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Casebook: Jack the Ripper - Message Boards » Suspects » Druitt, Montague John » Who Would've Known Monty Well? « Previous Next »

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J. Whyman
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Posted on Wednesday, August 04, 2004 - 12:36 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I know that a lot of people here on these boards are interested in finding people who could fit the profile of family and friends who might had suspected Monty Druitt of being the Ripper. Often of course these theories have little sustance to them and are rather far fetched. I thought it could be an idea to begin a thread looking into people who Montague would've certainly known such as close family, members of the cricket club etc.

For example two interesting people to look into are Monty's elder sister Georgiana Elizabeth Druitt and her husband Rev. William Woodcock Hough, the future Bishop of Woolwich. Awhile ago before the Times archives became limited access I harvested articles on both the deaths of Georgiana and her husband:

"The Times, Wednesday, Jun 7 1933
MRS. HOUGH
Mrs. Georgiana Elizabeth Hough, the wife of Dr. William Woodcock Hough, formally Bishop Suffragan of Woolwich, was killed yesterday when she fell from an attic window at their home at Rotherfield Road, Carshalton, Surrey. She fell 20ft. on to a gravel path. She was married in 1886, and leaves two daughers. Dr. Hough was Bishop of Woolwich from 1918 to 1932, when he resigned and became Assistant Bishop of Southwark. Recently he gave up that office, and it is only a short time ago since he and his wife went to live at Carshalton for quiet and rest.
The accident happened in the early hours of yesterday, and the Bishop did not know of his wife’s death until he awakened at his usual hour. Mrs. Hough, who was a Miss Druitt, had been in ill health for some time, although as recently as a month ago she opened a church bazaar at South Beddington. Like her husband, she was a loyal champion of youth, and on that occasion pleaded for adults to give the younger generation a lead, saying that they had the enthusiasm and only required guidance.
The funeral will take place on Friday after a service at 10.30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church, Lewisham."

"The Times, Friday, Mar 9 1934
BISHOP HOUGH: An Unconventional Suffragan
Dr. W.W. Hough, formally Bishop Suffragan of Woolwich, died at the College of St. Saviour, Carshalton, last evening at the age of 74. He had been in bad health for some time past. He was regarded with no ordinary affection throughout South London, where he had spent practically all his ministerial career. A man of splendid physique, who had represented Cambridge in the Three Miles against Oxford for four years in succession, he possessed extraordinary energy, and won the esteem of working men by his friendliness and unconventionality. He had a keen appreciation of Cockney humour. He was especially popular with the Billingsgate porters, and for many years held a series of weekly services at the market, when he would preach from a coster’s barrow.
William Woodcock Hough was born on December 19 1859, the son of Mr. James Hough F.R.C.S. From the Perse School he went to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge as Mawson and Manners scholar, and took his degree in 1882 as a senior Optime. He went to Camberwell in 1887, four years after his ordination by Dr. John Wordsworth, Bishop of Salisbury, to find work in the crowded districts on the south side of the Thames more to his mind than a mastership at Wimborne Grammer School or a curacy at Hampreston, Dorset, to which parish he had reccieved his title.
It was while in charge of his college mission in the Old Kent Road that Mr. Hough learnt his first lessons in those social movements which became the absorbing interest of his life. He devoted himself to pastoral work of all kinds with unsparing zeal. After 13 years at the mission he was appointed in 1901 clerical secretary of the South London Church Fund, and in 1905 he became vicar of the important parish of Lewisham. He was appointed an honorary canon of Southwark Cathedral in 1908, and in 1916, Dr. Burge, at that time Bishop of Southwark, made him Archdeacon of Kingston-on-Thames. Two years later, on the retirement of Dr. Leeke, he was appointed Bishop Suffragan of Woolwich. In this office he was indefatigable, and, knowing as he did the special difficulties of work in the diocese of Southwark, he was able to guide both the clergy and the laity in many schemes of church reconstruction and development, which owed much to his zeal and wisdom. In 1919 he was transferred to the Archdeanconry of Lewisham, and was Sub-Dean of Southwark Cathedral from 1922 to 1930.
Dr. Hough had served as suffragan to three Bishops of Southwark, Dr. Burge, Dr. Garbett, and Dr. Parsons, when in August, 1932, being then nearly 73, and having had a serious illness, he decided to resign. He moved from his house off the Old Kent Road to Carshalton, continued to give help in the diocese, and the Bishop conferred on him the official status of Assistant Bishop. In June, 1933, he suffered a great blow when his wife, who was Miss Georgiana Elizabeth Druitt, was accidentally killed by a fall from an upper window of their house. He had married her before he left his Dorset curacy, and she had been a great help to him throughout his career in South London. He leaves two daughters.
The funeral will be at Southwark Cathedral on Monday."

A couple of points to note about this is the fact that Georgiana's death was (understandably) reported as an accident and several years later her niece told Farson that she'd committed suicide. If she did kill herself its interesting to see that like her brother her behaviour was perfactly normal near the time of her death. Also, Rev. Hough's work with London's poor could be seen as especially interesting in the light of the accusations directed around Monty. As well as this I believe that it has been mentioned in previous threads that the Houghs were living near Montague at the time of his death. Coincidence?

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Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert

Post Number: 2913
Registered: 3-2003
Posted on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 8:50 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hi J Whyman

I've only just seen your post. Thank you for that information.

Robert
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Vincent
Unregistered guest
Posted on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 9:18 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Would it be very likely that the same mental illness that afflicted Druitt's mother and sister at such a late stage in their lives would appear in Monty at the age of 31? Does anyone else find this a problem? Are we on solid ground assuming that they all suffered from the same affliction?

Regards, Vincent

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