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Chris Scott
Detective Sergeant
Username: Chris
Post Number: 95
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 12:15 pm: |       |
I found this account in an 1886 paper. As it featured the activities of a highly active gang in Whitechapel, included a violent assault in Osborn street and noted a comment by Abberline, I thought it might be of interest.
Weekly Dispatch 21 March 1886
A DARING GANG OF THIEVES
At the Thames Court, on Thursday, John Gibbs, twenty-one, a licence holder, and Alfred Humphries, nineteen, were charged on remand with stealing a gold watch and chain from Thomas Chaffer, an insurance agent; secondly, with stealing a portion of a gold chain from Lewis Lesser, a collector for Jewish charities; and also with stealing a gold watch and chain from Dr. Septimus Swyer. The evidence of Mr Chaffer was to the effect that on saturday evening, the 27th ult., he was walking along the Whitechapel road in the direction of Stepney Green. On getting to East Mount street he was set upon by five men, two of whom were the prisoners. Humphries put his hand under his coat and tore away his watch and chain. At the same time he received a punch in the back, and Gibbs kicked him in the stomach and threw him down. He got up and attempted to follow Humphries, but was then tripped up by Gibbs. He again got up and called out "Police!" and "Stop thief!" After that he went to the police station at Arbour square, and gave a description of the prisoners. Last Thursday he was called to the police station, and picked the prisoners out from twelve other men. Mr. Lesser was next called, and proved that on Monday, the 8th inst., he was walking along Leslie street, and when within two yards of his own dooe, three men came in front of him. One of them pulled open his coat, and Gibbs took him by the shoulders and pulled him on his back. Gibbs and another man then held him down, and rifled his pockets. He screamed for help, and received a punch in the mouth. He still cried for help, when a hand was placed over his mouth to stifle his cries. Witness held his hand over his watch, and a portion of the gold chain was wrenched off. Some persons then came up, and he was allowed ot raise himself. Two of the men at once made their escape, and he followed Gibbs for some distance, but at last he managed to get away. Dr. Swyer said shortly before ten o'clock on the night of Sunday, the 28th. ult., he was passing through Osborn street, Whitechapelm in company with his boy. He was suddenly secured from behind by several persons, and his arms pinioned. He then received a crushing blow on the hat, which partially stunned him. He also received a blow on the left temple. His umbrella was taken from him. The prisoner Gibbs then came in front of him, unbuttoned his overcoat, and snatched his watch and chain. As soon as witness could release himself he went after Gibbs, but several of his companions tried to trip him up when he did so. There were as many as twenty-fiveor thirty persons in the gang. Mr. Abberline stated that there were other cases against the prisoners. Mr. Lushington committed the prisoners for trial.
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Christopher T George
Detective Sergeant
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 115
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 1:43 pm: | |
Hi, Chris:
Thanks, Chris, for this interesting news article on an active East End gang.
You may have already done so, but I appear to have found Lewis (or Louis) Lessor, the collector for Jewish charities, in the 1881 census:
Louis LESSOR
Birth Year <1839>
Birthplace Posend, Prussia
Age 42
Occupation Collection U K
Marital Status M <married>
Head of Household Louis LESSOR
Relation Head
Dwelling 7 East Mount St
Census Place London, Middlesex, England
Family History Library Film 1341096
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 0444 / 30
Page Number 15
In addition to his wife, Charlotte, age 41, the household contained six children: two sons, Simon, 17, and Jacob, 15, profession of both being "boot rivetters," and three other sons and one daughter shown as "scholars": Joseph, 13; Sarah, 10; Morris, 9; Louis, 6; and an infant son Elias, age 1. Also in the household lived a servant named Jane Kilbe, age 30, born at Limehouse, Middlesex, and Hyman HART, a male friend, age 48, a cabman, born in Spitalfields.
All the best
Chris
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Christopher T George
Detective Sergeant
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 116
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 1:50 pm: | |
And here's the doctor--
Septimus SWYER
Birth Year <1836>
Birthplace Shaftsbury, Dorset, England
Age 45
Occupation Gen Practitioner Sec R C P M R C S L S A Lond S M
Marital Status M <married>
Head of Household Septimus SWYER
Relation Head
Dwelling 18 Marquess Road
Census Place London, Middlesex, England
Family History Library Film 1341057
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 0262 / 12
Page Number 17
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Chris Scott
Detective Sergeant
Username: Chris
Post Number: 96
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 1:53 pm: | |
Hi Chris thanks for that- interesting as I had not yet set off on the track of any of the characters involved.
