Jack Wilson a.k.a. Arthur Sullivan

[MayBea]

First presented on Webring in 2006, this mystery concerns a military man named Jack Wilson (1887-1967) who changed his identity. The mystery is why.

http://webspace.webring.com/people/qo/ozmcfall/military.html

Most of the story has been substantiated, including the military service.

The only major discrepancy is the claim that his brother died in WW1. The brother's merchant marine ID was found with service records dated to 1920.

Also, the identification of his cousins in St. Helens, Lancashire, is incorrect. They were not Kellys but Stirrups. This was discovered by Livia Trivia.

After all these years, the mystery as to why he changed his ID is still unsolved. What do you think?

[MayBea]

Now that a good number of members have read about this mystery, may I direct your attention to why this mystery captured my attention and is worthy of yours.

Jack Wilson claimed that the Salvation Army "saved his neck".

The Sally Ann is synonymous with Whitechapel, and neck injuries to Jack the Ripper.

Something or someone seriously endangered him. What could it be?

A family history that involves JtR is as good a reason as anyone has found to explain why Jack Wilson became Arthur John Sullivan and vehemently denied being a Wilson.

Nothing untoward has been found in his background other than enlisting under a different name and falsely claiming not to have been discharged as medically unfit.

[gallicrow]

I clicked the link and after a few seconds of reading the "correct" page I got forwarded onto the UK Genealogy Ring front page. Do you have to register there in order to access anything useful?

[MayBea]

I'm sorry. It does that sometimes.

You can try this page where it's embedded. It's not jumping to the Webrings page right now.

http://www.webring.org/hub?ring=sullivan;id=53;prvw

[MayBea]

Since this is an outdated page, user generated, mirrored from an archive, it might not work, so I'll just cut and past the text here so you can read it. I can probably paste the pictures later. Bold mine.

O'Sullivan or Wilson?

Who was this man?

If you enjoy a mystery, please read my story and perhaps you can help out with suggestions for a solution. Why did he change his identity in the early 1900's? Here are the "facts" we have regarding my grandfather, or as much as he would tell...

His first occupation was as a drummer boy with the Cameron Highlanders. He was stationed at Fort William in Scotland. This would have probably been around the early 1900's. The Cameron Highlanders museum has no record of an Arthur John Sullivan. I believe he changed his name to Sullivan at a later date.

Next move was to the Royal Horse Artillery where he served for five years in India. Perhaps as a result of these two postings, or because of natural ability, he was very good with animals, and was a talented musician.

From the Royal Artillery he went into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment for the 1914-18 War. He may have been a stretcher bearer - there was some talk of it - as he knew how to roll bandages and probably a bit about first aid. In this war he was seriously hit by shrapnel and discharged. By the time of his discharge he had medals for "J Sullivan".

After discharge he worked in Woolwich Arsenal. At the time of his marriage, his profession was recorded as "Munitions Examiner".

In 1919 there is a marriage recorded between "Arthur John SULLIVAN", age 32 years (possibly incorrect) and Elsie Frances SEARLE. (The name Arthur seems to have been discarded and he was known to everyone as "Jack" another form of John, so for the purpose of this document, I'll call him Jack.) On the certificate, Jack's father is recorded as "Arthur SULLIVAN", occupation "Baker". He appears to have been living at the time of Jack's marriage, as only Elsie's father is recorded as "(deceased)".

The problem with this information is that around this time, Jack had an unwanted chance meeting with an officer on a railway platform. Jack tried to turn away but the officer was pleased to see him and addressed him as WILSON. Jack told the officer he had the wrong man, but the officer insisted he knew him as he never forgot one of his men.

Some time later, Elsie found a birth certificate tucked away in a drawer. It was for Robert Bruce WILSON. Jack's brother, Robert Bruce, had been lost at sea while serving with the Royal Marines in WWI [incorrect]. Elsie knew about him, but definitely not under the name WILSON. Jack served in the army, Robert was a merchant seaman. When asked about the certificate, Jack became quite irate. Apart from stating the certificate belonged to his brother the surname WILSON was never explained.

His birthday was always celebrated on July 5. He was supposedly three years younger than his wife who was born on July 4, 1881. However, in 1966 he wrote to my sister, telling her he would be 80 "next September". This was repeated in a letter to my brother in early 1967...

To go on with the story, as we know it...

After his marriage, Jack and his wife and daughter settled in Sheen, Surrey. Here he took on odd jobs including postman; and night watchman at the Crystal Palace in the 1920's. While in Sheen, Elsie gave birth to their son, Denis Bruce, who unfortunately died at an early age while being operated on at Great Ormond Children's Hospital.

About 1931 the family moved to Douglas Haig Memorial Home in Morden, Surrey, where Jack was initially head gardener. After about a year he became a private landscape gardener.

"John Arthur SULLIVAN" died alone in December 1967. He told his daughter he had put papers which would explain everything in a box in the shed. Unfortunately his home was cleared and none of the papers were ever found.
He SAID his mother's name was KELLY and his father was a baker.

