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In the June 1896 issue of Borderland Robert D’Onston Stephenson’s wrote an article on Elementals. His article was about the work of Dr Franz Hartmann, and covered the world of vampires and elemental spirits. The article stated, II-Elementals. Borderland, July 1896. A CORRESPONDENT, signing himself “R. D’O.,” to whom I submitted the foregoing paper, writes me as follows: ” The doctor, in his otherwise very able paper on this subject, makes one great and fundamental error, which to a great extent destroys the value of his communication. He treats of two essentially different classes of beings as being identical, and assumes that the undoubted visitations of elementaries to human beings are made by ‘ Vampires.’ Now ‘vampires’ and elementaries have scarcely anything in common, either in their origin, their nature, or their temperament. They are two absolutely distinct species of spirits. ” But before I proceed to their differentiation, a few words as to these visitations. In the first place there is no doubt that they actually do take place: everyone who has investigated the subject knows instances where women of great intellectual powers, and having no tendency whatever to hysteria or illusions of any kind (being at the same time persons of undoubted veracity), claim that they have been-and are-visited in this manner. ” The immense mass of evidence, collected from many countries, by different scientific observers - medical men and others-cannot be set aside. Doubtless, if only one or two cases existed, we should explain them by the one word-’ hysteria’ ; but the accumulated mass of facts from so many different temperaments cannot be dealt with in this manner. We must accept the facts, though we may differ as to their cause. And as to this there are only three solutions possible :-1. That they are purely the product of a too vivid imagination, probably assisted by hysteria ; 2. That the visitants are, what they usually represent themselves to be, spirits of predeceased lovers ; 3. That they are other spirits, ‘elementaries’ or ‘vampires,’ masquerading as spirits of the dead. ” The answer to the first hypothesis is, that, as a rule, the recipients of these visits are, more frequently than not, people not distinguished for imaginative powers. And the slightest reflection will show that an enormous fund of creative imagination must exist to make a woman absolutely certain that her lover is present with her as tangible as in life. ” And not only do these manifestations take place, but, in many cases, long conversations are held, sometimes for hours together; questions are asked and answered, and replies (sometimes true, but usually false) obtained which could not have emanated from the brain of the querist, being sometimes accurate in-formation of circumstances which could by no possibility have been known to her. Further, these visitations are frequently made to men, when, of course, the visitor is of female form. Another fact, difficult to account for on the first hypothesis, is that these visits have been, paid to people who had never heard of such things, and who were Philistines of the Philistines regarding all, kinds of ‘ spirit’ or psychic phenomena. ” Consequently, we will dismiss theory No. 1 as untenable, and consider No. 2. That is, that the visitants, warm, living, breathing, palpitating, are the spirits of the dead. And here I will quote one who, amidst an enormous farrago of nonsense, self-deception, and false fact, has somehow stumbled on a few truths-Anna Kingsford : ‘There are no such things as “spirits of the dead,” there are only ” shades ” of the dead.’ And these shades are certainly unable to make themselves even audible, much more tangible, palpable, and warm-blooded. We know quite sufficient about them to know that. ” Then there only remains the third proposition, that they are other spirits, who, for their own purposes, assume the shape and verisimilitude of dead persons. ” Is Dr. Hartmann right then in considering them to be ‘ vampires’ ? and, if not ‘ vampires,’ what are they ? ” The learned doctor has evidently thoroughly studied the subject of vampires, enjoying as he does facilities for research in the very country which (if we except the West Indies) has from time immemorial to the present been the scene of their most awful manifestations-Hungary. “And it is quite true what Dr. H. says, that ‘persons obsessed by a vampire are always sensually inclined people ; and usually given to secret vices.’ influences ; nothing more is needed. ” Dr. H. recounts five cases within his personal know-ledge, which he attributes to the action of vampires. But, of these five, only the third and fifth in order were undoubtedly due to vampire action, and the first one is almost more than doubtful. The others were certainly not vampires. There is no reason for thinking that the old lady who undermined the health of her servants was under the power of a vampire : it being a well-known fact that many (in fact most) very old people who sleep with young and impressionable ones, gradually absorb the greater part of their vitality ; and all physicians in this country are very precise in forbidding it. ” The second case shows no trace of a vampire’s presence, of its ‘ devouring’ propensities, or of its horrible hate for the victim from whom it nightly drains the very life-blood. It is simply a case of an ‘ ” elemental ” (as the doctor says) making use of and being aided by the elementary of the suicide.’ But, as before said, an ‘ elemental ‘ is not a vampire. ” The third case, of the millers boy, is a good in-stance of one mode of action of an undoubted vampire. ” In the fourth case the ‘dual,’ there is nothing to indicate a vampire. The idea that the ‘ dual ‘ drew all the woman’s strength from her was most probably not the fact. The fifth case is doubtless a genuine one of vampirism by the living, as Dr. Hartmann asserts. ” Now then, having so far cleared the ground, what are vampires? ” They are not ‘ elementals ‘ but ‘ demons ‘ : there are no ‘demon elementals.’ Demons are differentiated from spirits in possessing souls, and this, while it intensifies their power of malignant hate towards man, renders them, in one sense, superior to sex passion. They have an infinite capacity of hatred and malignity, which they can only gratify at the expense of those who are sensuously inclined. But they have no power-as the elementals have in certain cases-to assume human form : they can give no pleasure, either mental or physical. All that they can do is to absorb, to waste, to madden, and destroy. ” Dr. Hartmann gives very correctly all the recognised symptoms of vampirism. ” The elementals, on the contrary, are in this connection perfectly harmless. So far from bearing any hatred or malice towards the recipients of their favours, they are actuated towards them by (at least so far as they are capable of feeling it) love. This is self-evident by their conduct.” It has been claimed that Robert D’Onston Stephenson was writing in response to the following article, entitled, Seelenbraute und Vampirismus, and was written by Franz Hartmann, featuring in Lotusbluthen, Vol. 6 in the year 1895. It has been claimed that this article was the inspiration behind Robert D’Onston Stephenson’s 1896 article in Borderland entitled Elementals. This is, however, false, Souls of brides and vampirism Under a vampire is defined as a spirit, by which a person is possessed and the life force of that which he possesses, emaciated, exhausted his nervous energy and eventually drives him to madness and death in the arms. But what is meant by spirit? One need not like a ghost, wandering around the outside of man and in the air, thinking. The word “spirit” in German means many different things from each other, that one has the choice to mean whatever you want. It states: “Anyone who still believes in ghosts and spirit?” - And yet we are all spirits in a material itself visible envelope, for a man without spirit is a corpse, even if he is otherwise a good appetite, but spiritually dead under spirit, we understand, a unity of will and imagination, with In other words, a bustling through the thoughts and become self-confident willpower. The idea stems from the feeling