I just love the name Septimus Swyer! Very Victorian melodrama!
Because of the name I found him easily in 1881 census.
Living at 18 Marquess Rd, London
Septimus Swyer Gen. Practicioner RCPM RCS LSA Lond SM
Age 45
Born in Shaftesbury, Dorset
Wife and large family listed
It's not clear is the "boy" mentioned as being presemt when he was attacked was his son or a young manservant. If the latter, the most likely one listed is described as "errand boy" by the name of Frederick Mooring and aged 17 at time of 1881 census
Glad you found the article of interest
Chris S
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Chris Scott
Detective Sergeant
Username: Chris
Post Number: 97
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 1:54 pm: | |
Snap- great minds etc...! |
Leanne Perry
Inspector
Username: Leanne
Post Number: 280
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 5:48 pm: | |
G'day Chrises,
Would you do me a favour?
Could you please look for 'Mary Ann Connelly'?
Thanks,
LEANNE |
Chris Scott
Detective Sergeant
Username: Chris
Post Number: 99
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 5:59 pm: | |
Leanne
There is only one MARY ANN CONNELLY in the 1881 census in the London area but she was only 8 at the time!
A search of whole UK under that spelling produces 19 records.
There is the added complication of variant surnames (Connolly etc) and the middle name may not have been used
I'll let you know anything I find
Chris |
Chris Scott
Detective Sergeant
Username: Chris
Post Number: 100
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 6:09 pm: | |
Leanne
I looked up in the A-Z and they give her name as MARY ANN CONNOLLY with year of birth as 1838.
If that is the case there are three MARY CONNOLLY entries (none with middle name of ANN) for that birth year:
1) Born in Ireland in 1838. Living at 87 Brick Cottages, Barrow in Furness, Lancashire. Married to John Connolly.
2) Born in Ireland in 1838. Living at 7 Pit Street, Much Woolton, Lancashire. A laundress, married to Michael Connolly.
3) Born in Billinge, Lancashire in 1838. Living at 13 Blackhurst Street, Warrington, Lancashire. A fustian cutter, unmarried, living with father, John Connolly (he was born in Ireland)
Hope this helps
Chris |
Christian Jaud
Sergeant
Username: Chrisjd
Post Number: 19
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 1:29 am: | |
Hi two Chris's,
re Septimus:
could you please explain "Sec R C P M R C S L S A Lond S M" to me (and maybe lots of other non-native speakers)?
Thank you and best regards
A third Chris
:-)
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Leanne Perry
Inspector
Username: Leanne
Post Number: 282
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 1:53 am: | |
G'day Chris, Chris and errrrrrr Chris,
The 'A-Z' gives the correct spelling because I checked in the official files!
OK, I'll stick my neck on the chopping block:
Martha Tabram's masculine looking friend, 'Pearly Poll', (with the queer throat), was the only person who came forward to blamed two soldiers. Sure, PC Barrett saw a private near George Yard, but how unusual was that? And where was 'Pearly Poll'?
No soldiers were identified! - SO OBVIOUS!
Today we can look at the murder cases from back to front, but at the time they weren't so fortunate! How were they to know that Tabram's murder would lead to a series, in which the culprit would go unnoticed?
LEANNE |
John Savage
Sergeant
Username: Johnsavage
Post Number: 23
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 6:10 am: | |
Christian Jaud
RCP = Royal College of Physicians.
RCS = Royal College of Surgeons
LSA = Licentiate of Society of Apothecaries
LOND SM = At a guess I would say London Scool of Medicine. However the LOND could simply refer to the London branch of Society of Apothecaries, which leaves SM (Serjeant Major) so perhaps he was in the army at some time.
Hope that helps.
John Savage |
Chris Scott
Detective Sergeant
Username: Chris
Post Number: 106
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 7:14 am: | |
Hi John
Thanks for that - very useful.