He SAID he had cousins who he used to visit at St Helens in Lancashire. They worked in Pilkington glassworks.
[incorrect family given from 81 Census]

He had a sister, Christina, and a brother, Robert. Christina was a well known singer in Lancashire before marrying a man by the name of IRONSIDE. He ran Caledonian Pottery near Rutherglen Bridge in Glasgow. They had two children, one boy, one girl.

Also taken from 1881 Census:

Robert Wilson, 27, Liverpool, Lancs, Baker
Mary Wilson, 26, Liverpool, Lancs
Robert Wilson, Son, 7, L'Pool, Lancs, Scholar Christina Wilson, Daur, 10 (or 10mth?), L'Pool, Lancs John Kelly, Visitor, 57, Ireland

I believe that John Kelly could be Bridget Kelly's brother (as shown in the earlier census record). [incorrect]

As a baby, two aunts cared for Jack. No mention of parents - he claimed he was an orphan. The only information he would ever give was that his father was a baker, his mother a Kelly and he had a brother and sister - Robert and Christina. He did mention that the "Salvation Army saved his neck" and I'm wondering if they helped with a name change for some reason. More to investigate!

[MayBea]

There was some discussion on another forum (I'll try and find the link) that Jack Wilson was a Wilson even though he denied it vehemently.

Here are some other reasons I don't think he was a Wilson:

He reported on his marriage certificate that his father was alive when he'd been deceased for 29 years.

He said that his brother died in WWI when he was still alive in 1920.

It would appear he lost touch with his brother, and perhaps didn't even know anything about his father. Did his 'aunts' and grandmother keep a parental secret from him?

He denied he was Jack Wilson when he met one of his officers from his boyhood days as a drummer in the Cameron Highlanders. What was the harm in admitting who he was to someone in passing who obviously recognized him? There had to be a big secret he was trying to put behind him and it had to do with his parents. Don't you think?

[MayBea]

WAS HIS NAME ARTHUR JOHN SULLIVAN? What other name was he known by? It appears he also changed his date of birth. I hope perhaps some information might come to light by tracing his army records.

[His army records have been found and proved only that his real name was William John Wilson, subsequently confirmed by birth record.]

[MayBea]

All the usual avenues of research have been exhausted. I can think of no other places to look for clues.

Jack Wilson/Sullivan was 'regularly' published in the magazine Titbits, sometime prior to his death in 1967, presumably letters to the editor. That might yield some clues but I doubt it.

My conclusions have to be based on what has been found so far. That includes a marriage certificate proving his uncle's niece was living on Thrawl Street in April of 1887.

Seeing no objection, I'm going to use this as a springboard into the main discussion boards, with my conclusions, based on this case, of course being Ripper related. ?

[MayBea]

I found William John Wilson in the 1901 Census at the Wavertree Ophanage in Liverpool. He is 13.

His place of birth is listed as Not Known. I think this puts into question his alleged birth in Liverpool, as reported on other documents, and throws into doubt his alleged paternity, that being Robert Wilson of Liverpool, who died of TB in January of 1890.

[miss marple]

'Saved his neck' has a very specific meaning. Not ending up hanged. The Salvation army' saved his neck' by looking after him and leading him towards a respectable life. Had he ended up on the streets he might have fell in with a bad crowd and might possibly have ended up a murderous criminal, or not maybe, but the sally army intervention changed his future.

Miss Marple

[MayBea]

'Saved his neck' has a very specific meaning. Not ending up hanged. The Salvation army' saved his neck' by looking after him and leading him towards a respectable life....

"The Salvation Army saved me from being hanged...by looking after me and leading me to a respectable life!"

That's a nice theory, miss marple. But why would a grandchild think it was a clue to a mystery-event that actually happened, not might have happened?

And anyway, when would this Sally Ann intervention have happened?

Jack was a career soldier from the age of 14. He would likely have been in orphanages all the years prior to that. Did he steal something as a boy and get caught?

The only other possibility I can think of is he was recruited by the IRA when he was in Dublin for a period of time after his discharge from the Camerons, and the Sally Ann helped him get away from them.

[miss marple]

It is is not a theory, that's what the expression means, if the grandchild is ignorant of English idiom , that would create a misunderstanding, inventing mysteries happens a lot in family histories.
Jack could have been in a Salvation Army orphanage or been influenced by them as a child,children could join the sal army and also learn to play an instrument.
Many orphan boys went on to join the regular army or navy, the boys were taught discipline and good habits. The services were regarded as a good career and a way out of poverty and crime.
The Salvation Army did indeed save many necks in the East End.

Miss Marple

[miss marple]

Just to add, had he joined the Salvation Army as a child, his musical talent would have been nurtured. The army are famous for their brass bands and many children learn music through playing in the bands, this would have been an asset When Jack joined the regular army.
I once met talented professional brass player who had developed his skills by being in the SA as a child.

Miss Marple

[miss marple]

There was a Salvation army presence in Liverpool in the 1880s.

Miss Marple

[MayBea]

Alright, Miss Marple.

You've explained and maybe solved the mystery of the one 'mysterious' phrase. But that doesn't explain everything.

What about the name change and the denying of his real identity to the Camerons officer?

What about the secret papers that "would explain everything" but were lost?

Why did he act like he knew absolutely nothing about his parents, not even that they were deceased, but only that they were a baker and a Kelly?