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Thursday 31 December 2015

The clue's there.

I've been told there is a clue to the Ripper's identity right on the cover of this book.... I'm suspecting the man with a bowler or a bearded policeman?

Wednesday 30 December 2015

Niggling

Finally, I've got the story line and found Mary's voice. I'm accepting Mary as Irish born, although I have a niggling feeling she was Dutch ...

Monday 28 December 2015

Mary Jane Kelly and Elizabeth Jackson.



Mary Jane Kelly and Elizabeth Jackson. Now there’s a puzzle. Not only did they share the same appearance, they were linked by the same name and a pair of second hand drawers. 
Mary was extraordinarily tall (5 ft 7 in) for the period. Men’s average height, at the outbreak of WW1, was 5 ft 6 in. She had reddish blonde hair, a fair complexion, and blue eyes. She was twenty five years of age (approximately).
Elizabeth Jackson was tall. She stood 5 ft 5 in. She had sandy blonde hair and a fair complexion. More than likely she had blue eyes. She was twenty five years of age. Six months after the slaughter of Mary Kelly in her room at 13 Millers Court -November 1888, Elizabeth Jackson was murdered -early June 1889. Her body parts were discovered at various locations around the Thames. Her torso was hidden in amongst shrubbery in Battersea Park. Her body was divided into twelve separate parts. Her head was never found. The name L. E. Fisher was written on the waistband of her undergarment and used to wrap a portion of her body.
Several newspaper sources referred to Mary Jane Kelly as ‘Lizzie Fisher’ when reporting her murder. The drawers bearing the name “L. E. Fisher” on the band were bought at a lodging house at Ipswich. They originally belonged to a domestic servant at Kirkley; near Lowestoft. Her mother sold the drawers as rags while staying near her daughter in November 1888. She was traced to Byker, near Newcastle, her father, who had marked the clothing, recognized his handwriting, to Bill Quay, on the Tyne.

Mary Jane Kelly was known as: Marie Jeanette Kelly, Mary Ann Kelly, Ginger, Fair Emma, Mary Janet Kelly and Lizzie Fisher.

Sunday 27 December 2015

A widow had a certain status in Victorian society ...


Why would a married woman, recently widowed, use her maiden name (Kelly) and not her married name (Davies)? A widow had a certain status in Victorian society ...

"Barnett told the press that she 'kept out of the way' on one occasion when her father came to London to look for her. A story that suggests that she was anxious to escape her past. It is also unlikely that Barnett recalled her random recollections accurately. Nevertheless, there is almost certainly some truth in Barnett's narrative." Sugden.

But then if she was intent on hiding why use one of the names by which she was known? Why not create an alias?

She was in contact with at least one of her relatives in Ireland. Perhaps that answers my question posed above regarding an alias. Mary's Landlord, John McCarthy, believed she received letters from her mother. But Mary stated she was estranged from her family. I believe the correspondence was from her 'sister' Bridget. She doesn't reappear in the census until 1891. I think she returned to Ireland with her Irish husband, Edward Davies the cab driver, for the period covering the census of 1881 and soon after her marriage.

OK, I've answered my question about not inventing a name, but why return to her maiden name?

Cold Case: Jack The Ripper.

Cold Case  www.questtv.co.uk/ aired 26th Dec 2015.

Cold Case: Jack The Ripper. "If it's good enough for the investigating officer at the time, it's good enough for me..." Therefore, the man who made that statement isn't satisfied they found the right man! Macnaughten, who believed the Ripper was Kaminsky, wasn't a serving officer in 1888.

Thursday 17 December 2015

Blindingly, bloody obvious.

Ah! Bridget and Mary are first cousins. At last. She speaks. OK, just a murmur, but surprisingly, she's in a place that raised an eyebrow.


Monday 14 December 2015

Yet another Mary Jane Kelly.

Yet another Mary Jane Kelly.
Ireland Civil Registration Indexes
Name     Mary Jane Kelly
Event Type     Marriage
Event Date     Apr - Jun 1878
Event Place     Galway, Ireland
Registration Quarter and Year     Apr - Jun 1878
Registration District     Galway.

Saturday 12 December 2015

Name: Mary Jane Kelly

Mary Jane Kelly
mentioned in the record of John Kelly
Name     Mary Jane Kelly
Gender    Female
Son     John Kelly
Other information in the record of John Kelly
from Ireland Births and Baptisms
Name     John Kelly
Gender     Male
Birth Date     12 Mar 1881
Birthplace     Parsonstown, Kings, Ireland
Mother's Name     Mary Jane Kelly.

