9 Eliot Place, Blackheath

[blackheathbugle]

Hi,

I'm new to this site, but thought you might want to have a look at my post about the school that Druitt taught at. I've taken a photo of the building as it is now - feel free to use the photo on this site.

http://blackheathbugle.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/jack-the-ripper-lived-in-blackheath/

BB

[aspallek]

Thank you for that interesting piece. Of course, the photo in your article was of the current 9 Eliot Place, which building post-dates Valentine's school. The building immediately to its left with the pointed roof line (out of view in your photo) was, however, part of Valentine's school.



I bring a couple of other points to your attention. Druitt's mother did not commit suicide. He had an aunt who did and a sister who also did so as an elderly woman. Druitt's mother was mentally ill, probably with paranoid schizophrenia, but died of natural causes in 1889. "Sexually insane" was not a Victorian euphemism for homosexuality. At least I can find no evidence that it was. Druitt, I have good reason to believe, normally commuted only as far as Cannon Street when travelling to his chambers in London. Though he did apparently travel to Charing Cross on his last trip to London when he committed suicide.

I'll be seeing Neil Rhind in few weeks at the Hare and Billet.

Sorry you found our podcast to be "rambling."

Cheers,

Andy Spallek

[jmenges]

That's the first time I've seen the show described as an American podcast. He may have meant that it was hosted by a rambling American. But then when I see the word rambling, my mind turns to thoughts of Woody Guthrie...

JM