Whitechapel Society Speakers

[C. F. Leon]

Another list that I'm making is the speakers at the Whitechael Society. Since some of the talks have become available as podcasts (many thanks for these!), I thought that a comprehensive list should be made for Posterity. Again, my only sources have been the Rippercasts, and these boards.

These are the ones that I have so far:


THE WHITECHAPEL SOCIETY

started 1995
- meets 1st Saturday Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec


2008
- Feb
- Apr 05 Shirley Harrison: "Sylvia Pankhurst: A Maverick Life"
- Jun 07 Sarah Wise book signing: The Blackest Streets: The Life & Death of a Victorian --
- Aug 02 Fiona Kendall-Kane: "The McCarthys & Kendalls Uncovered"
- Oct 04 Lindsay Siviter (Jack the Ripper (Michael Caine movie) 20th Anniversary)
- Dec 06 XMas Bash- Colin Cobb

2009
- Feb
- Apr 04 William Beadle- book, Jack the Ripper Unmasked
- Jun 06 Philip Hutchinson: "The Whitby Collection & Beyond"
- Aug 01 Yasha Beresinger: "Was Jack the Ripper a Freemason?"
- Oct 03 The Jeremy Beadle Lecture- Robin Odell: "Jack the Redeemer"
- Dec

2010
- Feb 06 Question Time: Whitechapel (Host: Philip Hutchinson)
- Apr
- Jun
- Aug
- Oct
- Dec

2011
- Feb
- Apr
- Jun 04
- Aug
- Oct
- Dec

2012
- Feb 04 Robin McGibbon: "Face to Face with the Krays"
- Apr
- Jun
- Aug
- Oct
- Dec

2013
- Feb
- Apr
- Jun
- Aug
- Oct
- Dec

2014
- Feb
- Apr
- Jun
- Aug
- Oct
- Dec

2015
- Feb
- Apr
- Jun
- Aug
- Oct
* - Dec "East End Tales of Ghosts, Grim Times & Dark Deeds"; Neil Storey

2016
* - Feb "Bruce & Florence: Busting the Conspiracy"; Chris Jones
* - Apr "Amelia Dyer & the Baby Farm Murders"; Angela Buckley
* - Jun "Stinie Morrison & the Murder of Leon Beron"; William Beadle
* - Aug "Swanson: A Year in the Casebook of a Victorian Detective"; Adam Wood
* - Oct "Dracula Meets the Ripper"; Prof. Clive Bloom
- Dec (unknown)

2017
- Feb "Jack the Ripper: A Modern Day Investigation"; Mick Priestley

* available for download

Any help would be greatly appreciated- even the WS website wasn't very helpful.

-- CFL

[jmenges]

The rest of 2015 can be filled in from their webpage

http://www.whitechapelsociety.com/speakers-2015/

I'll check around to see if I can get you a complete list.

JM

[C. F. Leon]

Thanks, Jonathan. I guess that I missed that link when I visited the site.

-- CFL

[C. F. Leon]

Here's the updated list (as of end of 2017):

THE WHITECHAPEL SOCIETY
- www.whitechapelsociety.com

started 1995
- Main meetings: 1st Saturday Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec
- Interm meetings: 1st Saturday Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov


=====================================

2008
- Feb
- Apr 05 Shirley Harrison: "Sylvia Pankhurst: A Maverick Life"
- Jun 07 Sarah Wise book signing: The Blackest Streets: The Life & Death of a Victorian --[?- could not make out last word]
- Aug 02 Fiona Kendall-Kane: "The McCarthys & Kendalls Uncovered"
- Oct 04 Lindsay Siviter (Jack the Ripper (Michael Caine movie) 20th Anniversary)
- Dec 06 XMas Bash- Colin Cobb

2009
- Feb
- Apr 04 William Beadle- book, Jack the Ripper Unmasked
- Jun 06 Philip Hutchinson: "The Whitby Collection & Beyond"
- Aug 01 Yasha Beresinger: "Was Jack the Ripper a Freemason?"
- Oct 03 The Jeremy Beadle Lecture- Robin Odell: "Jack the Redeemer"
- Dec

2010
- Feb 06 Question Time: Whitechapel (Host: Philip Hutchinson)
- Apr
- Jun
- Aug
- Oct
- Dec