and the strength of these two, which creates in the soul of human forms, whether this happens intentionally or unintentionally and intentionally and instinctively, the result remains the same. The materialist “talk a big word for left” when he says that ghosts exist only in our imagination, but it is a mind that the works of the imagination be a nothingness and that he had destroyed with his oracle, the spirit world, while but the imagination is a force which causes substantial real phenomena in our mind, and she imagines in our souls, making them suitable for our internal perception just as essential, as is an external object is to our physical senses. The stronger the imagination, the stronger occur objectively in the mirror of the soul imagined performances in front of introspection, be it through the inner face or inner feeling, and under certain circumstances, to every metaphysician are known, particularly in nerve weakness and mediumistic persons, not the so-formed shapes only for the person who created them, but even for all those present are outwardly visible and tangible objective, which is already widely known through the so-called “ghost materializations” found art. It would be a great mistake to think that were active in the creation of such “ghost” no external influences. A seed, be it physical or psychological, is developing and does not grow without a supply of nourishment and stimulation from the outside. The water and earth lead to the plant food, and the light and heat, they stimulate the growth of, to that of the delicate seed becomes a tree, finally, on which depend the skeptic who does not believe in trees, can. Similarly, by the thought that springs from the sensation, appropriate ideas from the “astral plane” dressed in the mind enter the people, get him to consciousness, and the idea may eventually become the “obsession” over which the reason and take what the government loses possession of the whole inner nature of man. Lovers and fools and fanatics of all kinds could tell them if they had sense enough to see their own state. The lover is in love with the idea, which he makes from the object of his infatuation, he creates for himself an image in his soul of his beloved, and this image is through his senses by the sight of his lover and the sound produced her voice and nourished. Another creates in his imagination, without outside help the object of his adoration, but he pulls through his lust corresponding influences, larvae, animals, monsters of all kinds, ghosts and devils from the underworld. Me into being trampled in a thought is not one of me physically different thing, and yet this idea is not “I”, I still thought of, but he is a part of my nature, which arose out of my will and my imagination, and insofar as this essence or the “spirit” of confidence in me has become, and from my own self is different, he is my other, my false ego, alterego, “dual” or like how you call it, he is into me and on my own born, alive in me “incarnate” thought of my will, a part of my nature, the lives of me and in me, and die in me or I can survive. The man is sprung from a desire and imagination “materialized” spirit, he is a composition of a sum of forces and qualities which constitute his personality is always changing. Arises in him an obsession, which gained the upper hand over his reason, so we have a special group of properties in this sum, an individualized notion within this product from idea, one to the contrary has become will within the will, from which he is born , a “spirit” in the spirit. Sun arise from the different emotions, feelings, desires and instincts of people different ideas, thoughts and spirits that get in it an individual consciousness and its false “selves” can be just as many people on Earth just wrong ” egos “of the deity, ie, self-conscious, individual, physical manifestations of a world soul. The person dies, it dissolves into its constituents on its composition, the truth in it goes into the truth, the qualities which he has borrowed from nature, are not destroyed thereby, but are returning to nature and be back by other corresponding organisms attracted to them in return to the consciousness and enter into the circle of life. This is not just with his physical, but also with his mental components of the case, everything returns to its origin, but the body of matter, spirit to spirit and passion to the source from which they originated. Thus, for example, the sexual impulse in man is no man and no flying in the air, ghost, but one will form in nature, which manifests itself in humans and animals as sex drive, it can in man be so severe that he in his reign gained over his reason. It is then a force of nature personified in man, in his mind into being trampled, a false ego that drives him to all sorts of unreasonable actions and the imagination can be any shape. Dying man hears, so that this force of nature, which was revealed to him as a sex drive and is called Kama, not to exist, but when she finds a favorable soil in other places, so diet and develop the Convention therein mental germs and reappears in other people and animals as their sex drive to the stage of their existence. In this way, the passion that has created a living person into the life and possessed him to influence even after his death to another person or take possession. Not the deceased person is, who poses as “soul groom”, but the psychic energy, which has left the deceased and which of them possessed, according to the play of his imagination and designed clothes. The dead know nothing. Similarly, among the living. Only a very ignorant man still doubted that the feelings of another human being in one can cause the same feelings and influence the thoughts of one another without the former is aware of. Death of a man who has put his life during a certain type of energy in kamischer activity, then there is still the same and then continued as a natural force, such as leaving the body heat as the heat continues to exist and reheated another body. That is why the death penalty one of ignorance springing mistake if we think that to have a detrimental effect rendered harmless. They destroyed the form, the tool, but not the driving spirit. Such forces of nature or “spirits” have no individual consciousness, no discernment or ability to think, they are influences, which become individual consciousness again until the person in whom they are revealed, and through it. These “ghosts”, which is a perverted sexual instinct in humans may give life to include the “Incubi” and “succubi” the metaphysician of the middle ages, which correspond to our modern “soul brides” and “soul grooms,” and that is meant by a ” Incubus “one in the fantasy of a sensual female form, and people created by a” Succubus “one of the female imagination sprung male form. In India the same “Mohinis” and “Pisachas” are mentioned, and Theophrastus Paracelsus called “phantoms, dragons, monsters,” etc. They are really existing being, by the concerned people themselves created and nourished by spiritual influences, they are states of mind of affected by them and prove their existence only too clearly by the disruption caused to them by the nervous system and the disintegration of the physical forces. That of knowing nothing and knowing nothing unending scholarly conceit with the exclamation “Superstition!” will answer and to have explained everything thinks does not matter. This is the most convenient way to give yourself a reputation among the ignorant and to eliminate questions about things of which you understand nothing. The vampirism is an unfortunate fact that one can not eliminate through denial. Who is it accessible, not only of influences that emanate from the remnants of the dead but also of his fellow human beings living vampirized and drained, mentally, morally and physically. To eke out in the physical as well as looking into the mental world of one at the expense of the other his existence, whether it is consciously and intentionally or unintentionally, done instinctively. Influence the thoughts of one another, without the familiar and the other where the origin, and if the ideas that the people that lived before us called into existence, could have no influence on us, there would be