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Was William Bury a Mason?

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  • Was William Bury a Mason?

    I’ve recently been rereading Stewart Evans’ wonderful book, Executioner, which is a biography of hangman James Berry, and I’m wondering what folks think of Berry’s claim that William Bury was a Mason.

    Berry writes that Bury’s sleeve-links “were engraved with the sign of the Masonic craft to which the criminal belonged” (p. 308).

    Has this been demonstrated to be an embellishment by Berry, if not, is it likely to have been an embellishment, or do folks think there is a real possibility that Bury could have been a Mason? If I’m understanding the timeline correctly, Berry would have written these words in 1913, shortly after Macnaghten retired, and shortly before Berry’s own death. It’s worth noting that six years earlier, in a 1907 newspaper article (it’s one of those articles that appeared in multiple newspapers, my copy being from the New York paper, The Sun), Berry claimed to be in possession of Bury’s cuff links, which suggests that the cuff links did hold some special interest for him: “Berry declares...at the moment he was talking he was wearing the cuff links that he took from the man’s cuffs when he pinioned his hands.”

    In his book Jack the Ripper Unmasked, William Beadle writes, “Berry had the condemned man take off a pair of white linen cuffs and himself removed Bury’s collar. After the execution he noted that the sleeve links discarded with the cuffs bore the Masonic insignia” (p.306). Beadle unfortunately doesn’t make any further comment about this. I don’t think Macpherson mentions it at all in his book.

    If Bury was indeed a Mason, is this is a possible explanation for what Beadle regards as an unenthusiastic investigation of Bury for the Ripper murders? Or do folks see this as entirely irrelevant?

    I’m not knowledgeable about freemasonry and have never paid much attention to the Masonic theories of the case, so I’m eager to hear what those of you who are more knowledgeable have to say.
    “When a major serial killer case is finally solved and all the paperwork completed, police are sometimes amazed at how obvious the killer was and how they were unable to see what was right before their noses.” —Robert D. Keppel and William J. Birnes, The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations

    William Bury, Victorian Murderer
    http://www.williambury.org

  • #2
    Hi Wyatt

    Interesting post!

    I checked the United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers 1751-1921 and was initially excited to see a William Bury initiated into Leopold Lodge 1883 in Accrington, Lancashire.

    But his DOB was 1854 and he appears to be in the 1891 census.

    Quite a few William Burys about Lancashire actually. Including a William Bury and spouse Ellen living in Bradford in 1881 census!

    If the story is true, maybe Bury acquired the Masonic cufflinks at some stage and placed some importance or prestige in wearing them.

    I haven't got Beadle's book. Is there a source for his info?

    Cheers

    Comment


    • #3
      You might try the name Berry as his mums asylum records were under that name and I believe I have seen some news articles with it spelt that way ?

      Pat......

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by phantom View Post
        Hi Wyatt

        Interesting post!

        I checked the United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers 1751-1921 and was initially excited to see a William Bury initiated into Leopold Lodge 1883 in Accrington, Lancashire.

        But his DOB was 1854 and he appears to be in the 1891 census.

        Quite a few William Burys about Lancashire actually. Including a William Bury and spouse Ellen living in Bradford in 1881 census!

        If the story is true, maybe Bury acquired the Masonic cufflinks at some stage and placed some importance or prestige in wearing them.

        I haven't got Beadle's book. Is there a source for his info?

        Cheers
        Thanks a lot, phantom, for looking into this. Beadle doesn't footnote there, so I'm assuming he is relying on James Berry's statement. The membership register you mentioned is available through ancestry.com, so I signed up for a free trial and ran a search. There is one record I've found so far that looks promising, it's one of the Lancashire Burys. Initiation date is 1883, so Bury would have been about 24 at the time, and Lancashire is possible, as we don't know too much about Bury's early whereabouts (maybe he had a friend there?). The thing that caught my eye about this one is that the first payment year on record is 1888. That's the year that Bury got into some money, after he married Ellen. I'm wondering if during that trip to Wolverhampton in August 1888 he might not have made a side trip to Lancashire to show off his newfound wealth. This one's a possibility anyway.
        “When a major serial killer case is finally solved and all the paperwork completed, police are sometimes amazed at how obvious the killer was and how they were unable to see what was right before their noses.” —Robert D. Keppel and William J. Birnes, The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations

        William Bury, Victorian Murderer
        http://www.williambury.org

        Comment


        • #5
          This guy is Leopold Lodge 1775 (not the Leopold Lodge 1883 you mentioned) in Church, Lancashire.
          “When a major serial killer case is finally solved and all the paperwork completed, police are sometimes amazed at how obvious the killer was and how they were unable to see what was right before their noses.” —Robert D. Keppel and William J. Birnes, The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations

          William Bury, Victorian Murderer
          http://www.williambury.org

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Paddy View Post
            You might try the name Berry as his mums asylum records were under that name and I believe I have seen some news articles with it spelt that way ?

