Thomas John Bulling

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

I've put Bulling under "suspects" as it is believed by some that he penned a JtR letter.

Here's a very brief chronology. Any additions gratefully received.

1846—Born, Chelsea, London [BMD]

1881 Census [LDS]

Elizabeth BULLING
Head. Widowed. Female. 63. St George East, Middlesex, England. Annuitant

Thomas J. BULLING
Son. Unmarried. Male. 34, St Luke Chelsea, Middlesex, England. Manager Telegraphic News Agency

Alfred BULLING
Son. Unmarried. Male. 24. St Luke Chelsea, Middlesex, England. Commercial Clerk Out of Employment

Elizabeth BULLING
Daughter. Unmarried. Female. 21. St Luke Chelsea, Middlesex, England. No Occupation

Address—22 Penshurst Road, London, Middlesex, England

June 1895.
Bulling arrested for being drunk and disorderly. The Times, 10th June 1895—



30th July 1898
Prince Bismarck dies. Bulling fired by Charles Moore [according to Littlechild].

Regards,

Simon

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi Simon

Thanks for this information, Simon.

With due respect, "Suspects" would be taken by most of us to mean Jack the Ripper suspects. The most that Thomas J. Bulling can be suspected of is hoaxing a Ripper letter, so he doesn't quite fit here. He is more of a personality in the case rather than a Ripper suspect as such.

Chris

[Tom_Wescott]

I agree with Chris. This is why the letters have their own folder for discussion. Nevertheless, thanks for the worthwhile post.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Simon Wood]

Hi Chris and Tom,

Please feel free to move my post.

Regards,

Simon

[Chris Scott]

Thomas Bulling
Born 1846

1851:
10 Halsey Terrace, Chelsea
Head: Thomas J Bulling aged 32 born Woolwich - Solicitor's managing clerk
Wife: Elizabeth Bulling aged 33 born St George East
Children:
Anne aged 6 born St George in the Fields
Thomas J aged 5 born Chelsea
Richard H aged 2 born Chelsea
Bulling's mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Vincent

1861:
10 Halsey Terrace, Chelsea
Head: Thomas J Bulling aged 42 - Wine merchant
Wife: Elizabeth Bulling aged 42
Children:
Ann aged 16
Thomas J aged 15
Sarah aged 11
Richard aged 12
Alfred aged 5
Ralph F aged 9
Elizabeth aged 2
All listed as born in Chelsea

Thomas Bulling Snr died in 1863

1871:
12 Lichfield Road, Mile End
Head: Elizabeth Bulling (Widow) aged 53 born St George East - Annuitant
Children:
Ann aged 25 born Holborn
Thomas J aged 24 born Chelsea - Clerk Telegraph news agency
Richard H aged 22 born Chelsea - Clerk
Sarah A aged 21 born Chelsea
Ralph F aged 19 born Chelsea - Clerk at general produce brokers
Alfred aged 14 born Chelsea
Elizabeth aged 11 born Chelsea

1891:
49 Penshurst Road, Hackney
Head: Thomas J Bulling (Unmarried) aged 44 born Chelsea - Journalist
Daughter (sic):
Elizabeth Bulling aged 30 born Chelsea
Grand-daughters:
Ethel M Garrard aged 10 born Hackney
Maud S Pantlin aged 6 born Hackney

Bulling married in Hackney in 1895 to Leonora Mary Atter who died in Hackney in 1898

1901:
31 High Street, Belgrave
Head: Thomas J Bulling (Widower) aged 52 born Chelsea - Reporter

I cannot trace his death under the surname Bulling but a Thomas John BULLEN died in Guildford in 1919 aged 74

[ChrisGeorge]

1901:
31 High Street, Belgrave
Head: Thomas J Bulling (Widower) aged 52 born Chelsea - Reporter

Hi Chris

This is interesting because it shows that the alleged firing from the Central News Agency by Charles Moore at the time of the death of Bismarck 30th July 1898, if we believe the Littlechild letter, did not end Bulling's career in journalism.

Chris

[Chris Scott]

Hi Chris
Very good point
The one that interests me is the 1891 entry where his sister Elizabeth is listed as his daughter, and his two nieces are listed as his grand-daughters.
The niece named Garrard was the daughter of Bulling's sister Ann who in 1875 married Edward G Garrard at South Hackney Church

[The Grave Maurice]

1891:
49 Penshurst Road, Hackney

Thanks for this, Chris. In the late 1890s, my grandfather lived at 2 Penshurst Road. I'll take more interest in Bulling from now on.

[Cap'n Jack]

But Simon, he did pen a JtR letter didn't he, for all practical purposes?
And that is the lie that these senior police officers were able to employ in their smoke and mirrors.
They labelled a copyist as an originator.
They shot the messenger, and killed the message.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Cap'n Jack,

That's a tough call.

Bulling transcribed the Mork and Mindy letter in the same way that Swanson transcribed the "From Hell" letter.

The big difference, of course, is that Swanson had sight of the original [but had to return it to the City cops], whereas Bulling kept the original and only forwarded the envelope.

I agree about the smoke and mirrors. They remind me of a brothel I went to in Tangiers in the early 60s, but that story is for another day.

Regards,

Simon

[Uncle Jack]

Has anyone ever considered him as an actual suspect before? A sort of "I killed the Whitechapel harlots to keep me in a job" motive