This Mary Jane is an unmarried mother. Parsonstown workhouse would be the the position of last resort for a woman bearing an illegitimate child.

Friday 11 December 2015

Cousins perhaps?

More Kellys living in Wrexham. Cousins perhaps? Unfortunately the head of the house isn't listed.


Bridget Kelly

England and Wales Census, 1851 born 1845
Name
Bridget Kelly

Event Type
Census

Event Date
1851

Event Place
, Denbighshire, Wales

Registration District
Wrexham

Residence Note
Mount Street

Gender
Female

Age
6

Relationship to Head of Household
Daughter

Birth Year (Estimated)
1845

Birthplace
Ireland














Household
Role
 
Gender
Age
Birthplace
Bridget Kelly
Daughter
1845
F
6
Ireland
Cathrine Kelly
Niece
1832
F
19
Ireland
John Kelly
Nephew
1817
M
34
Ireland
Patrick Kelly
Nephew
1841
M
10
Ireland
William Freeman


M
18
Liverpool, Lancashire
Bryan O’Neil


M
70
Ireland
Thomas Munchon


M
40
Ireland
Bridget Munchon

1815
F
36
Ireland


Saturday 5 December 2015

Joe Barnett and Bridget Kelly.

Most of what is known about Mary Kelly is taken from Joseph Barnett's statement.
Her name: Mary Kelly. Her age: twenty five. Her age on marriage: sixteen. Her husband's name: John Davies or Davis. His death in a  mine explosion. She had a child living with her: six to seven years of age. etc etc. All well reported and easily found with a few keywords in a search engine.
There is John Davies killed in a mine explosion Brymbo 1880. This would place her marriage, common law or not, in the year 1878, 1877, if she were married to this collier for two to three years .
Why would 'Mary Kelly' move to London?
http://i0.wp.com/madameguillotine.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/300px-JosephBarnett.jpg?resize=300%2C329


There is a correlation or at least coincidental data regarding the discredited Kellys of .Brymbo. I've not discounted them, not yet ...
The census of 1871:


Name
Bridget Kelly
Event Type
Census
Event Date
1871
Event Place
Lodge, Brymbo, Denbighshire, Wales
Enumeration District
4
Gender
Female
Age
12
Relationship to Head of Household
Daughter
Birth Year (Estimated)
1859
Birthplace
C Galway, Ireland
***

Hubert Kelly
Head
M
38
C Galway, Ireland
Bridget Kelly
Wife
F
36
C Roscommon, Ireland
John Kelly
Son
M
14
C Galway, Ireland
Bridget Kelly
Daughter
F
12
C Galway, Ireland
Hubert Kelly
Son
M
10
C Galway, Ireland
Mary A Kelly
Daughter
F
8
C Galway, Ireland
Patrick Kelly
Son
M
3
C Galway, Ireland
Elizabeth Kelly
Daughter
F
1
C Galway, Ireland
***
Bridget Kelly has toddled off from this family home by 1881.

Bridget Kelly married one of the following people Edwin Senior or Edward Davies.

Marriage
Registration Quarter     Apr-May-Jun
Registration Year     1878
Registration District     Wrexham
County     Denbighshire
Event Place     Wrexham, Denbighshire, Wales
***
Curiously, Bridget's mother (also called Bridget) comes from Roscommon Ireland and Edward Davies was born in Roscommon Ireland.

So why did 'Mary Kelly' go to London?  Because her sister was there? I'm not saying I believe these people have a relationship with the Mary Kelly because I simply don't know, but the following is intriguing.
Bridget Kelly turns up again in the census of 1891, 1901 and then again in 1911. She's living in London with Edward Davies and he is listed as a cab driver:


Bridget Davies

England and Wales Census, 1891
Event Type
Census
Event Date
1891
County
London
Parish
St Marylebone
Ecclesiastical Parish
THE RECTORY
Registration District
Marylebone
Residence Note
Westmorland Street
Gender
Female
Age
31
Marital Status
Married
Relationship to Head of Household
Wife
Birth Year (Estimated)
1860
Birthplace
Ireland Galway


