I first became associated with the Whitechapel Society in 1998 and after a 
few years as a member, I joined the committee. 
I am now Development Director and produce the in-house magazine, 
THE WHITECHAPEL JOURNAL. 
I advise anyone with an interest in Jack the Ripper, social history or the 
Victorian East End to join our group. 
please read on.... 

THE 
WHITECHAPEL SOCIETY
1888

LONDON'S PREMIER SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF 
JACK THE RIPPER 
& VICTORIAN/EDWARDIAN 
SOCIAL HISTORY

Founded in 1995, The Whitechapel Society is open to anyone with an interest in Jack the Ripper. The society also promotes the study of Victorian/Edwardian life and culture in the East 
End of London. We hold six official meetings per year, all in London's East End and always with a guest speaker.

Our critically acclaimed magazine, ’The Whitechapel Journal’ has news, views and many historical articles featuring the Victorian world of Jack the Ripper.

HISTORY

The Whitechapel Society is a non profit making organisation originally formed in 1995 by Mark Galloway as 
‘The Cloak and Dagger Club’.

Virtually every author has spoken to our society on the subject of Jack the Ripper and we continue to attract all the leading experts on the case. Many authors have held book launches and signing sessions at our society and, as well as attending our meetings, members are actively encouraged to  take part in a wide range of activities. Recently these have included a photographic competition and a short story contest —both of which met with great approval.

One meeting per year is given over to ‘The Jeremy Beadle Lecture’ where we support the charity 
‘Children with Leukaemia’

We also take an active role in preserving and promoting the history of London's old East End and some of our recent involvements have included;

*Photographing London's old East End
(In association with English Heritage) 

*Save the Bonner Street School

 
*Save the Bancroft Library

(We are on the steering committee)

*Permanent Memorial to the victims of Jack the Ripper

*Talks to Historical Societies
 
*East End Historical Walks

 *Historical articles in magazines

THE WHITECHAPEL JOURNAL

'The International Magazine of the WS'

When you join the Whitechapel Society you will receive six editions of our critically acclaimed magazine sent direct to your door!

Contents include;

The Central News Agency 
Packed with all the latest news from the world of Jack the Ripper 
and London's East End

Feature Articles

Historical features from some of the leading experts on the Whitechapel Murders and Victorian/Edwardian social history.

Plus
 Speaker reviews, book reviews, letters page, interviews and lots, lots more

SOME TALKS FROM OUR PAST MEETINGS

*LOST VOICES OF THE EDWARDIANS

*THE WHITECHAPEL ENQUIRY

*THE 1888 MATCHGIRLS STRIKE

*PSYCHIC HUNT FOR JACK THE RIPPER

*THE WORKHOUSES OF WHITECHAPEL

*JACK THE RIPPER’S LONDON

*THE PEOPLE OF THE OLD NICHOL

**JACK THE RIPPER - UNMASKED

Our website gives full details of meetings, speakers, latest news and where to find us.

BECOMING A MEMBER

You can find full details & become  a member of The Whitechapel Society bysubscribing online via our website at;

 http://www.whitechapelsociety.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW BOOK!

JACK THE RIPPER - THE SUSPECTS
BY THE WHITECHAPEL SOCIETY

 Book Review
Jack the Ripper: The Suspects (Whitechapel Society)
• Paperback: 96 pages 
• Publisher: The History Press Ltd
• ISBN-10: 0752462865
• ISBN-13: 978-0752462868 

The Whitechapel Society has published this excellent little book to coincide with the 2011 London Conference and there is nothing not to recommend it to anyone with more than a passing interest in the case.

The Society has been going now since 1995 (initially as the Cloak & Dagger Club) and has a tremendous breadth and depth of knowledge amongst its membership. Eleven of those members display that expertise in this new publication, each taking a different suspect.

Those Suspects are;
1. Joseph Barnett by Mickey Mayhew
2. William Bury by Christine Warman
3. Severin Klosowski / George Chapman by Sue Parry
4. Montague Druitt by Adrian Morris
5. William Gull by M J Trow
6. Aaron Kosminski by Philip Marquis
7. James Maybrick by Chris Jones
8. Walter Sickert by Ian Porter
9. Francis Tumblety by Joe Chetcuti
10. Prince Albert Victor by M W Oldridge
11. The Best (or Worst) of the Rest by William Beadle

There is a helpful Introduction by Robin Odell and an informative feature on the Whitechapel Society by Frogg Moody

In the Joseph Barnett chapter, Mayhew examines Paley’s assertion that Barnett was Jack and rejects it for amongst other reasons the likelihood that Joe was a devoted partner. Perhaps because of space constraints, the chapter concentrates on the Kelly case whereas, of course if Barnett was guilty, any in depth analysis would need to examine his relationship with at least the other canonical four. The chapter is a strong
one and Barnett’s character emerges clearly.