in the world at no progress. The spirit of a Goethe or Shakespeare lives and works today, though the personality has long since dissolved into its elements, and no one will understand by this spirit, a ghost flying around in the world. The ideas, which called into being great minds, nourish the seeds in the hearts of those who are receptive to great ideas. The same is the case with the passions. Man is an embodied spiritual strength, he disappears from the phenomenal world, but the force remains there. He is like a cloud in the sky, which comes and goes, but the air and water, they have made persist, and bring forth new cloud formations. Anyone who has studied the literature of the occult and metaphysics, where there will be no shortage of material to think about vampirism. There is a lot of events described in relation to the vampirism of the dead and the living, which may be mentioned here, but I prefer to speak from my own experience: In G. .. is a woman, in which a young man was in love. Because the same was a drunkard and vagrant, however, they scorned him, although had a great affection felt for him, and married another. From injured vanity shot the young man, and soon afterwards the young woman was attacked by an Incubus, which she visited with her at night and indulged in sexual intercourse. She could not see the “spirit”, but feel and felt about the same as would be if a person living with her. These visits were repeated very often, especially in the absence of her husband, and shattered her nerves, so that the husband himself was finally forced to seek medical advice. By strengthening the moral force of the woman was healed. In his article Stephenson mentions the following, . ” Dr. H. recounts five cases within his personal know-ledge, which he attributes to the action of vampires. But, of these five, only the third and fifth in order were undoubtedly due to vampire action, and the first one is almost more than doubtful. The others were certainly not vampires. There is no reason for thinking that the old lady who undermined the health of her servants was under the power of a vampire : it being a well-known fact that many (in fact most) very old people who sleep with young and impressionable ones, gradually absorb the greater part of their vitality ; and all physicians in this country are very precise in forbidding it. ” The second case shows no trace of a vampire’s presence, of its ‘ devouring’ propensities, or of its horrible hate for the victim from whom it nightly drains the very life-blood. It is simply a case of an ‘ ” elemental ” (as the doctor says) making use of and being aided by the elementary of the suicide.’ But, as before said, an ‘ elemental ‘ is not a vampire. But in the article by Hartmann above, there is no mention of these five cases to which Stephenson alludes to, thus making it the wrong article. If we check earlier editions of Borderland, however, we find the following, Vampires by Franz Hartmann, M.D. This includes all five cases that Robert D’Onston Stephenson alluded to, and is therefore the correct text. |
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It seems like an eternity since I last discussed Robert D’Onston Stephenson or his family. Here is a post about Stephenson’s father, Richard Stephenson Senior. There has been some discussion of late regarding the role of Richard Stephenson Snr, Robert D’Onston Stephenson’s father, whilst in Hull with several sources claiming that Stephenson was the “Treasurer for the Hull Corporation.” This is misleading and quiet frankly a load of rubbish. To fully understand the role of Water Bailiff’s in Hull one must look back at Hull’s history. Hull during the 1700’s and 1800’s had a dock system that was expanding at an incredible rate. As such the old harbour was no longer fit for purpose, and several inland docks were created around the old town of Hull. Because of this move there was quiet a shift in taxatation and how the local organisations could take advantage of this. This resulted in the Hull Corporation, Hull Docks Committee and Hull Guild of the Holy Trinity taking a slice of the taxes that were obtained from ships coming into Hull. Any finances paid were split three ways and as such all three organisations had their own collecters. Richard Stephenson Senior, Robert D’Onston Stephenson’s father was employed by the Hull Corporation to be their collector. He was never in the role of the Treasurer. 1866 The Hull Packet and East Riding Times features the following advertisement, WATER BAILIFF. THE TOWN COUNCIL will on the 12 of January, 1866, proceed to Elect a WATER BAILEIFF and Receiver of the Corporation Dues, who shall make that his sole business a Salary of £120 per annum, with a further [illegible] of One percent upon the total amount of [illigble] received by him. Additional information may be known at the Clerk’s Office, where written applications for the role will be received up to noon on Saturday the 6th of January 1866, By Order- Robert Wells, Town Clerk. 1866January 12th Richard Stephenson becomes Water Bailiff for the Hull Corporation. He receives a quarterly wage of £30 plus commission and expenses. A letter held at the Hull History Centre reads, Sculcoates 12th. Jan 1866. Gentlemen, I beg to thank you for the honour you have done me in electing me to the office of Water Bailiff and Receiver of Corporation Dues. It will be my constant endeavour to merit the confidence thus reposed in me. NB. My sureties are, Mr. Robt. Dawber, Linnaeus Street. “ J. Shirley Richardson, Parliament Street. I am Gentlemen, Your most ob. Svt. Richard Stephenson. To The Mayor 1866 January 12th The Hull Packet and East Riding Times carries the following, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING YESTERDAY. ELECTION OF WATER BAILIFF. The first business of the meeting was the election of a water bailiff to collect the corporation’s port dues. The salary is £120, with 1 per cent on the amount collected. 50 voted. Mr. Richard Stephenson, broker, was elected, having 26 votes. Over the years I have read through the Hull Committee Meetings Minute books which features a quarterly rundown of the finances that Richard Stephenson collected, the money that he was paid, and the expenses that he was eligible for, including coal and stationary. Furthermore, the following names can be found in the Hull and East Yorkshire Trade Directories of this period, White’s Hull and District Trade Directory 1867 Field’s 1876 Trade Directrory of Hull Kelly’s North and East Riding of Yorkshire Directory 1879 White’s 1882 Hull Directory Kelly’s 1885 Atkinson 1888 Images of the 1866 Minutes of Committee Meetings by the Hull Corporation can be seen here, http://www.jtrforums.com/showthread.php?t=13208 |
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The chapter list is finished, with just a few minor editing points to be addressed, here goes, Frederick Bailey Deeming 1853-1892 Introduction Chapter I Frederick Bailey Deeming 1853 – 1881 Chapter II Frederick Bailey Deeming’s First Wife Sydney and South Africa 1881-1888 Chapter III Frederick Bailey Deeming in Africa during 1888 Chapter IV Frederick Bailey Deeming in New Zealand during 1888 Chapter V Frederick Bailey Deeming’s Second Wife- Beverley and Hull 1890 Chapter VI Frederick Bailey Deeming’s Trial for Fraud in Hull – Local and National Press opinions Chapter VII Frederick Bailey Deeming’s Trial in Hull for Fraud in Hull – The Official Files 1890 Chapter VIII Frederick Bailey Deeming’s in the Hull Watch Committee Meeting Minutes, 1890 – 1891 Chapter IX Frederick Bailey Deeming and the Hull Watch Files – CTCW/179, 1891 Chapter X Frederick Bailey Deeming in the Home Office Files – HO144/479/X30712 1890 – 1892 Chapter XI Frederick Bailey Deeming and the Preston Murder of Mary Jane Langley. 1891 Chapter XII Frederick Bailey Deeming at Rainhill 1891 Chapter XIII Frederick Bailey Deeming’s Third Wife, Rainhill and Australia, 1891 Chapter XIV Frederick Bailey Deeming and the murder of Emily Mather, Australia, 1892 Chapter XV Frederick Bailey Deeming’s Fourth and Fifth Marriage Proposal, Australia 1891- 1892 Chapter XVI Frederick Bailey Deeming Stands Trial 1892 – Press opinions Chapter XVII Frederick Bailey Deeming – The Australian Trial File - 1892 Chapter XVIII Frederick Bailey Deeming’s Death 1892 Chapter XIX Frederick Bailey Deeming in the Whitechapel Murder Files - 1892 Chapter XX Frederick Bailey Deeming and the Whitechapel Murders Chapter XXI Frederick Bailey Deeming and the letter from Eddowes. Chapter XXII Frederick Bailey Deeming - The East End Murderer - I knew him Chapter XXIII Weird and Wonderful Deeming stories Chapter XXIV Frederick Bailey Deeming and Mr. Jabez Balfour Chapter XXV Frederick Bailey Deeming in the Australian Files – 1892 Chapter XXVI Frederick Bailey Deeming’s belongings Chapter XXVII Frederick Bailey Deeming – Medical opinions Chapter XXVIII Frederick Bailey Deeming – Old theories debunked Frederick Bailey Deeming – Conclusion. Acknowledgements, Sources, Appendix I List of exhibits produced at Deeming’s Trial. Appendix II Property foind in Deeming’s possession when arrested. Appendix III Precise career of Frederick Bailey Deeming as presented at the trial. Appendix IV Frederick Bailey Deeming in the Hull Press post 1892 Appendix V Frederick Bailey Deeming in the International Press post 1892 |
