Bowyer Study Group Newsletter #12

July 1994

Author:
Mr. Denis Bowyer
Conkers
Hurst Green
Etchingham
East Sussex, TN19 7QD, UK

THE PENNY ILLUSTRATED PAPER Nov. 17, 1888

".....a grocer, whose shop in Dorset-street forms one corner of the entrance to the court. The houses are let out in separate rooms "furnished" - that is to say, there are in each of them a bed and a table, and, perhaps, one or two odds and ends. For these rooms rents are supposed to be paid daily, but of course they will sometimes get a good deal in arrear. This was the case with one of the tenants, who had occupied a ground-floor room on the right hand side of the court for about twelve months. This was the poor young woman, Mary Kelly, the victim of the murderer familiarly called "Jack the Ripper"

HOW THE MURDER WAS DISCOVERED.

It appears that by the Ninth of November, Mary Kelly, described as a comely, fair young, woman, of the "unfortunate" class, was as much as fourteen shillings in arrear with her rent, and the landlord sent one of his men about eleven o'clock in the morning to see what he could get. The door was fastened, not that it had been locked from the inside, but having a catch-lock the person who had gone out last had merely slammed the door behind him, and it had thus become fastened. The man failing to get an answer by knocking, went to the window, which had been broken and patched by rags for some time past, and on pushing the rags inside was startled by the sight of blood.

Harry Bowyer "Indian Harry"

(who is also sketched by one of our artists), ran back in some alarm to the shop, and told Mr. McCarthy, his employer, what he had seen, and the two returned. It soon became evident to them that another murder had been committed, and they instantly ran for the police. Officers were at once on the spot , and a communication was made to Dr. Phillips, of Spital-square, the divisional surgeon, who arrived within ten minutes or so of the discovery of the affair - at about a quarter-past eleven, that is to say. It is understood that one of the first steps taken was to dispatch a telegram to Scotland-yard giving information of the occurrence. And intimating that everything had been left absolutely untouched, in order to facilitate the employment of bloodhounds if it were thought expedient to try them. For some reason the hounds were not employed"

The text of the newspaper cutting above comes from THE PENNY ILLUSTRATED PAPER of November 17th 1888, page 310, thanks to The British Library Newspaper Library, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 SHE.

THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS. I have yet to go on one of those alluring JACK THE RIPPER tours in the Whitechapel district of London. Do they mention Mr. Bowyer, the rent-collector who plunged his hand through the broken glass to discover the grisly body of poor Mary Jane Kelly? We know that he gave an address of 37 Dorset Street ..... "a short street in the shadow of Spitalfields Church" says one reporter; but he was not there when the 1881 census enumerator called. Or did he just get overlooked? Out collecting rent for his boss John McCarthy, who owned a chandlers shop nearby? Dorset Street was full of houses with rooms to rent at fourpence a night if the room is shared with several others, which suggests a come-and-go clientele. Remember though that Bowyer was in full employ, some say as assistant shop keeper to Mr. McCarthy as well, so some stability is expected.

With the over two dozen authors who have written books with the words JACK THE RIPPER in the title, there seems to be some confusion as to whether Thomas or John is the correct given name for this Bowyer. You would think that his boss John McCarthy would know, yet 'exact statements' from this source differ. Author Stephen Knight writes his words as "I sent my man Thomas Bowyer...",whilst McCarthy's evidence is stated by Elwyn Jones and John Lloyd as "I told my man John Bowyer to go to Mary Kelly's room …." Richard Whittington-Egan: "John Bowyer, whose Christian name is variously given as Thomas....", whereas most of the other authors do favour this last name.

From the drawing shown here I should say that Bowyer was an elderly man, another contemporary sketch to illustrate his action to gain access to the murder room shows him with a walking stick. This could well be as some protection in his unpopular job as a rent collector. My Catherine House File has only one eligible London/Thomas death of a man aged forty in 1889. The only 'John' to die in Central London around this time was aged fifty-five in 1891.