2011
- Feb
- Apr
- Jun 04
- Aug
- Oct
- Dec

2012
- Feb 04 Robin McGibbon: "Face to Face with the Krays"
- Apr
- Jun
- Aug
- Oct
- Dec

2013
- Feb
- Apr
- Jun
- Aug
- Oct
- Dec

2014
- Feb
- Apr
- Jun
- Aug
- Oct
- Dec

2015
- Feb 07 [not on 2015 list at WS website]
- Apr 04 "James Kelly: A credible suspect?"; William Beadle & Graham Hill (debate w/ Q&A)
- Jun 13 "The Horrible History of Chloroform"; Linda Stratmann [date given was NOT 1st Saturday]
- Aug 01 "Lechmere and the Masonic Conspiracy"; Edwards Stow
- Oct 03 "The Real Sherlock Holmes"; Angela Buckley
* - Dec 05 "East End Tales of Ghosts, Grim Times & Dark Deeds"; Neil Storey

2016
* - Feb 06 "Bruce & Florence: Busting the Conspiracy"; Chris Jones
* - Apr 02 "Amelia Dyer & the Baby Farm Murders"; Angela Buckley
* - Jun 04 "Steinie Morrison & the Murder of Leon Beron"; William Beadle
* - Aug 06 "Swanson: A Year in the Casebook of a Victorian Detective"; Adam Wood
* - Oct 01 "Dracula Meets the Ripper: The mystery of a newly discovered version of the vampire tale"; Prof. Clive Bloom
- Dec 03 (WS1888 Christmas Party)

2017
* - Feb 04 "Jack the Ripper: A Modern Day Investigation"; Mick Priestley
* - Apr 11 "The Church Without: A History of Christchurch, Spitalfields"; David Thompson [date given was NOT 1st Saturday]
* - Jun 04 "A History of the Whitechapel Mission"; Anthony Miller
- (interm: Jul 01?: Montague Druitt
- Aug (?05) [no info found]
- (interm: Sep 02: Kosminski (announced)
* - Oct (?07) "Mock Trials and Retrials"; George Fleming [date not given, but podcast was up on the 9th]
* - Dec 02 (WS1888 Christmas Party) (book- Jack the Ripper: Case Closed); Gyles Brandreth

2018
- Feb 03 (speaker listed, but I've decided to save SOMETHING for the next update!)


------------------

* available for download from Podcast page at casebook.org

[jmenges]

The August 2017 Whitechapel Society meeting was a paired event with the East End Conference and their keynote speaker Charlotte Mallinson 'In the Name of Jack: Rethinking Victimhood in Representations of the Whitechapel Murders'.

I'll see if I can fill in some more gaps in your list.

Happy New Year,

JM

[C. F. Leon]

Thanks for the quick response, Jonathan. Happy New for you & your's also.

(I've been having some trouble sending pms on my laptop- Did you receive the answer to YOUR pm that I sent you some while back?)

CFL

[C. F. Leon]

Here's the updated list (this one supercedes previous ones):

THE WHITECHAPEL SOCIETY
- www.whitechapelsociety.com

started 1995
- Main meetings (with Guest Speaker): 1st Saturday Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec
- Interm meetings: 1st Saturday Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov


-----------

sources:
- Whitechapel 1888 webpage (//www.whitechapelsociety.com)
- Casebook: JtR (//www.casebook.org)
- JtR Forums (//www.jtrforums.com)

- Journal of the Whitechapel Society- gives report on each meeting; no physical copies available to me


=====================================

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006 (both sets at The Princess Alice)
- Feb (04)
- Mar 04 (Interim)
- Apr 01 Louise Raw: "The Matchgirls Strike of 1888"
- Jun (03)
- Aug 05 Max Arthur: "Lost Voices of the Edwardians"
- Oct (07) Stewart Evans & Donald Runbelow
- Dec (02) George Fleming: "The Whitechapel Enquiry"

2007
- Feb 03 Adrian Morris: "The Diminishing Case of Mr. Druitt" [change of venue: The Duke of Wellington, Toynbee St.]
- Mar 03 (Interim) [The Algate Exchange]
- Apr 07 (MC: Philip Hutchinson) Dr. Kate Bradley: "Jack the Ripper's London: Myth, Reality & the Victorian Metropolis"; raffle
- Jun 02 Geoffrey Howse: "Dark Deeds in London's East End"
- Aug 04 [scheduled at Princess Alice, moved at last moment to The Duke of Wellington]
- Oct 06 Jana Oliver [The Duke of Wellington]
- Dec (01)