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Today marks the 120th anniversary of the discovery of the body of Mary Jane Langley. Hull Daily Mail, Monday August 1st 2011, features a fantastic article on the research I have conducted, and the thoughts of the remaining relatives here in Hull. Here is the article that featured in Ripperologist Magazine, Frederick Bailey Deeming in Preston and Hedon Over the years a number of crimes have been attributed to Frederick Bailey Deeming, with claims that his criminal exploits were carried out in Germany, Africa, Australia, and Great Britain. This article will not look at Deeming’s criminal career, or candidacy as a Ripper suspect, but will in fact explore a little known unsolved murder that Deeming was connected to by the press in Yorkshire. I must admit, that despite having a respectable knowledge of local crime and murders, I had not heard of the tragedy that befell Mary Jane Langley in Long-lane, Preston, despite visiting the area of Hedon, Preston, and Sproatley on numerous occasions. I had friends and family for many years in these areas, and had often cycled out to the small villages on the weekends. I first came across the case on a trip to the East Riding Archives to look for information pertaining to Frederick Bailey Deeming, under his alias Harry Lawson. As I was searching I was asked if he had any known aliases, so with a wry smile on my face I informed the helpful staff that most people knew him as the notorious Frederick Bailey Deeming. At this point it seemed to turn on a light switch in the minds of the staff, who quickly produced a large book packed full of newspaper cuttings, photographs and primary sources on Beverley’s rich history. [1] Among the cuttings were local historical announcements, parish reports, cuttings covering the Baccarat Scandal, and some fantastic reports on Frederick Bailey Deeming. Whilst most of the reports covered the trial and subsequent hanging, there was one report that really got my attention. The report featured in the Yorkshire Post that stated, WILLIAMS AND THE NEWLAND MURDER A Hull correspondent says:- The coincidence between the discharge of Lawson in July and the mysterious murder of Mary Jane Langley at Preston, near Hull, the last week in that month, was remarked upon in Hull yesterday, when the supposition that Lawson was Williams and became known; but there is nothing whatever to connect the two events. Supposing Lawson to be Williams, even then he was, according to the dates given of his movements, busily engaged in Liverpool. [2] I searched for more references to Deeming and the unsolved murder and found another report from a few days later in the Sheffield and Rotherham Independant, the article stated, DEEMING’S CONDUCT IN YORKSHIRE Deeming was allowed to leave the Hull Gaol on the 16th of July, and remained in the vicinity for a few days to settle matters, it is stated, with the solicitors, Locking and Holditch, who had defended him, and it was during these few days that a horrible murder was committed about five miles from Hull, at Preston, but the police have been unable to trace the murderer of the young lady – Miss Langley – the daughter of a farmer. The police have now a supposition that Deeming may have committed the crime. [3] Given that newspapers have gotten it wrong, and continue to do so, I decided to dig a little further into the murder of Mary Jane Langley, and was surprised at what I uncovered but first I will cover Deeming’s antecedents in Hull and East Yorkshire. It is a well ascertained fact that Deeming was in Hull in February and March 1890, this comes from the marriage between Deeming and Helen Matheson can be seen in the following marriage index entry, Name: Helen Matheson, Year: 1890, Quarter: Jan- Feb- March, District: Beverley, County: Yorkshire, Volume: 9d, Page: 148 The entry in St Mary’s Church Parish Registers reads, 1890 Marriage solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of St Mary’s Beverley in the County of York, No: 462, When Married: Feb 18th 1890
Married in the Parish Church in accordance to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church The names of the father’s and their professions do not fit in with the known facts, and the marriage entry has a long black line, not unlike a cut, through the entry. It is my opinion, based on the physical appearance of this document and the known facts, the bottom half of the entry is not part of the original top piece and added at a later date. The entry is held on microfiche at the Treasures House in Beverley, a part of East Riding Archives, and the original document was unavailable for perusal so I could not ascertain what had happened and why the entries of the fathers did not match. On February 22nd 1890 the Beverley Guardian featured the following, MARRIAGES Beverley- February 18th, at St Mary’s Church, by the Rev. Cannon Quirk, assisted by the Rev. H. E. Gaussed, curate, Harry Lawson, younger son of the late H. Lawson, Liverpool, to Helen, elder daughter of the late Findlay Matheson, Inland Revenue. Given that the names in the newspaper do not match the names of the fathers on the parish records, I believe in this instance that the newspaper article is actually right, for the simple reason that the parish records are damaged, and the record featuring the father’s names is on a separate piece of paper in the files. This indicates that it was lost, or damaged, and that in the process of repairing the records, an unrelated record was added to the page. What happened next is the subject of much debate, with some sources claiming that Deeming went down south before returning to Hull but do not provide a source for such a claim. [4] [5] What is known is that on March 15th 1890 Frederick Bailey Deeming defrauded Raynoldson’s Jeweler’s and fled Hull for Monte Video via Southampton. [6] The case filled newspaper columns in Hull when Detective Grasby was sent to apprehend Deeming and return him to Hull, with Grasby’s own account of his adventures on the high seas making interesting reading and Grasby something of a local hero. [7] On October 16th 1890 Deeming was brought before the Hull Magistrates and received a 9 month sentence for his part in the jewelry frauds and was subsequently sent to Hull Jail. [8] It was during his time in Hull Jail that the 1891 Census was taken with Deeming appearing under his alias of Harry Lawson, one of the reasons why researchers in the past have had difficulty finding him. The Census entry reads, [9] Harry Lawson 32 Prisoner Engine Fitter Joseph Dawber 46 Prisoner Solicitor Ripperologist’s will note that Joseph Dawber, Robert D’Onston Stephenson’s cousin was serving time for his part in financial fraud. If one goes by Deeming’s sentence he should have been released by July 16th 1891 with several newspaper articles stating that he was released “early July 1891” [10] with one source giving the exact date of July 16th 1891. [11] It was the latter report that claimed Deeming remained in Hull for several days after his release to meet with his legal team. It was during this period that a young girl was murdered on a small lane between Hull and the outlying village of Preston.
