Mike Covell’s Blogg

Wow, it’s that time of the year already, I thought I would get this in early December so if there are any releases after this point I do apologise.  As many of the readers of this blog know, I have for many years written a “Year in Review” and for many this has become the most popular topic, with several people asking me over the last month or so, “Will 2010 have a Year in Review?”

So, for those people, and everyone else, here is the 2010 Year in Review.

It has been one hell of a year in Ripperology, with numerous fiction and non-fiction releases,

Books
Non Fiction

A new edition of the Jack the Ripper A-Z hit the shelves in September.  The release from Paul Begg, Martin Fido and Keith Skinner met with mixed reaction, but it’s still an indispensable book that should be on every Ripperologists book shelf.

The London of Jack the Ripper: Then and Now by Messrs Robert Clack and Philip Hutchinson got released as a Kindle Edition in November and paperback in October.  If you don’t have the hardback (why not?) this is the perfect time to get the paperback or Kindle Edition.

Jack the Ripper: The Theories and the Facts by Colin Kendell was released in October.

Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution by Stephen Knight was re-released in October as a Mass Market Paperback.  Whilst the theory is widely discredited, the book is one that brought many prominent Ripperologists into the study of the Whitechapel Murders, and is also notable for including the “Missing Suspect Files”

Jack the Ripper Suspects by Frederick P. Miller, Agness F. Vandome and John Brewster was released in August.  The list price was huge, and I have not heard of anyone that has purchased a copy.

Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopaedia by John J. Eddleston was re-released in July 2010.  There is nothing new in the book, but the cover size has been reduced, and I know many Ripperologists who have the first edition with pages falling out.

Jack the Ripper Revealed: The Truth at Last by Dr. Terry Weston was released in June both as a paperback and Kindle Edition.

Jack the Ripper Unmasked by William Beadle was released as a paperback in June.

Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates by Stuart P. Evans and Donald Rumbelow was released as a paperback in May.

Jack the Ripper by Andrew Cook was released as a paperback in May.

Jack the Ripper: British Intelligence Agent by Tom Slemen and Keith Andrews was released as in May.

Fame or Infamy: The True Story of the Jack the Ripper Diary was released by Steve Powell in May.

The Crimes of Jack the Ripper by Paul Roland was released as a hardcover edition in April.

The London Job 2010 was released by Andrew Firth in April.

The Diary of Jack the Ripper by Shirley Harrison was re-released as a paperback edition in April.

Has Jack the Ripper Told You Chaps What His Real Name Was by Allan Downey was released in May.

Jack the Ripper’s Secret Confession: The Hidden Testimony of Britain’s First Serial Killer by David Monaghan and Nigel Cawthorne was released as a Hardcover in February.

Jack the Ripper. Crime, War and Conflict by iMinds was an Kindle ebook released in February.

Jack the Ripper’s Secret Confession: The Hidden Testimony of Britain’s First Serial Killer by David Monaghan and Nigel Cawthorne was released as a paperback and Kindle ebook in January.

Fiction

Robert Bloch’s Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper was re-released in October.

Ripper’s Row by Donnie Light and Shawn Weaver was released in October as a Kindle ebook. The book features Jack the Ripper fighting vampires.

Witches, Werewolves and Jack the Ripper by G.M. Jackson was released in October as a Kindle ebook.  The book features Jack fighting werewolves.

What Alice Knew, A Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper by Paula Marantz Cohen was released in September.

Requiem for the Ripper: The Final Episode of a Study in Red Trilogy was released by Brian L. Porter in June.

The Passion of the Ripper by Nicholas Nicastro was released in June as a Kindle ebook.

Time After Time by Karl Alexander was released in March.

Jack’s Place by Steve Kenning was released in February as a Kindle ebook.  The story is set in the 21st Century .

Fatal Incision by William Park was released.

In Miller’s Court by Andrew Hoffman was released in February as a Kindle ebook.

Odd Jack the Ripper related title of the year?
Cheryl and Ashley- Love Wars, John McShane, April.
Page 13 mentions a Jack the Ripper suspect!

Film, TV and Audio

Mysteryquest 3 disk DVD set featuring an episode on Jack the Ripper was released in the UK.

Unmasking Jack the Ripper was released on DVD in the UK.