Unfortunately the 1891 census is of no help also, and it would be as well to tackle the problem from the "Indian Harry" angle. Assuming he was a soldier, even a pensioner, and that the nickname was not a bluff on his part. Anyone out there delving into Army records? Bowyer made his historic and … "I was that scared when I saw what I saw"...horrific discovery at 10.45 in the morning of November 9th 1888.

Zoe Bowyer is researching the Whitechapel Bowyers and tells me that her Elias Bowyer was a butcher in nearby Charlotte Street during the 1881 census. Elias would have been in his late thirties then, coming from the village of Kedington, Suffolk, where he was born in 1843.

MORE STREET NAMES.

Mrs. Betty Garrad (53, Chevallum Rd., Palmwood Qld. 4555, Australia) tells me that whilst in Nantwich last summer .... "beautiful Elizabethan houses and flowers everywhere, blue skies and warm days made it perfect" .... she found a BOWYER AVENUE in the more modern part of the town. Betty was here in England chasing up facts about her Joseph, convicted at Chester Court in 1829 and sentenced to 14 years for poaching with six other men. His brother Matthew was also there, but with all the others never reached Australia, due, it was found, to a "technical flaw in the indictment" This, believe it or not, was because "the same not specifying whether the offence was committed after twelve at noon, or twelve at night ...."!

So why Joseph? The details for that year are (of course) missing in the Chester Offices, so back to the PRO in Chancery Lane. The year 1829 there is translated into the "10th year of the reign of George IV" and Joseph was found to be on trial for the second time that day for "Robbery". Not, says Betty, as romantically sounding as "Highway robbery" as on the Australian documents.

"Joseph Bowyer, late of the town of Macclesfield in the county of Cheshire, labourer ... upon one John Bowers ...... did make an assault and did put him in bodily fear and danger of his life ...."

He stole half a sovereign and three half crowns .... "against the will of the said John Bowers". Joseph pleads "Not Guilty", naturally, .... the jurors pronounce: "Guilty" (naturally). Judgement: " Death" ..... but the sentence is commuted that he be transported beyond the seas for the term of fourteen years. He left behind a wife and child in Macclesfield. "All gripping stuff. I will have to write a novel rather than a history" says Betty.

But all this is hardly likely to get a street named after you, so I wrote to the town council to ask why Bowyer Avenue? They have no idea either, nor anyone in the local Family History Society, who ended up with my letter. Betty reflects that "Some of the Bowyer family must have been respected"

THE BOWYER FAMILY MEMORIAL TRUST.

I have received some leaflets from Mrs Greta Chapple telling me of the above trust, aimed at "PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN THE SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE". Help is given to students in the form of grants to assist financing their agricultural studies, though applicants must have "some connection with the county of Berkshire". Now in its fifth year, the trust raises cash by donations or covenants, and is a registered charity.

Mrs. Chapple has just found my name in a copy of the 'Family Tree' magazine and has not yet told me any details about the Bowyers that initiated this project. That they were Berkshire farmers is evident, and apparently a very large family. "My great-grandfather and five of his sons all farmed in Berkshire". To help with fund raising a FAMILY FUN DAY AND LUNCH is arranged at Alton on SUNDAY, JUNE 12TH 1994, (tickets Ł5) and anyone wishing to attend should contact Mrs Greta Chapple, 19 Cavalier Way, Alton, Hants GU34 1QX. tel:01420 89655.

MOAN DEPARTMENT.

My cousin Smith tells me that "they" have a computer where you tap in a name and up pops lots of information concerning that person. A print out costs a few coppers, he said. "Does this take the fun out of the chase?" I ask myself. Our Family History Societies will become dodos in no time at all at this rate. I remember a letter from an Australian girl who felt a great cheat every time she looked into the IGI for information. I feel that way myself some times, but not very often!

I have passed the 150 marker of Bowyer researchers, but I send out newsletters to a mere handful of them. I still get letters asking for info.; and do really work hard at a reply to some; but from then on the enquirer seems to orbit to the moon. I do thank all that sent stamps after the last newsletter, although in fact I was not really asking for any ... you are in credit .... I sent out that sheet to show what indexes, I hold and ask if there was anything in it to offend new members. Incidentally I have now added the LONDON FICHE of the IGI to the list; any query for any surname please.

Cheers, Denis.

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