The Preston Murder
On the morning of Thursday July 30th 1891 William Langley, a farmer residing at residing at West End Farm, Long-lane, Preston set out to Driffield with his wife in order to attend a farmers market and pay their rent. The couple waved to their 18 year old daughter Mary Jane as they set off, taking note that she stood at the garden gate waving them off. [12] It would be the last time they saw their daughter alive. The family was registered in the 1891 Census residing at 110 North-road, Preston, Class RG12, P3921, F47, P17, GSU Roll6099031 William Langley 53 Head Farmer Mary 44 Wife Mary Jane 18 Daughter William 16 Son Milkman Frederick 11 Son Scholar Thomas 9 Son Birth registration DRY/31/53 Rachel 6 Daughter Birth registration DRY/37/367 Elizabeth 7 Daughter Birth registration DRY/35/451 Upon returning to their home at 6.30 they noticed that Mary Jane had failed to do any of the house work requested and made enquiries with their son William to ascertain where Mary Jane had gone. William informed his parents that Mary Jane had left Preston for Hull with the purpose of getting a photograph of her self. [13] Some years earlier Mary Jane had left Preston unannounced to visit Cleethorpes, and Mr. Langley had recently found a letter from Albert Hall, Mary Jane’s boyfriend, that stated, “I shall only be too happy to go to Cleethorpes with you.” With this information Mr. Langley had assumed that Mary Jane had visited Cleethorpes for the day, and thought nothing of it. [14] On Friday July 31st 1891 Mr. William Langley had still not heard from his daughter, finding this highly unusual he decided to visit Hull to speak with Mary Jane’s friends. The family had previously resided on Southcoates-lane, off Holderness-road in East Hull, and still had friends in the area. [15] On the off chance that Mary Jane was staying with Arthur Hall, Mr. Langley also decided to pay the young man a visit, but upon arriving he discovered that Mr. Hall was not home, but he was in the town and not at Cleethorpes as previously thought and certainly not with Mary Jane. It was also proved before the Hull Police that Mr. Hall was working in Hessle during the period in which Mary Jane had been murdered. [16] [17] By Saturday Mr. Langley had sent his son William to Hull with the purpose of finding out if Mary Jane had visited any of her friends. William Langley Junior made enquiries at Mr. Edmonds Photography store in Witham, East Hull, and Mr. Edmonds confirmed that he had indeed taken Mary Jane’s photograph. [18] [19] Mr. William Mortimer Edmonds, had a photographic studio at 123 Witham which is a road connecting the town of Hull with Holderness-road and was easily reached by the tram service that ran east. [20] It is stated that she paid 3s and 6d for the photograph and left his studio at three o’clock. [21] It is unknown where Mary Jane went next, Mr. Edmonds had stated that Mary Jane had told him she was “to make for Hull then head to Marfleet via the train.” [22] The railway service that ran between Hull and Withernsea, taking in Southcoates, Marfleet and Hedon was opened on June 26th 1854 and ran along 18 and ½ miles until it was closed to passengers, under the Beeching Axe, by October 19th 1964, and finally closed to all transport on May 3rd 1965. [23] The station named Southcoates stood on Holderness-road, between Witham and Southcoates-lane, places that Mary Jane was well acquainted with, but as the line ran from Paragon Station from 1864 it is quiet possible that Mary Jane set off from the main station. Regardless of where Mary Ann set off from, a gatekeeper at Marfleet Station had claimed to have seen Mary Jane arrive at the station on the ten past five train from Hull on the Thursday evening although other sources refute this and claim Mary Jane appeared at the station at 2.19. [24] In later days a number of eyewitnesses were found by the police and the press, and one such eyewitness was Annie Severs. Severs was the niece of Mr. Smith of Sycamore Farm, and the surrounding land. Mary Jane had to pass across these fields to get home and severs remembers seeing a girl in a black dress who had got off the train from Hull at Marfleet just after two o’clock. Severs recalled seeing her wearing her gold watch and chain, and that they engaged in conversation. When pressed by the press Severs admitted to seeing a man pass by before Mary Jane, and described him as rough looking and tall. [25] Severs account was at odds with previous accounts and was ruled out by some. Another eyewitness was a man named only as Kitching, who was employed in a field with a rolling machine. It was another field that Mary Jane had to cross, and Kitching recalls seeing a young girl in a black dress carrying an umbrella. Kitching recalls seeing no one else, nor hearing or seeing anything out of the ordinary after his sighting. [26] With enquiries reaching a dead end, Mr. Langley had told his wife that he planned to go to the Hull police, but told his wife that he had a dream the previous night that a dog had ran from a ditch on the lane outside their property and that had gone into the ditch and found his daughter lying dead. [27] Mr. Langley had to pass the exact spot on the way to Marfleet Station, and with a feeling of dread he looked over the bridge into the drain below. It was here that he discovered his daughter’s body lying dead. [28] A local man named only as “Taylor” was passing the scene and made a short journey to Lower Farm to raise help from Doctor Soutter. Soutter returned to the scene and examined the body; his findings were reported in numerous press accounts as thus, The ditch was perfectly dry, and there were no apparent signs of a struggle. Deceased was lying on her left side, partly concealed from view under the bridge, with her head resting on her umbrella, and her clothes turned up as far as her knees. A wet hankerchief was found near the body, and, singular to relate, her jacket and hand were found some distance away. A jagged wound in the girl’s throat was discovered, sufficient enough to fit a persons fist, and it could not have been self inflicted. The girls silver Geneva watch and gold albert were missing. The body was left until between four and five when the East Riding Police arrived. [29] Several police forces, including Hull, Hedon and Sproatley, joined forces and soon several suspects were arrested. Among them was a James Parkin, who was found to have attacked and threatened two women out at Sutton, another small village on the outskirts of Hull, albeit four miles to the north. The police arrested Parkin and on his person found two purses from the two women he had accosted at Sutton. Eyewitnesses soon came forward and confirmed that Parkin was working when Mary Jane was murdered, thus ruling him out as a suspect. [30] Another suspect was soon arrested by the name of John Rennard, known locally as Jack Rennard or Jack Renny. Rennard by all accounts was a family man brought up by a corn miller named William Rennard in the parish of Southcoates in Hull, the same parish that the Langley family had resided in. [31] By 1871 the Rennard family were living in Beeton-street, a location between Witham and the Southcoates railway station. [32] Ripperologist’s will also be aware that Beeton-street was the street where Doctor Frederick Richard Chapman’s brother resided! The family appears again on the street in a trade directory with William Rennard, Miller, 87 Beeton-street. [33] By 1881 William Rennard had passed away and the family is still residing at 87 Beeton-street off Holderness-road in East Hull. By this point John Rennard is working as a shipwright, [34] and by 1886 he marries Agnes A Bradley at St Andrews Church, Drypool. [35] By the 1891 Census the family is residing on Courtney-street, off Holderness-road in Mawson’s Court. [36] The street stood just one street east of Beeton-street and the Hull to Withernsea line ran between the two streets. Standing opposite Courtney-street was the Nag’s Head public House, a place that Rennard was a regular drinker as we shall see soon. It was claimed that Rennard had been drinking in