2008
- Feb 04 [? 02 was 1st Sat] John Barber: (Camden Town Murders); John Leighton book signing [Algate Exchange]
- Apr 05 Shirley Harrison: "Sylvia Pankhurst: A Maverick Life"
- Jun 07 Sarah Wise book signing: The Blackest Streets: The Life & Death of a Victorian Slum"
- Aug 02 Fiona Kendall-Kane: "The McCarthys & Kendalls Uncovered"
- Oct 04 Lindsay Siviter (Jack the Ripper (1988 Michael Caine movie)- 20th Anniversary)
- Dec 06 XMas Bash- Colin Cobb

2009
- Feb (07)
- Apr 04 William Beadle- book, Jack the Ripper Unmasked
- Jun 06 [? 07 was 1st Sat] Philip Hutchinson: "The Whitby Collection & Beyond"
- Aug 01 Yasha Beresinger: "Was Jack the Ripper a Freemason?"
- Oct 03 The Jeremy Beadle Lecture- Robin Odell: "Jack the Redeemer"
- Dec (05)

2010
- Feb 06 Question Time: Whitechapel (Host: Philip Hutchinson)
- Apr 03 John Bennett: "Re-defining Ripperland"
- Jun 05 Chris Jones: "James Maybrick: The Most Controversial Ripper Suspect"
- Aug (07)
- Oct 02 Paul Begg: (on JtR documentary he's making for History Channel)
- Dec (04)

2011
- Feb (05)
- Apr 02 David Monaghan: "My Secret Life"
- Jun 04
- Aug (06)
- Oct (01)
- Dec (03)
[sometime in 2011- Chris George: "Early Theatrical Depictions of Jack the Ripper"]
[pre-2012- Linda Stratman: "The Illustrated Police News...1864-1938"]
[pre-2012- Trevor Marriott: (Special Branch Registers & Ledgers)

2012
- Feb 04 Robin McGibbon: "Face to Face with the Krays"
- Apr (07)
- Jun (02)
- Aug (04)
- Oct (06)
- Dec (01)

2013
- Feb (02)
- Apr (06)
- Jun 01 Tommy Walsh & Ed Stow: (Bethnal Green Tube Disaster)
- Aug (03)
- Oct (05)
- Dec (07)

2014
- Feb (01)
- Apr (05)
- Jun (07)
- Aug (02)
- Oct (04)
- Dec (06)

2015
- Feb 07 [not on 2015 list at WS website]
- Apr 04 William Beadle & Graham Hill: "James Kelly: A credible suspect?" (debate w/ Q&A)
- Jun 13 Linda Stratmann: "The Horrible History of Chloroform" [date listed was NOT the 1st Saturday]
- Aug 01 (Ripper walking tour; Book Launch- Ian Parson: The East End Beckons) Edwards Stow: "Lechmere and the Masonic Conspiracy"; Book signing- Neil Bell & Adam Wood: Howard Vincent's Police Code, 1889 (Dirty Dicks, Bishopgate)
- Oct 03 Angela Buckley: "The Real Sherlock Holmes"
* - Dec 05 Neil Storey: "East End Tales of Ghosts, Grim Times & Dark Deeds"

2016
* - Feb 06 Chris Jones: "Bruce & Florence: Busting the Conspiracy" [another source gives title as: "Bruce Robinson & the Maybrick Connection"]
- Feb 07
-- Mile End Walking tour
-- Meet at The Blind Beggar- talks:
The Peasant’s Revolt
Captain Cook
The Salvation Army
Jack the Ripper
The Siege of Sidney Street
The Krays
* - Apr 02 Angela Buckley: "Amelia Dyer & the Baby Farm Murders"
- Interm: May 07 [report by Steve Rattey at WS website]
* - Jun 04 William Beadle: "Steinie Morrison & the Murder of Leon Beron"
* - Aug 06 Adam Wood: "Swanson: A Year in the Casebook of a Victorian Detective"
* - Oct 01 Prof. Clive Bloom: "Dracula Meets the Ripper: The mystery of a newly discovered version of the vampire tale"
- Dec 03/04 (WS1888 Christmas Party)