Whitechapel Series 2 appeared on ITV and on DVD in the UK.

Real Crimes: Jack the Ripper was released on PC CD, Nintendo DS in the UK.

Magazines

The Casebook Examiner began in April.
Issue 1 featured Tom Westcott’s article on Exonerating Michael Kidney, R.J. Palmer discussed the rise of Walter Andrews, Neal Sheldon discussed Morganstone, Elizabeth Pheonix, and Mrs Carthy, and the Ripper tour took in Leicester.
Issue 2 featured Tom Westcott’s article on Le Grand, Stewart P. Evans article A Rose Red? As well as contributions by Chris Phillips, who published a great photograph of Joseph Lawende, and R.J. Palmer on Dr. Anderson, Dr. Tumblety and a Voyage to Canada.
Issue 3 featured an article by John Malcolm challenging the work of Philip Sugden, Adam Went discussed the sinking of the S. S. Alice, Trevor Bond’s Ultimate Tour from Pimlico to Lambeth, and Robert Clack’s Scenes of Crime essay.
Issue 4 featured Tom Westcott’s article on the Cattleman, the Lunatic, and the Doctor, R.J. Palmer’s article on the goings on behind the scenes in America, and D. M. Gates article on Kelly’s 1888 Directory.  Jenni Sheldon took us on the Ultimate Ripper tour through Canterbury, to Hampton and Herne Bay, Kent.

Ripperologist Magazine is still going from strength to strength.
January saw Neil Bell and Rob Clack tackle PC Hutt in an excellent article.
February saw Jon Rees’s Appreciation of Jeremy Brett, and Jonathan Hainsworth poses questions on Anderson and Kosminski, and John Bennett took a look at 1970‘s London.
The issue also saw Rob Clack and Debra Arif win the 2009 Jeremy Beadle Award for their article A Rose By Any Other Name.
March saw Neil Bell and Rob Clack tackle Dr. Frederick Gordon Brown, John Bennett started a series on the letters sent to the City Police, Chris George discussed Jehovah the Ripper and Jon Rees gave us more Sherlock Holmes.
April saw MJ Trow discuss Robert Mann, Adam Went discuss the murder of Elizabeth Stride, John Bennett with the second part of his Letters to the City Police.
May saw Fiona Saint ask whether Gaugin was inspired by Jack the Ripper, and John Bennett’s final part of the Letters to the City Police.
June
July saw Neil Bell and Rob Clack’s article on DC Marriott, Tim Mosley on The House that Jack Built, Bob Hinton discussed his adventures in Researchland, and Andrew Firth looked at the East End Underground.
September saw Mike Hawley tackle the Elixir of Life, Tim Mosley on the House that Jack Built, and contributions from Dirk C Gibson, Glen L Bedsoe, and Arthur Morrison.
November saw Dirk C Gibson and Brooke N Weeber look at the correspondence involving Jack the Ripper, Eduardo Zinna with a Touch of Evil, Tim Mosley with more of the House that Jack built, and Bob Hinton speaks to Ripperologist.

The Journal of the Whitechapel Society still going from strength to strength.
October featured an article by Mei Trow, entitled Down among the Dead men, Joe Chetcuti discussed the Euston Arrest, and Peter Whitby looked at the Mean Streets- Bluegate Fields.
August featured Mickey Mayhew’s Coaxing Eddy from the Closet article, Chris Jones discussing Maybrick, and Ian Porter’s Thoughts on the Maybrick Diary.
June saw Trevor Spinage and Daniel Cox provide articles on Montague John Druitt in a Druitt themed special.
April saw Christopher Skolik discuss the Whitechapel Murders, Melanie Clegg, and Robert Clack take on Christ Church Spitalfields, and Robin Odell’s Off the Wall.
February saw Nicholas Connell discuss the research still left to undertake, J. J. Page looked at William Fishman’s work, and Alan Hunt wrote Food of the Gods.

Ripperana
July which featured cases such as Jill Dando’s murder, Eve Stratford, Jackie Ansell-Lamb.
April featured cases such as the San Francisco Zodiac, Egon Von Bulow, and the Yorkshire Ripper.

Events

The 2010 Jack the Ripper Conference, organised by Adam Wood, was once again held at the Kings Stores and was an amazing weekend for all involved.