Preston, funnily enough at another public house named the Nag’s Head and that upon leaving he had met with Mary Jane Langley in Long-lane, killing her, and wiping the blood on his pants before stealing her watch and making for Hull to drink at the Nag’s Head on Holderness-road opposite Courtney-street. [37] The problem here is that the police responsible for the apprehension of Rennard had not only got their times wrong, but Rennard had very good reason for his bloody trousers. Rennard was known by many to be a quiet man with a passion for ratting, and would often take his dog into the fields around Hull at that time to capture and kill rats. It was also stated in the same piece that Rennard would often visit Marflett, Hedon and Preston with his dog, and take the walk back to Hull. [38] Of course it didn’t matter if Rennard was ratting or not, it was soon revealed that he had an even better reason for having blood covered trousers, and his wife was quiet vocal about the blood stained trousers, even going so far as revealing that she had more than one pair of trousers that were smeared with blood. [39] It was revealed that James Rennard didn’t wear underwear and suffered from heat spots on his calves and thighs. Rennard would sit and scratch the sores for hours until they bled. It was a condition that was partially created due to the rubbing of his trouser lining with his legs. Doctor Keelan testified that Rennard’s condition was a natural condition brought on by heat boils and excessive scratching. [40] Representatives from Hull Daily visited Rennard’s house and turned a pair of his trousers inside out, finding blood in the areas that his wife had stated, furthermore, the press spoke to several farmers in the region who all testified that they allowed Rennard to use their land for ratting. [41] Despite all the evidence showing that Rennard was innocent and a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the Hull Police sent him to Hull Jail to await trial. It was also at this point that Mr. Edmondson admitted that Mary Jane could have left him earlier than he thought, and therefore could have caught the earlier train. It was also revealed that the East Riding Police had discovered that Rennard had sold the coat he wore on the day of the murder to a man named Keegan, but upon inspection the coat revealed no trace of blood on it. [42] By August 15th 1891 the newspapers were filled with remarkable stories about the trial of Rennard and how it collapsed. [43] Among the many facts that the police had been overzealous to tie to Rennard included,
The jury returned a verdict of “Willful murder against person or persons unknown,” and Rennard was liberated, so happy were the locals that they took Rennard out into the street and pulled him around in a cab, with many locals starting a financial fund to help any financial costs that might have arisen whilst Rennard was in Hull Jail. [44] [45] Mary Jane Langley’s death was registered with the following information,
Name: Mary Jane Langley, Born: about 1873, Year of Registration: 1891, Quarter: July- August- September, Age: 18, District: Sculcoates, County: Yorkshire, Volume: 9D, Page: 101 The Hull Corporation’s death registers, held at Hull History Centre, feature the following information, Compartment: 112, Grave: 92, Death Reported: 30th July 1891, Burial Date: 4th August 1891, Age: 18, Trade: Farmer, Residence: Preston, Address: 1 Regent Place, Cause of Death: Found with her throat cut in Preston Lane, Informant: William Langley The grave, which can be found at Hedon-road General Cemetery reads, In affectionate remembrance of Esther, the beloved daughter of William and Mary Langley of Southcoates, who died August 2nd 1883 aged 6 years and 10 months. Also Harriet, sister of the above who died at Preston (in Holderness) March 20th 1888 aged 21 years, Also Mary Jane, sister of the above, who was suddenly cut down July 30th 1891, aged 18 years. It was not that our love was cold, that earthly lights were burning dim, But that the Sheppard from his fold, Had smiled and drawn them unto him. (A Middleton) The Hull Press featured several reports covering the scenes at the funeral, and the masses of people that turned up to pay their respects at both the graveside, and the location of Mary Jane’s death. The causes of death, and dates registered are as follows, 1883 August 6th Esther Mary Langley, Daughter of William Langley, Cow Keeper, Farmer, Southcoates-lane, 6 years 6 months, brain fever. 1888 March 23rd Harriet Langley, West End, Preston, 21 years old, dropsy. 1891 August 4th Mary Jane Langley, North-lane, Preston, Found with her throat cut in Preston-lane.
Rennard went back to normal life and was later registered at Courtney-street in 1901 [46], and his death was registered in 1947. [47] There is no other mention in the Hull Press or Magistrates Sessions of Rennard and it appears as though he led a quiet life with his family. His son, John Rennard Junior is listed in a list of enlisted men from Hull and Yorkshire fighting in the Great War. [48] The case attracted quiet a lot of local and national press interest, and with that came some unusual claims. Mr. Langley claims that he had had a dream that his daughter was dead, a day before he found her, and one church goer in Hull wrote to the press on several occasions to state that spiritualists should be brought in to solve the crime. They were largely ignored. Frederick Bailey Deeming and the murder of Mary Jane Langley With the press response in 1892 claiming that Deeming could have been involved we must examine the similarities, if there are any, between the murder’s of Mary Jane Langley, Marie Deeming, Marie Deeming jnr., Bertha Deeming, Sydney Francis Deeming, Lilla Deeming, and Emily Mather. It is also vital that we must check Deeming’s whereabouts during this period to see if Deeming was indeed in the district, or whether he had already left for Rainhill. A brief look at the medical reports from each death is interesting, with both the Preston Murder and Melbourne Murder being covered in some depth in the press, although the official inquest reports from the Preston Murder have vanished despite a thorough search of the Hull History Centre, East Riding Archives, and Borthwick Institute in York. Without official reports, I am going to look at the published inquest testimonies as reported in the Hull Press. The case was covered nationally, but I am going from the reports that were written by correspondents that were sat in on the proceedings. The best report on the inquest on the murder of Mary Jane Langley came on August 10th 1891, and featured Doctor Soutter, who was the first medical man on the scene. [49] He claimed, The wound on the right side of the neck extended five inches across to the left, the margins of the wound being an inch and half apart. There was a scored incision of the skin of the left side continuous with the wound a quarter of an inch long. The edges of the large wound were jagged in several places. There was another somewhat similar scoring on the right side an inch long. On looking into the interior of the wound the upper part of the larynx was in view, the trachea being divided, showing both cords. The gullet was also divided. The wound appeared deepest on the left side, but this was due to the larynx being pushed over to that side. In the same article, Doctor Soutter made the following claims, There were no marks of violence on the thighs or genitals. The wound had probably been inflicted by a right handed man. The murderer had made attempts to hide the body in the ditch below the bridge. The next report is taken from the trial of Frederick Bailey Deeming in Australia on the body of Emily Williams, recorded on the 8th, and 22nd of March, and 2nd, 5th, 6th and 7th days of April in the year 1892. [50] The report covers the testimony of William Lowell Mullen, and states, William Lowell Mullen, states, I am a Doctor of Medicine practising at Melbourne On the afternoon of the fourth instant at the Morgue in conjunction with Dr. Mollison I made a post mortem examination of the deceased. Emily Williams. The