The Welshman Who Knew Mary Kelly
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February/March 2018 No. 160 PAUL WILLIAMS on The Welshman Who Knew Mary Kelly STEPHEN SENISE JAN BONDESON HEATHER TWEED NINA and HOW BROWN VICTORIAN FICTION THE LATEST BOOK REVIEWS Ripperologist 118 January 2011 1 Ripperologist 160 February / March 2018 EDITORIAL: CHANGING FASTER NOT BETTER? Adam Wood THE WELSHMAN WHO KNEW MARY KELLY Paul Williams GEORGE WILLIAM TOPPING HUTCHINSON: ‘TOPPY’ Stephen Senise FROM RIPPER SUSPECT TO HYPERPEDESTRIAN: THE STRANGE CAREER OF BERESFORD GREATHEAD Jan Bondeson LULU - THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD Heather Tweed WOMAN’S WORK: AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF CAPTURING THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERER PART TWO Nina and Howard Brown VICTORIAN FICTION: THE WITHERED ARM By THOMAS HARDY Eduardo Zinna BOOK REVIEWS Paul Begg and David Green Ripperologist magazine is published by Mango Books (www.mangobooks.co.uk). 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The unauthorised reproduction or circulation of agreements and give rise to civil liability and criminal prosecution. this publication or any part thereof, whether for monetary gain or not, is strictly prohibited and may constitute copyright infringement as defined in domestic laws and international Ripperologist 160 February / March 2018 Editorial Changing Faster Not Better? ADAM WOOD Executive Editor There was a very interesting feature in a recent issue of BBC World Histories,1 in which a panel of eminent historians pondered the question “Is the world changing faster than ever?” That may seem an obvious statement given the incredible speed at which technology is advancing, and the fact that social media allows news and EXECUTIVE EDITOR ideas to be shared at the click of a button, but has the world seen more rapid change Adam Wood at any time in its past? EDITORS Rana Mitter, professor of the history and politics of modern China at Oxford University, Gareth Williams the incredible advances of that country over the last century bear the premise out; China Eduardo Zinna has grown from a poor, agricultural country to the second largest economy in the world. EDITOR-AT-LARGE Author Keith Lowe, on the other hand, argued that the world changed much more from Jonathan Menges what it was in 1938 compared to life in the post-War years. REVIEWS EDITOR Ian Mortimer, author of the Time Traveller’s Guides, looked at events of the past and Paul Begg wrote that the world changed rapidly as a result of the Great Plague, or the French COLUMNISTS Revolution. Interestingly, Mortimer also suggested that the raft of inventions in the 25 Nina and Howard Brown years 1835 and 1860 altered the world to a huge extent in a relatively short space of time. David Green It was during the Victorian era that Rowland Hill’s Penny Post created uniformity ARTWORK for letter writers, while the invention of the commercial electric telegraph (1837) and Adam Wood station was established in 1897 by Marconi on the Isle of Wight, Queen Victorian’s holiday destinationtelephone (1876) of choice. made The it recipientseasier than of everthose to letters communicate. and telegrams The world’s were able first to wireless read by the light switch was invented in 1884. the glow of an incandescent light bulb, invented in 1835 but first demonstrated in 1878; Other inventions to make life easier for the Victorian included the pedal bicycle (1839) and, in 1841, Alexander Bain’s electric clock. Two years later Bain patented a design for a facsimile machine. Ripperologist magazine is Famously, in 1837 Charles Babbage invented what he called an “Analytical Engine”, a published six times a year and mechanical programmable machine which was the forerunner of the computer. supplied in digital format. It is free of charge to subscribers. Back issues from 62-159 are propeller-driven passenger liner - Brunel’s SS Great Britain - (1843) and a steam-driven available in PDF format. ploughingOther important engine in creations 1852. The in following this era wereyear, thephysician world’s Alexander first steam-powered, Wood developed screw a medical hypodermic syringe. An index to Ripperologist magazine can be downloaded from Lastly in this whistle-stop list of Victorian inventions is Sir Francis Galton’s method ripperologist.biz/ripindex.pdf To be added to the mailing list, work with Sir Edward Henry, who on being appointed Assistant Commissioner of the of classifying fingerprints in 1892, published in his book Finger Prints. Galton would to submit a book for review or to place an advertisement, get in The inescapable conclusion is that a great many of today’s ‘new’ ideas are in fact touch at contact@ripperologist. Metropolitan Police ushered in the use of fingerprint in criminal investigations. biz. Victorian’s reign. We welcome well-researched improvements or enhancements of inventions and discoveries first established during articles on any aspect of the Whitechapel murders, the East 1 “Is the world changing faster than ever before?” BBC World Histories, Issue 8, February/March 2018. End or the Victorian era in general. 1 Ripperologist 160 February / March 2018 The Welshman Who Knew Mary Kelly By PAUL WILLIAMS A woman who called herself Mary Jane Kelly was no evidence that she lived in Swansea before her marriage murdered on 9 November 1888. She has never been to William Muir in 1881 or her arrival in America in 1882. identified. Attempts to trace her have relied on She was alive after 1888, so could not have been the information provided by her ex-boyfriend Joseph murder victim that John Rees explicitly stated he knew as Barnett. She told him that she came to Wales from Mary Jane Kelly, the daughter of a marine store dealer in Ireland when very young, either Carmarthenshire or Llanelly. Caernarvonshire. There is only one record of a person claiming to have known her in Wales and it has been dismissed as a case of mistaken identity. This article the Unity Inn, but do know that it was after 1881. In April We cannot confirm when Jane Williams took charge of re-examines the claim and, for the first time, explores that year it was leased to Thomas Davies and a month later the murky background of the witness and his family. being run by a Mr. Anderson.4 On 12 November 1888 the Swansea reporter of the there is in 1886.5 Clearly Jane Williams knew Abigael The first record of a Williams Cardiff Western Mail wrote that Kelly was born in a house Kelly, but it appears to have been after her marriage and near the National School, Llanelly, Carmarthenshire. She she did not mention the immoral life. Abigael used that went to Swansea and entered the service of Mr and Mrs name, and sometimes Abbi, instead of Alice. It is possible Rees for about six months.1 Mrs Rees, daughter of the late that one of her two sisters, probably Margaret, used the Doctor Hopkins of Carmarthen, was awaiting a murder name Mary Jane. Unlike Abigael, Margaret is known to trial. Afterwards Mary lived at Swansea and her morals have engaged in drunken behaviour. After her marriage became more questionable every day. The next day the to Alexander Brewer she was convicted of assault at a St. reporter made a correction, saying that Kelly lived with Patrick’s Day ball in Llanelly along with the other sister, Julia. She was said to have been dancing with other men.6 information came from Mr Rees, who said that Kelly was She could have worked for Rees before moving to Swansea Mr Rees and his first wife, not the lady on trial. This born at Llanelly and her father was a marine store dealer, then returning to Llanelly to marry, and is the only one of well-known in the area. He often argued with Dr. Hopkins, Dennis Kelly’s daughters who has not been traced after Rees’s second father-in-law. After leaving the service of 1888. However, in February that year she was burying a Mr Rees, Mary went to Swansea and then to Cardiff. She child, Francis Brewer in Dafen, not living in London with used to drink at the Unity Inn. Mr Rees saw her in London Joseph Barnett. about six months earlier, and she spoke to him in Welsh.2 On 15 November 1888 the Western Mail reported that Jane Williams, landlady of the Unity Inn, denied that the 1 Cardiff Western Mail, 12 November 1888, p.1. woman Kelly who visited her house was the murder 2 Cardiff Western Mail, 13 November 1888, p.3.