The Frances Coles Memorial Appeal

Bloggs

Jack the Ripper and Me by Lavaugn Towell
http://www.jacktheripperandme.com/

All that You’ve Done by Trevor Bond
http://www.all-that-youve-done.com/

Jon’s Thoughts by Jon Rees.
http://jonrees.wordpress.com/

Random Observations From A Restless Mind by Nathen Amin
http://nathenamin.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/jack-the-ripper-conference-2010-a-review/

Notable finds and special mentions

Chris Phillips found, and shared, a wonderful picture of Joseph Lawende.
The ongoing newspaper research by the likes of Howard Brown, Chris Scott, Deborah Arif, Dave James.
Chris Scott transcribing the entire O’Donnell Manuscript.
Andrew Firth’s ongoing photography projects shared on Facebook.

Personal Achievements
The Jack the Ripper- Hull Connection Lectures have had a good year, from a lecture at the multi million pound Hull History Centre, which attracted it’s 10,000th visitor to the centre, who came for my lecture!  I was also privileged to speak at the 2010 Jack the Ripper Conference at the Kings Stores, and finally at the Hull Central Library.  The lectures have received great feedback.

I have made a number of finds through my research, some of which have made it onto my blog, others have made it onto Facebook, Twitter and the forums, some have been presented exclusively to the candidates of the Jack the Ripper 2010 Conference, and most of them have been kept for inclusion in the book.
Among these finds were;

Newspaper reports on Frederick Bailey Deeming in Hull, Beverley and beyond, his marriage certificate, and the newspaper announcements of his marriage, and death certificates of his mother and father.  I also traced documents pertaining to Deeming’s frauds in Hull, and newspaper reports linking Deeming with an unsolved murder that was committed in Hull when Deeming was released from Hull Jail.

Newspaper reports and primary sources connected with Robert D’Onston Stephenson, including several rare and out of print books discussing his articles in the London press, and several general crime and paranormal books and publications that mention Robert D’Onston Stephenson.

A wealth of information on Frederick Richard Chapman including marriage certificate, wedding announcement in the Hull Press, the dates of his employment with the Hull and Sculcoates Dispensary, the locations of his houses in the Hull Trade Directories.  Census entries for him and his family.  British Medical Journal information, Probate details, Birth, Marriage and Death details.  Articles written by him, and about him have also been traced.

I have had the pleasure of trawling through the Australian Newspapers, New Zealand Newspapers, American Newspapers, British Newspapers (19th Century) as well as 20th Century newspaper articles in the Daily Mirror Archive 1903 - current, Daily Express Archive 1900 - current, Sunday Express Archive 2000 - current, Daily Star Archive 2000 - current, Daily Star Sunday Archive 2002 - current, The Watchman Archive 1835 - 1885.
This has reaped hundreds of articles on Jack the Ripper, the Detectives and Officials linked to the case, notable theories and suspects, and notes on books, radio shows, TV shows and movies featuring the Whitechapel Murderer.

I have also had the pleasure of visiting Hull History Centre, Bridlington Local Studies, East Riding Archives, The Black Lion Public House in Bridlington, Islington Archives, London Metropolitan Archives, the British Library, the British Museum, as well as looking at several smaller private collections and several fantastic tours of Hull’s Guildhall.

I have met and spoke with people across the globe on Facebook, Twitter, and the forums as well as being able to meet with many Ripperologists and members of the media to discuss my work.
Special mentions should go to Jon Rees, Nathen Amin, Phil Carter, Paul Begg, Bill Beadle, Adam Wood, Gareth Williams, Norma Buddle, Andrew Firth, Kate Bradshaw, John Bennett and Laura Prietto, Trevor Bond, Rob Clack, Robert Anderson, Caroline Morris, Gail Dowle, Jackie Murphy, Jenni and Neal Sheldon, Liza Hopkinson, Mark Ripper, Suzi Hanney, the Cobb Brothers and the fantastic Philip Hutchinson.  All of which kept me smiling at the 2010 Ripper Conference despite the sad news I had received on the train to London.

In the New Year I have been invited to work on many local history and Ripper related projects, and I won’t spoil it, but I will say that 2011 will hopefully be a great year.