I'm probably being picky, but

[Carol]

I've found a new interest at the age of 62 - the Maybrick Diary (or the Barrett Diary, or the Devereux Diary, or the....). Just now I have a question that I wonder if anyone out there knows the answer to. When the Diary comes to an end the writer has written 'May the good lord have mercy on my soul'. James Maybrick's family was middle class (his father was parish clerk and an engraver) and they would have attended Church regularly, as was the custom in those days if you had a position to keep in society. (His brother Michael had been made organist at the local parish church at the age of fourteen). Now, I would have thought that anyone with that background would have written 'lord' with a capital 'L'. Any thoughts on this! (I took a copy of the photographs of the two diary pages from the casebook website). I've checked with a Bible and a couple of books that were published around the time of the murders and in each case when referring to God or Jesus the word 'Lord' is printed with a capital 'L'.

[The Good Michael]

Carol,

Welcome to the boards. There are many reasons that the diary can be clearly seen as a forgery in the minds of most serious students of the Ripper. You may have just found another reason against Maybrick writing it.

Cheers,

Mike

[Sam Flynn]

Good point, Carol - and I'm sure you're right. A "Google Books" search for the phrase "good lord" will throw up a huge number of 19th Century books, all of which - as far as I could see - demonstrate the capital "L" convention. One might say that they observe the rule religiously

[Carol]

Many thanks to Michael and Sam for their quick responses to my very first Ripper post. Most of my spare time is spent studying the Maybrick diary and other relevant papers I've printed out from 'casebook'. I found a copy of 'The Last Victim' by Anne Graham and Carol Emmas whilst rummaging around in a second-hand book shop in England last summer. I love a good mystery and 'mental detective work', you see. It is this book that has given me my interest in the Diary. I'm still 'on the fence' as I only read 'The Last Victim' about six weeks ago! No doubt I'll be back with another question soon!

[Stephen Thomas]

Now, I would have thought that anyone with that background would have written 'lord' with a capital 'L'. Any thoughts on this! (I took a copy of the photographs of the two diary pages from the casebook website). I've checked with a Bible and a couple of books that were published around the time of the murders and in each case when referring to God or Jesus the word 'Lord' is printed with a capital 'L'.

An excellent observation, Carol. No literate Victorian would dream, I reckon, to spell Lord with a lower case 'l' or indeed God with a lower case 'g' or Jesus with a lower case 'j'. Well spotted. And welcome.

[George Hutchinson]

Maybe he was writing 'Iord'? I believe it is a Welsh misspelling of 'Juwes'. Sam?

PHILIP

[Carol]

Maybe he was writing 'Iord'? I believe it is a Welsh misspelling of 'Juwes'. Sam?

PHILIP

Dear George or Philip,
Thank the Iord we have a Welsh language expert on the site. Your expertise must come in very useful.
Ta hand om dig.
Carol