2017
* - Feb 04 Mick Priestley: "Jack the Ripper: A Modern Day Investigation"
* - Apr 11 David Thompson: "The Church Without: A History of Christchurch, Spitalfields" [date listed was NOT 1st Saturday]
* - Jun 02 (sic) Anthony Miller: "A History of the Whitechapel Mission"
- Interm: Jul 01 Montague J. Druitt (but other topical subjects brought up)
(*) - Aug (05) Charlotte Mallinson: "In the Name of Jack: Rethinking Victimhood in Representations of the Whitechapel Murders" [paired event with East End Conference] *version posted is one from EEC
- Interm: Sep 02 Kosminski (announced)
* - Oct 07 George Fleming: "Mock Trials and Retrials"
* - Dec 02 (WS1888 Christmas Party) Gyles Brandreth- book- Jack the Ripper: Case Closed

2018
- Interm: Jan 06 [report by Steve Rattey at WS website]
* - Feb 05 David Bullock- book, The Man Who Would Be Jack
* - Apr 08 Diane Jones: "Death at Wolf's Nick: The Killing of Evelyn Foster"
* - Jun 02 Louis Berk: "A Whitechapel Eye: My Photographic Journey 2004-2018"
- Interm: Jul 07 (announced- visit to Thames Police Museum, Wapping; Evening discussion: "Alice MacKenzie: Was She a Ripper Victim?")
- Aug 04 David Canter: "The Letters of Jack the Ripper"
- Interm: Sep 01 Professor William Fishman: The Identity of Jack The Ripper still remains the greatest enigma in the annals of unsolved crime; Bill Beadle: (William Bury)
[- Sep 08 "Victims" Event[listed as Conferences]
* - Oct 06 John Malcolm: "25 Years of Adventure, Introspection & Exasperation"
* - Dec 04 Jon Rees: "A Century Apart: Profiles of Jack the Ripper"


-------------------

* available for download from Podcast page at casebook.org
(date) date not confirmed- listed date was 1st Saturday

[C. F. Leon]

Sorry, I haven't been keeping this up as often as I probably should, but I moved just before the pandemic hit and dealing with that between that and other things in Real Life, I just haven't been keeping up with my Research. But since we're into a New Year I do think it's time for an update to this listing.

Update (2022 Jan):
[Note: I've gotten NO new information for any meetings pre-2015, and 2015-2017 have only minor new info (mostly corrections).]

2015
- Jun 13 Linda Stratmann: "The Horrible History of Chloroform" [apparently this meeting date was changed to 2nd Saturday]

2016
* - Feb 06 [orignal scheduled speaker- Kate Colquhoun canceled] Chris Jones: "Bruce & Florence: Busting the Conspiracy" (another source gives title as: "Bruce Robinson & the Maybrick Connection")
- Feb 07
-- Mile End Walking tour
-- Meet at The Blind Beggar- talks:
--- The Peasant’s Revolt
--- Captain Cook
--- The Salvation Army
--- Jack the Ripper
--- The Siege of Sidney Street
--- The Krays
- Interim: Mar 05 Topic: Research & Where to Start
- Mar 06 (Sunday) Memorial Service for Bethnal Green Tube Disaster (1943 Mar 03)
* - Apr 02 Angela Buckley: "Amelia Dyer & the Baby Farm Murders"
- May 07 Trevor Bond- Shakespeare walk; Topic: What Do We Do We Know About The Police at Street Level in 1888?) [report by Steve Rattey at WS website]
* - Jun 04 William Beadle: "Steinie Morrison & the Murder of Leon Beron"
- Jul 02 Topic: The Jewish Suspect 1888?
* - Aug 06 Adam Wood: "Swanson: A Year in the Casebook of a Victorian Detective"
* - Oct 01 Prof. Clive Bloom: "Dracula Meets the Ripper: The mystery of a newly discovered version of the vampire tale"
- Dec 03/04 (WS1888 Christmas Party)

2017: (no new information)