Household
Role
Gender
Age
Birthplace
Edward Davies
Head
M
36
Ireland Co Roscommon
Bridget Davies
Wife
F
31
Ireland Galway
Kathleen M Davies
Daughter
F
10M
London, England
***
Edward Davies
England and Wales Census, 1901
Name
Edward Davies
Event Type
Census
Event Date
31 Mar 1901
Event Place
St Pancras, London, Middlesex, England
County
London, Middlesex
Civil Parish
St Pancras
Ecclesiastical Parish
St Mary Somers Town
Sub-District
Somers Town
Registration District
St Pancras
Residence Note
Clarendon Street
Gender
Male
Age
45
Occupation
CAB DRIVER
Relationship to Head of Household
Head
Birth Year (Estimated)
1856
Birthplace
Ireland




Household
Role
Gender
Age
Birthplace
Edward Davies
Head
M
45
Ireland
Bridget Davies
Wife
F
37
Ireland
Kathleen Davies
Daughter
F
10
Marylebone, London
Edward F Davies
Son
M
9
St Pancras, London
Mercedes M Davies
Daughter
F
6
St Pancras, London
***

Bridget Davies

England and Wales Census, 1911
Name
Bridget Davies
Event Type
Census
Event Date
1911
County
London
Parish
St Pancras
Sub-District
East St Pancras
Registration District
St Pancras
Gender
Female
Age
48
Birthplace
Ballinasloe Resident, County Galway.
***
The last tie, so far, linking these families together, Bridget of Brymbo's sister, Elizabeth, was born in Ballinsinasloe, Galway:
Hubert Kelly
mentioned in the record of Elizabeth
Name     Hubert Kelly
Gender    Male
Wife     Bridget Kelly
Daughter     Elizabeth
Other information in the record of Elizabeth
from Ireland Births and Baptisms
Name     Elizabeth
Gender     Female
Christening Place     32, BALLINASLOE, GAL, IRE
Birth Date     06 Apr 1870
Birthplace     Ballinasloe, Gal, Ire
Father's Name     Hubert Kelly
Mother's Name     Bridget Kelly

A trained soldier would know this . . .



A strike to the solar plexus will deflate the lungs. No muscles cover this area below the sternum. It is the most efficient spot to hit to wind someone.
'If someone hits this position it will hurt. The pain will subside in a few moments, but it takes longer for the lungs to inflate. The pain fades, but it takes several really deep breaths before the lungs fill and it is possible to speak . . . or scream.' The Art of Writing Fight Sequences.
A trained soldier would know this . . . 

Friday 4 December 2015

John Davies of Brymbo didn't exist? So who's this?


Jack the Ripper.John Davies, collier, of  Brymbo, died in a mining accident. Is this the husband of Mary Kelly and said not to exist? If so Mary Kelly had a child.
"c. 1879: At the age of 16 she marries a collier named Davies. He is killed in an explosion two or three years later. There is a suggestion that there might have been a child in this marriage."
According to the family records he was twenty six when he died and born in 1854. As he died in June 1880 that's a five month window to find his place and date of birth date and through him discover 'Mary Kelly'.


Thursday 3 December 2015

Davies was killed in a mine explosion.

"Davies was killed in a mine explosion. The mine-owners stalled for eighteen months before paying her a miserable pittance by way of a widow's compensation, and it was this delay which drove Mary on to the streets, first in the Tiger Bay region of Cardiff, and later in London." Tom Cullen.
He's made an emphatic statement in his book, Autumn of Terror. 
The gratuity had a moral means:
'Any free member ... who may by losing a limb, or having one disabled by accident or otherwise, or through blindness, imperfect vision, apoplexy, epilepsy or paralysis, be rendered permanently unable to follow any of the branches of the trade ... (provided such was not the result of intemperance or other improper conduct), shall receive the sum of £100 on the production to the Executive Council of satisfactory medical and other testimony of such permanent disablement.
Finally, the union offered members a funeral benefit, which provided ten pounds on their death. Five pounds was paid on the death of their wife. The aim was not to assist the dependents of a dead member, but to ensure that members received a proper burial and wake. The only provision for widows and orphans was a separate discretionary Benevolent Fund, funded from special levies.'
It would appear Mary Kelly lacked moral (Victorian) standards, if indeed Tom Cullen's assertion is correct.

Wednesday 2 December 2015

Mary Kelly's child

There can only be one person. Thinking aloud really...
It doesn't fit with the story I'd conjured.
I'll check this again, and probably again. Then some more.
'Mary Kelly' wasn't called Mary Kelly and she wasn't ruddy Irish, but she knew the family. Came from the same village.
But why call herself a member of the Kelly family?
So she wasn't a catholic ... Least her son wasn't, unless he followed his father's denomination.