Christine Warman writes compellingly about William Bury’s troubled childhood, which formed a strong base for him to become the thoroughly unpleasant adult he undoubtedly was. He was a drunk, a small time crook, wife beater and, ultimately wife murderer. The author supports Bury as being JTR but this reviewer found few of the facts in her chapter which convinced him....

Sue Parry writes on ‘Abberline’s suspect’ Severin Klosowski (later George Chapman). A selfish poisoner certainly, but JTR? Who knows. Most of the evidence seems to be that he was in the area at the time and was a bit like the description Hutchinson gave. Hardly a clinching argument.

Montague Druitt’s chapter benefits from a new photo of the suspect from the Winchester College archives. Adrian Morris concludes that Druitt suffered from depression and drew parallels between his own life and a case he defended as a barrister, that of Christopher Power in August 1888 who was found guilty but insane. This parallel being compounded by his own family’s history of mental problems and the self-doubt brought about by his dismissal from Valentine’s school.

I have long been a fan of Mei Trow’s work and his piece on William Gull did not disappoint. Trow sketches how the theory that Gull was the Ripper emerged, and an enthralling story it is! He then systematically exposes the theory for the nonsense it is
Before picking up this book I had just finished Rob House’s book ‘Case for Scotland Yard’s Prime Suspect’ so was looking forward to the piece on Aaron Kosminski. Philip Marquis is a great storyteller and his style makes for an engaging chapter. It would be interesting to know what Scotland Yard had on Kosminski but did not survive over the years because what emerges from this piece is a non-violent paranoid schizophrenic. Of course a cynic may suggest that the fact that he was a bit strange and a Polish Jew was enough. I couldn’t possibly comment!

Chris Jones who is something of an expert on the man writes the Maybrick chapter. Maybrick’s candidacy is irrevocably linked to the authenticity of the diary and to a lesser extent the watch. Jones sketches out the story of both and of subsequent research. After outlining the considerable authenticity evidence on both sides, he concludes that future research will clinch the matter (the authenticity matter, not if Maybrick was Jack) one way or the other. It is difficult to argue with that.

Ian Porter does not repeat the well-known arguments against Cornwell’s theories in his essay on Walter Sickert. He concentrates on Walter Sickert’s placement in the area at the time of the murders. He gives a lively sketch of the area in the Late Victorian Period and particularly of its ‘open all hours’ nature. Could Walter Sickert have merged in? Porter concludes not.

Joe Chetcuti’s tells a twisted tale of misrepresentation, unfulfilled promises, and subterfuge to acquire wealth all undertaken by an accomplished liar. A story of modern day politics in a book about Jack? No this is the chapter on the story of Francis Tumblety. A good outline of the sociopath who probably was not the Ripper but was certainly suspected at the time.

Prince Albert Victor. You couldn’t leave him out could you? M W Oldridge outlines the history of this resilient story from Phillipe Julien in 1962 to Melvyn Fairclough in 1991 and intriguingly links the popularity of the story with the socio-political climate of the times and society’s thirst for conspiracy theories. He rightly concludes that this suspect theory is now passé 

Finally, Chair of the Whitechapel Society William Beadle looks at The Best (or Worst) of the Rest! He points out that JTR was not even the East End’s first serial killer, that ‘honour’ probably falling to the Ratcliffe Highway murderer in 1811. He examines the cases against James K Stephen, Robert D’Onston Stephenson, Aaron Cohen and George Hutchinson. The latter emerges, perhaps unsurprisingly, as the strongest contender from this ill matched bunch, all of whom have pretty thin qualifications to be our man. 

At £9.99 in the UK this book is outstanding value for money. Which chapter you prefer will probably depend on your favourite candidate. Having eleven different authors means that there are eleven different writing styles which keeps the interest up all the way, in fact I read it all in one go despite frequently promising myself ‘just one more chapter then I’ll stop’!
There really is no excuse not to buy this little volume.

More please Whitechapel Society! After Jack The Ripper: The suspects how about;
Jack The Ripper: The Victims
Jack The Ripper: The Police
Jack The Ripper: The Locations

Roger Baynton September 30, 2011
(c) JTR FORUMS