2018
- Interim: Jan 06 Topic: “Did the press create Jack the Ripper” [report by Steve Rattey at WS website]
* - Feb 05 David Bullock: book, The Man Who Would Be Jack
* - Apr 08 Diane Jones: "Death at Wolf's Nick: The Killing of Evelyn Foster"
- Interim: May 04 Topic: "Is there a link between the Thames Torso Murders (TTM) and Jack the Ripper? [report by Steve Rattey at WS website]
* - Jun 02 Louis Berk: "A Whitechapel Eye: My Photographic Journey 2004-2018"
- Interim: Jul 07 (announced- visit to Thames Police Museum, Wapping; Evening discussion: "Alice MacKenzie: Was She a Ripper Victim?")
- Aug 04 David Canter: "The Letters of Jack the Ripper"
- Interim: Sep 01 Professor William Fishman: The Identity of Jack The Ripper still remains the greatest enigma in the annals of unsolved crime; Bill Beadle: (William Bury)
[- Sep 08 "Victims" Event[listed as Conferences]
* - Oct 06 John Malcolm: "25 Years of Adventure, Introspection & Exasperation"
* - Dec 04 Jon Rees: "A Century Apart: Profiles of Jack the Ripper"

2019
* - Feb 02 Bob Hinton in Conversation with Karl Coppack
* - Apr 06 Jo Vigor-Mungovin, on Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man
- Jun 01 (meeting at Crutched Friar)
* - Aug 03 Steve Blomer: "Bucks Row Inside Out"
* - Oct 05 (Special Event) Drew Gray: "Adventures in Ripperology: A Cautionary Tale from the Academie"
- Dec 01 (Christmas Party) Jon Lee Rees: "A Century Apart: Profiles of Jack the Ripper"

2020
- Interim: Jan 04 (only interim meeting of 2020) Topic: ‘Why Do So Many Jack the Ripper Documentaries Get Some Obvious Facts Wrong’?
* - Feb (01) Dr. John Sugden: "From Tyburn to Whitechapel: Philip Sugden's Journey into London's Criminal Past"
- Apr 04 [meeting canceled due to CORVID-19 pandemic]
-- 05 "The Gentle Author's Tour of Spitalfields"
- Jun 06 Sean Crundall: "The New A-Z"
- Aug 01 (virtual meeting) Julian Woodford: "The Boss of Bethnal Green"
- Oct 03 Michael Hession: "The Wig Maker of Wellington St."
- Dec 05 A (Sat) Christmas Party
[- Dec 06 B (Sun) Christmas Lunch; Peter Clarke: ‘The Houndsditch Murders’"/Sue Parry: "Sergeant (William) Bryant" [canceled]

2021
* - Feb 06 Peter Clarke: ‘The Houndsditch Murders’"/ Sue Parry: "Sergeant (William) Bryant"
- Apr 03 Michael Mulford: "The Trial of Jack the Ripper"
* - Jun 05 Daniel Smith: "The Peer and the Gangster: A Very British Cover-up"
* - Aug 07 Dr Andrea Nini: "A forensic linguistic analysis of the Ripper letters"
? Interim: Sam Johnson: "The Matchgirls’ Strike of 1888: Sarah Chapman" [article on website, no date given]
* - Oct 02 Christopher Jones: "Motive, Opportunity & Means; Did Florence Maybrick commit murder?"
- Interim: Nov 06
- Dec 05 Angela Young: "Vice, Filth & Tragedy"

Again, ANY new information, especially for the early years, would be GREATLY appreciated not only by me but the Ripperology Community in General and Posterity. I can find NO information on the Early Years at all. Not even The WSJ (no, not THAT one!) has much information about the meetings themselves.

[jmenges]

Here’s what Rippercast has released that I don’t see on your list.

Mike Barrett 10 April 1999
Shirley Harrison 8 Aug 1998
Paul Feldman Feb ? 1998
Paul Feldman 7 Jan 1995
Don Rumbelow Oct ? 1999
Robin Odell Feb 2001
Martin Fido Dec 1995

By the way, on the latest episode of Rippercast ‘Paul Begg Revised’ Paul said he was the guest speaker at either the 2nd or 3rd ever meeting which would fill in another gap in 1995.

JM

[MrBarnett]

I wish I’d realised that Sean was giving a talk about the A-Z. I’d have attended that one.

[jmenges]

I wish I’d realised that Sean was giving a talk about the A-Z. I’d have attended that one.

Sean was to be joined by Keith Skinner.
It was canceled due to the lockdown restrictions.

JM

[MrBarnett]

Sean was to be joined by Keith Skinner.
It was canceled due to the lockdown restrictions.

JM

Perhaps they’ll reschedule it. I’ll keep an eye open.