throat was found to be cut in two distinct places. These wounds began separately on the left side and ran into each other on the right side forming a large gaping wound. The Upper wound started immediately below the angle of the jaw on the left side and passed across the fron [sic] of the neck to the middle of the right side of the neck in a direction slightly downward to the right. Its deep direction was slightly upwards. The thyroid cartilage was cleanly divided transversely and the lower part of the pharynx was exposed. The Lower wound began on the left side an inch and a quarter below the lobe of the ear on the left side. It extended horizontally across the neck joining the upper wound on the right side; it had passed through the windpipe immediately below the cricoid cartilage and had also divided the gullet. The large blood vessels on both sides were divided by these wounds. The report goes on and the following points are made, On examining the vagina the hymen was absent, but there was a well marked fourchette. The generative organs were normal. In my opinion the deceased had never been confined of a child. The immediate course [sic] of death was haemorrhage from the cut throat. The wording describing the wounds in the case of Mary Jane Langley are open to interpretation, sadly Doctor Soutter does not give any idea as to what side the wound began on, claiming only that The wound on the right side of the neck extended five inches across to the left. From this are we to believe that the killer started from the right to the left? Soutter also fails to mention whether the killer was in front, or behind Mary Jane, but does indicate that he believes the killer was a right handed man. The two marks, or scoring, on either side of the throat are interesting. Could this be an attempt to cut the throat in more than one place? Sadly without official documentation and a sketch of the body we will never know. Soutter also mentions that the killer had tried to hide the body by pushing it into a small space under the bridge. Mullen’s account of the murder of Emily Williams is a bit more thorough and goes into the murder in much greater detail, the full account can be found online at the Extraordinary Tale of Frederick Bailey Deeming website. [51] The main elements that make up the medical testimony from William Lowell Mullen are
The report does note that various fractures where noted on the skull, however; this was not the cause of death. In the case of the Rainhill murders it is again up the testimony in the press that helps us ascertain what happened to Marie Deeming and her four children, but again we are faced with difficulties in ascertaining the minutia, and instead left with the following, [52]
Another report features a quote from Doctor M’Lellan, who spoke at the inquest, which states, [53]
The same publication also featured the testimony of Inspector Pattinson, which stated, [54]
It is interesting to note in all cases that the cause of death, apart from Bertha, was that the victims had suffered a fatal wound to the throat. That each victim was hidden from view, or at least that was what was attempted, and that each victim did not suffer sexual assault. Conflicting Testimony For every story that claims Deeming was in Hull during the period in question, there are also the stories that he was elsewhere. Many of the stories differ, but some state that Deeming was back in Rainhill during the period when Mary Jane Langley was murdered. If this is true, then we can conclusively rule out Deeming as a suspect. We know that Mary Jane Langley was last seen alive on July 30th 1891, but one source [55] claims that Deeming, under the alias Albert O Williams, was in Rainhill during this period. The report claims, On Monday, the 21st July, he [Deeming] interviewed Mr. E. H .Short of the Railway Hotel, adjacent to the Rainhill Station, and asked if he could be provided with accommodation. It is further reported that Deeming stayed there for three or four nights but then returned to Mr. Short’s hotel. It later states that Deeming stayed at the hotel for about three weeks. Despite these claims appearing in the local, national, and even international press, no source can be found for the story. Another source [56] claims that Deeming went to the villa for a few days but returned to the hotel, remaining a few days before returning to London. Another source gives us a little more to go on when it was revealed that a ledger at Messrs Howarth and Co., St. Helens, revealed a ledger that featured Miss Mather, Rainhill, ordering a barrel of cement on July 23rd 1891. [57] Some researchers and authors have used this as proof that Deeming was definitely in the area, but it is quiet possible that Deeming sent Miss Mather a telegram asking her to order the cement. It is also stated that Mrs. Mather, Emily’s mother, was in charge of the letting of the property, so it is quiet possible that Deeming had asked that the cement be ordered prior to his taking of the property so that he may carry out his plans. The report has many contradictions however, and does not tie in with Deeming’s movements in other sources. Despite searching through the catalogues held at the National Archives, Liverpool Archives, and speaking with the very helpful members of the Rainhill Civic Society, no source can be found regarding whether Deeming was in Rainhill during the period in question. Conclusion I will be the first to admit the only evidence linking Frederick Bailey Deeming to the murder of Mary Jane Langley is nothing more than circumstantial, but the case for Deeming being the murderer is certainly stronger than the case for Rennard being the murderer. The distance between Hull Jail and Marfleet Station is a little over a mile, and with a tram service serving the distance between getting to and from Marfleet Station was not a problem, furthermore, getting to the Hull to Withernsea line was also easy as the line ran between Hull’s Paragon Station, the station that is adjacent to the Royal Station Hotel, where Deeming had earlier left his newly wedded wife to defraud Renyoldson’s Jewelers. It is also possible for one to travel from Hull, via the railway, to Hedon Station, and walk the distance back along Long-lane at Preston to Marfleet Station which is a little over 4 ¼ miles away. With Deeming inside Hull Jail for 9 months is it possible he was on the look out for female companionship? Is it possible that Deeming came across a female that already had a boyfriend, and in a fit of rage killed her, then stole her possessions? It is of course just a theory, but given that his chosen modus operandi was death by throat cutting, and that he always made efforts to hide his crimes, and that no other person was ever charged for the crimes, it seems likely that he could have been involved in this shocking murder. Sadly we will never know, and any attempt to pin the blame on Deeming leaves us feeling like we have nothing but circumstantial evidence. When I began writing this piece I read over the many newspapers, both locally and nationally, that featured the case, and found tantalising mentions of official documentation, maps, diagrams and testimony being recorded. It is still unknown where this information is, and whether it still exists. The Hull History Centre certainly shows no information on the case; neither does the East Riding Archives. National Archives and the Borthwick Institute at York also fail to show any official documentation on the case. I have been contacted my members of families that were related to the police officers on the case, and a relation to Mary Jane Langley, and all offer their own stories and ideas on the case. It is also interesting to note that the few books that mention the case all still believe that Rennard was the guilty party, despite the lack of evidence against him. Whether Deeming was the killer or not is certainly open to debate. I don’t claim to know the identity of the killer, but hopefully the research into this unsolved murder from 1891 will help bring closure to the family who still discuss the life, and death, of Mary Jane Langley. I will add this little point though. When Mary Jane was murdered several of her items were missing, these were recorded by her father and brother, and mentioned in several press reports from the period. These items were described as [58] A silver Geneva watch and gold albert, and her purse. A later report lists the missing items as [59] gentleman’s gold albert chain and silver watch. When Frederick Bailey Deeming was arrested in Australia, a thorough list of all his belongings were made, some of them were everyday items but the following appeared on the list [60]