            Pat......
            Definitely a good idea to keep spelling variations in mind. Thanks.
            “When a major serial killer case is finally solved and all the paperwork completed, police are sometimes amazed at how obvious the killer was and how they were unable to see what was right before their noses.” —Robert D. Keppel and William J. Birnes, The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations

            William Bury, Victorian Murderer
            http://www.williambury.org

            Comment


            • #7
              The William Bury I mentioned was still alive after 1889, so we can scratch him.
              “When a major serial killer case is finally solved and all the paperwork completed, police are sometimes amazed at how obvious the killer was and how they were unable to see what was right before their noses.” —Robert D. Keppel and William J. Birnes, The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations

              William Bury, Victorian Murderer
              http://www.williambury.org

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Wyatt Earp View Post
                Thanks a lot, phantom, for looking into this. Beadle doesn't footnote there, so I'm assuming he is relying on James Berry's statement. The membership register you mentioned is available through ancestry.com, so I signed up for a free trial and ran a search. There is one record I've found so far that looks promising, it's one of the Lancashire Burys. Initiation date is 1883, so Bury would have been about 24 at the time, and Lancashire is possible, as we don't know too much about Bury's early whereabouts (maybe he had a friend there?). The thing that caught my eye about this one is that the first payment year on record is 1888. That's the year that Bury got into some money, after he married Ellen. I'm wondering if during that trip to Wolverhampton in August 1888 he might not have made a side trip to Lancashire to show off his newfound wealth. This one's a possibility anyway.
                No worries Wyatt, thanks for the info re: Beadle's book and good luck with your research.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Yes it's very important to note that Bury's surname was mis-spelled "Berry" in every census he appeared on in 1861, 1871 and 1881

                  His place of birth was recorded as "Stourport" rather than Stourbridge on a document I saw once. I myself used to confuse these two towns and they're not far apart.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I haven’t seen anyone who looks like a possible match in the English membership registers. Those don’t include the Scottish records, but it doesn’t seem very likely that Bury would have joined when he was in Dundee. The obvious explanation is that James Berry imagineered the Masonic stuff, but I do think there’s a possibility that Bury somehow obtained Masonic cuff links, and Berry saw them and wrongly concluded that Bury was a Mason.
                    “When a major serial killer case is finally solved and all the paperwork completed, police are sometimes amazed at how obvious the killer was and how they were unable to see what was right before their noses.” —Robert D. Keppel and William J. Birnes, The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations

                    William Bury, Victorian Murderer
                    http://www.williambury.org

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Wyatt Earp View Post
                      I do think there’s a possibility that Bury somehow obtained Masonic cuff links, and Berry saw them and wrongly concluded that Bury was a Mason.
                      It seems to me that one of William H. Bury's characteristics was that he liked to be thought of as more or better than he was -- better educated, richer etc.

                      Therefore, wearing jewelry of a powerful organization would be a way of creating an image. He would not have to lie or say a word. People would simply see him wearing a Masonic emblem and interpret it to mean he was a member.

                      William H. Bury is one of my favorite Ripper suspects, but I keep wondering if his need to be seen as more than he was led to him trying to link the Ripper to himself . . .

                      Always,

                      curious

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by curious View Post
                        It seems to me that one of William H. Bury's characteristics was that he liked to be thought of as more or better than he was -- better educated, richer etc.

                        Therefore, wearing jewelry of a powerful organization would be a way of creating an image. He would not have to lie or say a word. People would simply see him wearing a Masonic emblem and interpret it to mean he was a member.
                        That’s an excellent point, curious. Bury does seem to have been something of a show-off on that trip to Wolverhampton.

                        William H. Bury is one of my favorite Ripper suspects, but I keep wondering if his need to be seen as more than he was led to him trying to link the Ripper to himself . . .
                        I don’t think this is a realistic possibility. Bury went to the police and tried to sell them a b.s. story about what happened. He was trying to escape from the jam that he was in. It would not have made sense for him to mislead the police into thinking that he could be the Ripper, as that would have increased their suspicion of him, not reduced it.
                        “When a major serial killer case is finally solved and all the paperwork completed, police are sometimes amazed at how obvious the killer was and how they were unable to see what was right before their noses.” —Robert D. Keppel and William J. Birnes, The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations

                        William Bury, Victorian Murderer
                        http://www.williambury.org

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Wyatt Earp View Post
                          That’s an excellent point, curious. Bury does seem to have been something of a show-off on that trip to Wolverhampton.



                          I don’t think this is a realistic possibility. Bury went to the police and tried to sell them a b.s. story about what happened. He was trying to escape from the jam that he was in. It would not have made sense for him to mislead the police into thinking that he could be the Ripper, as that would have increased their suspicion of him, not reduced it.
                          Wasn’t bury obsessed with NOT being accused of being the ripper?
                          "Is all that we see or seem
                          but a dream within a dream?"

                          -Edgar Allan Poe


                          "...the man and the peaked cap he is said to have worn
                          quite tallies with the descriptions I got of him."

                          -Frederick G. Abberline

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Abby Normal View Post
                            Wasn’t bury obsessed with NOT being accused of being the ripper?
                            I wouldn't use the word "obsessed," Abby, but he was clearly concerned about being suspected when he interacted with Lt. Parr.
                            “When a major serial killer case is finally solved and all the paperwork completed, police are sometimes amazed at how obvious the killer was and how they were unable to see what was right before their noses.” —Robert D. Keppel and William J. Birnes, The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations

                            William Bury, Victorian Murderer
                            http://www.williambury.org

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Abby Normal View Post
                              Wasn’t bury obsessed with NOT being accused of being the ripper?
                              This is incorrect. A drunken Bury babbled something about him being afraid of being seen as a Ripper at the time he went to the police about his wife's death.

                              Comment

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