someone envious of Mary? Why did she need to recite this after eight years? A rival perhaps? She also knew of an ironworks in Brymbo, again local information.

Maybe this person’s father is called John. Then it’s her brother who’s in the army and his first name is Henry just not followed by Kelly.

This 19th century poem is dedicated to Mary Kelly.

This poem is dedicated to Mary Kelly?



ONE more unfortunate,
Weary of breath,
Rashly importunate,
Gone to her death!

Take her up tenderly,
Lift her with care;
Fashioned so slenderly,—
Young, and so fair!

Look at her garments
Clinging like cerements,
Whilst the wave constantly
Drips from her clothing;
Take her up instantly,
Loving, not loathing!

Touch her not scornfully!
Think of her mournfully,
Gently and humanly,—
Not of the stains of her;
All that remains of her
Now is pure womanly.

Make no deep scrutiny
Into her mutiny,
Rash and undutiful;
Past all dishonor,
Death has left on her
Only the beautiful.

Still, for all slips of hers—
One of Eve’s family—
Wipe those poor lips of hers,
Oozing so clammily.

Loop up her tresses
Escaped from the comb,—
Her fair auburn tresses,—
Whilst wonderment guesses
Where was her home?

Who was her father?
Who was her mother?
Had she a sister?
Had she a brother?
Or was there a dearer one
Still, and a nearer one
Yet, than all other?

Alas for the rarity
Of Christian charity
Under the sun!
O, it was pitiful!
Near a whole city full,
Home she had none.

Sisterly, brotherly,
Fatherly, motherly
Feelings had changed,—
Love, by harsh evidence,
Thrown from its eminence;
Even God’s providence
Seeming estranged.

Where the lamps quiver
So far in the river,
With many a light
From window and casement,
From garret to basement,
She stood, with amazement,
Houseless by night.

The bleak wind of March
Made her tremble and shiver;
But not the dark arch,
Or the black flowing river;
Mad from life’s history,
Glad to death’s mystery
Swift to be hurled,—
Anywhere, anywhere
Out of the world!

In she plunged boldly—
No matter how coldly
The rough river ran—
Over the brink of it!
Picture it,—think of it!
Dissolute man!
Lave in it, drink of it,
Then, if you can!

Take her up tenderly,
Lift her with care!
Fashioned so slenderly,—
Young, and so fair!

Ere her limbs frigidly
Stiffen too rigidly,
Decently, kindly,
Smooth and compose them;
And her eyes, close them,
Staring so blindly!
Dreadfully staring
Through muddy impurity,
As when with the daring
Last look of despairing
Fixed on futurity.

Perishing gloomily,
Spurred by contumely,
Cold inhumanity,
Burning insanity,
Into her rest!
Cross her hands humbly,
As if praying dumbly,
Over her breast!

Owning her weakness,
Her evil behavior,
And leaving, with meekness,
Her sins to her Saviour!

No this poem wasn't dedicated to Mary Kelly. It was written before she was born. Thomas Hood. 1798–1845

Brymbo Mary. There's a truth there somewhere.

There's a truth here. Somewhere. Whether it's Mary, or someone who knows this family intimately. Kate Eddowes gave her name as Mary Ann Kelly. Did 'Mary Kelly' know Kate and it was a private joke? Oh, let's blame Mary Kelly. Or, I'm doing a Mary Kelly, i.e impersonating her, blaming her. There was mention of Kate living in a shed off Dorset Street.

Mary Kelly. The man killed in the mine. John Davies.

Mary Kelly. The man killed in the mine. John Davies.

Name:             DAVIES John

Age: 27

Date: 29/01/1880

Year:   1880

Occupation:    Collier

Colliery:         Westminster

Owner:            Westminster and Brymbo Coal & Coke Co Ltd

Town: Wrexham

County:           Denbighshire

Notes:             Fall of roof. Died 5th June.

Birth 1854

John Davies

Event Type     Burial

Event Date     09 Jun 1880

Event Place    Brymbo, Denbighshire, Wales

BRYMBO DENBIGHSHIRE

12th February 1880

______________________________

Friday last, incidence. John Davies seriously hurt in one odd serious accident at work - Westminster and Brymbo Coal & Coke Co Ltd. Fall of roof. Other workers involved in work accidents are Penrhos, one called Richard Owens - two members at Bethel (W). It is good that I understand that they are now improved in Rhagorol, Gohebydd.