Yet another coincidence? Reference: 1 DDX1314/2 Newspaper Cuttings held at East Riding Archives. 2 Yorkshire Post March 18th 1892 3 Sheffield and Rotherham Independent March 22nd 1892 4 Most Unique Ruffian, A, J.S.O’Sullivan, F.W. Cheshire, 1968, P.44 5 Scarlet Thread, A, Maurice Gurvich and Christopher Wray, Fairfax Books, 2007, P. 107 6 Hull Daily News, September 1st 1890 7 Hull Daily Mail, September 3rd 1890 8 HO27, P217, P236Harry Lawson, Date of trial 16th Oct 1890, Charge: Fraud, Sentence: Imprisonment 9 Months 9 Class RG12, P3925, F154, P2, GSU Roll 6099035 10 Yorkshire Post March 18th 1892 11 Sheffield and Rotherham Independent March 22nd 1892 12 Hull Daily Mail, August 4th 1891 features an interview with William Langley 13 Ibid 14 Letter dated July 20th 1891 is partially featured in the Hull Daily Mail, August 4th 1891 15 In the 1881 Census the family can be seen residing at Southcoates-lane, off Holderness-road in East Hull. Class RG11, P4756, F38, P1, GSU Roll1342149 3 Southcoates-lane, Southcoates ward, Hull William Langley 43 Head Farmer Mary 34 Wife Harriett 14 Daughter Scholar Birth registration DRY/13/68 George Thornton 12 Son Scholar Birth registration MYT/72/496 Registered as George Howden Langley Mary Jane 8 Daughter Scholar Birth registration WES/32/394 William 6 Son Scholar Birth registration DRY/21/425 Esther 4 Daughter Scholar Birth registration DRY/24/54 Frederick 1 Son Scholar Birth registration DRY/27/484 16 Hull Daily Mail, August 4th 1891 17 1891 Census, 2 Western Buildings, Williams-street, RG12, P3941, F56, P18, GSU6099051 Frank Duffill 26 Head Coachman Alice Duffill 22 Wife George Christopher Duffill 4 John William Ayscongh 17 Arthur Hall 20 Boarder Dock Labourer Birth registration MYT/83/183 18 Hull Daily Mail, August 3rd 1891 19 Hull Daily Mail, August 4th 1891 20 1889 Kelly’s Directory of Hull and 1892 Kelly’s Directory of Hull list William Mortimer Edmonds, 123 Witham, Photographer. 21 Hull Daily Mail, August 4th 1891 22 Hull Daily Mail, August 4th 1891 23 Lost Railways of Holderness, The Hull Withernsea and Hull Hornsea Lines, Peter Price, Hutton Press Ltd., 1989, P. 8 24 Hull Daily Mail, August 4th 1891 and Hull Daily Mail, August 6th 1891 25 Hull Daily Mail, August 6th 1891 26 Ibid 27 Hull Daily Mail, August 4th 28 Ibid 29 Ibid 30 Hull Daily Mail, August 3rd 1891 31 1861 Census, Southcoates, RG9, P3580, F125, P25, GSU543155 William Rennard 37 Head Corn Miller Jane Elizabeth Rennard 35 Wife Robert Thomas Rennard 11 Mary Jane Rennard 10 Scholar Birth registration DRY/5/98 Annie Rennard 6 Scholar registration Birth registration DRY/6/234 William Rennard 4 Scholar registration Birth registration DRY/7/154 James Rennard 2 registration Birth registration DRY/8/76 John F Rennard 7 months Son Birth registration DRY/9/54 Wilson Lat 22 Boarder Joiner 32 1871 Census, 11 Beeton-street, Southcoates, RG10, P4780, F88, P2, GSU847340 William Rennard 45 Head Miller and Grocer Jane E Rennard 46 Robert Rennard 20 Miller Annie Rennard 16 Miller William Rennard 14 John F Rennard 12 Annie Boden 9 Visitor 33 1876 Fields Trade Directory of Hull lists, William Rennard, Miller, 87 Beeton-street 34 1881 Census, 87 Beeton-street, Southcoates, RG11, P4755, F56, P9, GSU1342148 Jane E Rennard 55 Robert T Rennard 31 Shipwright John F Rennard 20 Shipwright Robert Sheperd 19 Plasterer 35 Marriage Index 1886 lists John F Rennard marries Agnes A Bradley at St Andrews Church, Drypool, Hull, Ref JF/6/310 36 1891 Census, 4 Mawson’s Court, Courtney-street, Sculcoates, RG12, P3924, F62, P16, GSU6099034 John F Rennard Head 30 Shipwright Born Yorks. Hull Agnes A Rennard 27 William Rennard 4 Birth registration DRY/42/156 Tom Rennard 2 Birth registration DRY/45/189 John Rennard 3 ½ months Birth registration DRY/50/273 37 Hull Daily Mail, August 4th 1891 38 Hull Daily Mail, August 5th 1891 39 Hull Daily Mail, August 6th 1891 40 Ibid 41 Ibid 42 Hull Daily Mail, August 6th 1891 43 Leeds Mercury, August 15th 1891, Daily News, August 15th 1891, Freemans Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser, August 15th 1891, The Standard, August 20th 1891, Yorkshire Herald and York Herald, August 20th 1891, Huddersfield Chronicle, August 22nd 1891, The Blackburn Standard and Weekly Express, August 22nd 1891. 44 The Blackburn Standard and Weekly Express, August 22nd 1891 45 Huddersfield Chronicle, August 22nd 1891 46 1901 Census, 13 Courtney-street, Sculcoates, RG13, P4485, F21, P2 John Fishertoft Rennard 40 Head Shipwright Born Yorks. Hull Anges Rennard 35 William Rennard 13 Tom Rennard 12 John Rennard 10 Isaac F Rennard 9 Birth registration DRY/55/295 Annie Rennard 2 Birth registration DRY/69/109 Kate Rennard 10 months Birth registration DRY/74/338 47 John F Rennard Died in 1947, his death is registered thus, Name: John F Rennard, Death Registration: 1947, Age at Death: 87, Registration District: Hull, Inferred County: Yorkshire, East Riding, Volume: 2a, Page: 263 48 John Rennard jnr of 11 Garden Terrace, Courtney-street, Hull fought in the Great War. In the ERF RE regiment number 157 49 Hull Daily Mail, August 10th 1891 50 PROV, VPRS 30/P0 Criminal Trial Briefs, unit 886, case number 261/1892 51 Site found here 52 Hull Daily Mail, March 17th 1892 53 The Times, March 19th 1892 54 Ibid 55 Liverpool Mercury etc, March 16th 1892 56 Belfast News Letter, March 17th 1892 57 Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, March 17th 1892 58 Hull Daily Mail, August 4th 1891 59 Hull Daily Mail, August 10th 1891 60 List of property found in Deeming’s possession when arrested, PROV, VPRS 937/P0 Inward Registered Correspondence, unit 511, Deeming Case
Further reading on Frederick Bailey Deeming Most Unique Ruffian, A, J.S.O’Sullivan, F.W. Cheshire, 1968 Scarlet Thread, A, Maurice Gurvich and Christopher Wray, Fairfax Books, 2007
Further reading on the Preston Murder Hedon and Holderness, John Markham, Highgate, 1994 Killers at Large, AA Clarke, Arton Books, 1996
Websites Hedon Blog http://hedonblog.wordpress.com/ My Blog http://blog.casebook.org/mcebe/ Jtrforums.com http://www.jtrforums.com/ The Extraordinary Tale of Frederick Bailey Deeming http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/deeming/ 19th Century Newspapers online, the Times online archives, Australian Newspapers online archives, and New Zealand’s Papers Past website.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to Ray Duffield of the Hedon Blog for all his help finding the right lane in Preston, and for the staff at the Hedon Museum for helping confirm the lane was the right lane. There is nothing worse than standing on a long lonely lane in the open countryside with wind and rain flying in sideways and you’re second guessing the spot you’re stood in is the right spot! Thank you to Ali Bevan, Paul Gibson, Howard Brown, Jon Rees, Robert Anderson, Matthew Soare, the staff at the Nags Head in Preston, and all the Hull History Centre staff that have put up with me. Thank you to all the staff at the National Archives, Liverpool Archives and Rainhill Civic Society for their help and input. Thank you to my son Bradley who accompanied me to the grave of Mary Jane Langley. He asked me to take his photo next to the grave as he wanted to pay his respects and took my photo that later appeared on several websites, and in the 2010 Jack the Ripper Conference pack. This article was created by Mike Covell for Ripperologist Magazine. Any third party websites or tacky booklets featuring this information will be in breech of digital copyright laws.
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