The possible sergeant major is interesting in that Hughes-Hallett specifically identified the killer as an army doctor!
Regards
Chris S |
SirRobertAnderson
Sergeant
Username: Sirrobert
Post Number: 39
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 9:36 am: | |
"Martha Tabram's masculine looking friend, 'Pearly Poll', (with the
queer throat)"
Leanne!
Are you suggesting that 'Pearly Poll' was a man? Perhaps the reason she/he wouldn't speak up was that her voice was so obviously masculine.
Were there indeed transvestite hookers working Whitechapel in those days?
Hmmmm......perhaps there was something to the "Jill the Ripper" thesis. But instead of a midwife, Jack was a fellow whore. Just throwing out an idea!
Sir Robert |
Christian Jaud
Sergeant
Username: Chrisjd
Post Number: 20
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 1:02 pm: | |
Hi John (Savage),
thank you for your answer.
The guys those days must have had ID cards the size of an A4 - sheet of paper.
;-)
Christian, OStR NNS HB FoFCB
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Mark Andrew Pardoe
Detective Sergeant
Username: Picapica
Post Number: 59
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 6:23 pm: | |
Whatho All,
I would have thought a doctor in the Army would have been an officer. Therefore SM is short for Surgeon Major according to my copy of The New Penguin Dictionary of Abbreviations. Of course SM is also the addreviation for many different things including Master of Science and sadomasochist. If the latter; hmmmm.
Cheers, Mark |
John Savage
Sergeant
Username: Johnsavage
Post Number: 24
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 8:15 pm: | |
Christian Jaud,
At the risk of being pedantic "A4" was unheard of in Britain in those days, and did not take on very much until at least the 1970s
OStR NNS HB FoFCB ???
Mark Andrew Pardoe
Fair comment, thank you.
I was using Chambers.
Regards,
John Savage |
Leanne Perry
Inspector
Username: Leanne
Post Number: 293
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 11:06 pm: | |
G'day Sir Robert,
I'd have to try and look up the history of transvestites, but I imagine that they would have existed back then! The Whitechapel prostitution trade would have covered every possible sexual preference.
I dont believe that a woman was the killer, but couldn't 'Jack' have masqueraded as a woman occasionally to escape detection?
LEANNE |
John Savage
Sergeant
Username: Johnsavage
Post Number: 25
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 7:27 am: | |
Leanne,
Transvestities do seem to have existed in those times, and I offer the following: "it was said that Eddy (Prince Albert Victor)became a regular guest at The Hundred Guineas Club where the members assumed feminine names."
This from "The Ripper and the Royals, by Melvyn Fairclough, page 135.
If you check further on this Hundred Gunieas Club I am sure it would prove the existance of transvestites in late nineteenth centuary London.
Regards,
John Savage |
John Savage
Sergeant
Username: Johnsavage
Post Number: 26
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 12:55 pm: | |
Leanne,
Returning if I may to the subject of transvestites, in 1871 four young tv.s where tried for conspiracy to commit a felony. (The Queen v. Boulton and others). The following extract may interest you.
"Ernest Boulton, known as Stella, was the son of a stockbroker, twenty two and good looking in an effiminate way, while his friend Frederick Park, known as Fanny was articled to a solicitor, and no less obvious"............"Stella under the name of Mrs. Graham frequently hired a private brougham to take her and Fanny to theaters, restaurants, even to the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race and the driver giving evidence later, said 'he had no idea they were not woman"
This is taken from Feasting With Panthers, by Rupert Croft-Cooke, WH Allen, London 1967.
Regards,
John Savage
(Levi's & Tee Shirt - Not A Frock In The House)
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Leanne Perry
Inspector
Username: Leanne
Post Number: 302
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 7:56 am: | |
G'day John,
See, I think it's stupid to believe that no men dressed as women in those days! And I don't think even the detectives were experienced enough to pick them!
They thought that 'she' was 'masculine', that's all and weren't going to ask 'her' to drop her pants with so many on-lookers.
It's disturbing that 'she' was the only person to mention soldiers. PC Barrett saw a soldier, but he was just loitering in the area...on Bank Holiday! And they never did find that soldier that spent part of the night with Martha Tabram...either of them!
LEANNE |
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