The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

18th June 1880

Family Notices

Death Notices

______________________________________

DAVIES—June 5, aged 26, at Brymbo, John Davies.

EDWARDS—June 8, aged 66, Mr. William Edwards. Tan-y-Bryn, Sion, Ysceifiog, formerly assistant over-seer of that parish.

HUGHS—June 7, aged 17, the son of Evan Hughes . . . 

___________________________________

Annie Chapman aka Dark Annie, Annie Siffey, Sievey or Sivey.

Barrel of Treacle (Low London). The condition of love, suggested by the sweetness of this cloying synonym. Ton our sivey, we don’t want to poke fun at chaps who’ve fallen into that barrel of treacle called love, and make up to their little lumps of soap in the operpro sort of way, and no blooming kid.— Newspaper. cutting, 1883.

Annie Chapman was sweet and lovable? Works for me.

Another entry: Jack (Lambeth, 1865-72). A policeman—quite local.

Mary Kelly?

No. No images of her exist, as far as we know, apart from those bloody photographs from Millers Court. Maybe she's in a street scene. Perhaps there's a photograph of  her in a box in an attic. An album in an auction lot...

I may use this image as my cover -if I can finish the book. Although, so little is known about her any account is a fiction.

I've begun a book about Mary Kelly.

I've begun a book about Mary Kelly. 7000 words in and still can't find her voice.  I have an idea of where, who she is ... BUT ...

Mary Jane Kelly A.K.A.. Marie Jeanette Kelly, Mary Ann Kelly, Ginger, Fair Emma

But why Fair Emma?

PASSING ENGLISH

OF THE VICTORIAN ERA

A DICTIONARY OF HETERODOX
ENGLISH, SLANG, AND PHRASE

Whoa, Emma! (Street, '80's).
Entreaty to be modified addressed to
women with marked appearance or
behaviour in the streets. It came from
an inquest on a woman who had died
under astounding circumstances. She
was suffering from inflammation; she
induced her husband to allay her pain
by the use of a small Dutch clock
weight. Finding relief from the con-
tact of the cold iron, she urged the
husband to continue the operation
whereupon she died. At the inquest
the husband had to defend himself.
He urged that he said to his wife,
'Whoa Emma! ' over and over again,
but she would not listen to him. For
years this phrase lasted as a street
Protest, too often shot at drunken
women. (See Outside Eliza, Now
we're busy.)

Outside Eliza (Low. London).
Drunk again, Eliza. Applied to
intoxicated, reeling women.
Derived from a police case where a barman
stated that he said to the prisoner
over and over again, 'Outside, Eliza'
but she would not go, and finally
smashed a plate-glass window.

The mind boggles as to what he was doing with that clock weight.

Alias use in 19th century army.

 Alfred Long: 1855: 1871/2 signed up age sixteen at Aldershot. Just up the road from his home in Sussex. What intrigued me about this man (one of the things) is why he'd need an alias? But then I found this: Think it was from findmypast, but it might be from one of the other ancestry sites.

A very small percentage of men had aliases. Many men who erred enlisted to thwart arrest by the civil power. When doing so they used a false identity knowing once that once subject to military law the civil authorities would probably not pursue them further. Many such subjects probably completed a term of engagement without the Army being aware of their true names. However, men who had been serving upwards of 10-12 years who intended to remain in service and to eventually apply for a pension often admitted to a mis-statement of name to avoid losing their pension rights. Mis-statements were generally accepted by the Army and an entry would have been made in their records recording the details. Where indicated both names are entered in the index.

I wondered what he'd done? What more could he do? Damage to the frontal lobes can result in lack of restraint. . .  Then I discovered on my rummaging: The 9th Lancer's nickname is the Delhi Spearmen. Part of the 9th Lancer’s earlier history (prior to his enlistment) was one of the officer’s wives having her unborn child ripped from her womb. The story was retold to instil a sense of revenge in the men. The men would also train using a knife in both left and right hand.

He’s my guess. Circumstantially he ticks many boxes. Jack the Ripper was, if we accept at least some of the letters were written by him, typical of the mocking tone: James Short, Alfred Long? That's the long and the short of it

PC Watkin's and Jack the Ripper's signature

Peculiar how PC Watkins (Mitre Square policeman) looks like Jack the Ripper's self-styled portrait- minus the beard.

This is my Jack the Ripper

Nominal RETURN OF (NON-COMMISSIONED)
Officers AND MEN \WOUNDED.
9th Lancers-Private Alfred Long AKA James Short, slight bullet wound, forehead.
72d Highlanders-Private James Hogg, dangerous bullet wound left shoulder, died
17 January 1880 - Glasgow Herald - Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland


1706 Private Short James 9th Lancers Slight Wound Charasiah 06 October 1879 Bullet in forehead.

Few Irish records weren't burnt.

What was lost?
Apart from a few fragments, the Irish Censuses of 1821, 1831, 1841, and 1851 were burned in the Public Records Office.

So, too, were just over half of all the Anglican Church of Ireland registers deposited there following the dis-establishment of the state church in 1869.

In addition, the majority of wills and testamentary records that had been proved in Ireland were reduced to ashes.

All pre-1900 documents from the legal courts were lost, as were local government records for the same period.

Nearly all export and trade records from the 18th to early 20th century also perished, as did Wills (although transcripts of many testamentary records survive)

What was lost?

Apart from a few fragments, the Irish Censuses of 1821, 1831, 1841, and 1851 were burned in the Public Records Office. So, too, were just over half of all the Anglican Church of Ireland registers deposited there following the dis-establishment of the state church in 1869.
In addition, the majority of wills and testamentary records that had been proved in Ireland were reduced to ashes.
All pre-1900 documents from the legal courts were lost, as were local government records for the same period.
Nearly all export and trade records from the 18th to early 20th century also perished, as did Wills (although transcripts of many testamentary records survive)
- See more at: http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/irish-records-burned.html#sthash.nZl3JVDV.dpuf

What was lost?

Apart from a few fragments, the Irish Censuses of 1821, 1831, 1841, and 1851 were burned in the Public Records Office. So, too, were just over half of all the Anglican Church of Ireland registers deposited there following the dis-establishment of the state church in 1869.
In addition, the majority of wills and testamentary records that had been proved in Ireland were reduced to ashes.
All pre-1900 documents from the legal courts were lost, as were local government records for the same period.
Nearly all export and trade records from the 18th to early 20th century also perished, as did Wills (although transcripts of many testamentary records survive)
- See more at: http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/irish-records-burned.html#sthash.nZl3JVDV.dpuf

Handwriting samples

Jack the Ripper's handwriting compared to my suspect.

Jack the Ripper's house

Jack's house still stands. Viewed courtesy of Google. My suspect liked the location so much he moved from one side of the street to the other. Both houses exist.

“Look at me, I did that.”

Interestingly, while Jack is just an anonymous dark shadowy male. The women he killed have names and faces. We know their personalities. They have friends and lovers. People who care for and about them. Their lives are detailed. The poor, but precious objects they carried with them are listed. People, today visit their graves, and leave flowers after more than one hundred years.
Jack didn’t achieve fame. He created a bogey man. He was a coward who wanted recognition for his deeds but couldn’t face the rope. He confessed by writing letters and hiding behind a non de plume. “Look at me, I did that.”
I hope I managed to do justice to the women whose lives he stole.

Sharp intake of breath.

Right! Draw a deep breath. I’m embarking on a book about Mary Kelly.

1888 calender

Sir Charles Warren. Silent boots.

Silent police boots letter.

Jack the Ripper, a new suspect.

Jack the Ripper, a new suspect. It was cold and dark that summer of 1888. Unfortunate women shivered as a darkness crept across the streets of Whitechapel.

Jack took his victim’s body parts, but more than that he stole their lives. They had little. He thought them worthless. But he placed such value on these women that he risked his own life to possess them.

This Jack isn’t famous, rich, or royal. He is a self-made man. Not for him an idle life led in the doss-houses. He chose a different course. Everyone would remember him. He would etch his name in history.

Mary Kelly's room.

The Miller Court Murder, Whitechapel: Site of Mary Kelly's Lodgings, from "The Penny Illustrated Paper", published 17th November 1888.