How Old was Hutchinson?

[Sally]

Who can help with this one?

I've read that a) Hutchinson was 28; and b) that he was 33 in 1888.

I don't know what the source is/are for either contention - does anybody know where these ideas come from, and where I might find some sources?

Thanks all.

[Lechmere]

He was 21
Dew of course said he was young

[Sally]

Thanks Ed, but I wasn't looking for your personal belief. This isn't the place for it.

Please note - this is not a thread for the discussion of personal theory regarding Hutchinson..

This is a research thread - which is why it's on the research forum.

I would appreciate it if everybody could stick to the rules regarding that forum.

[Sally]

To clarify, it is obvious that somewhere, Hutchinson has been cited as being both 28 and 33. What I am looking for are the sources of that information.

Thanks in advance to anybody who can help.

[Robert]

I seem to remember Bob Hinton saying that a research partner of his had seen a report giving an age for Hutchinson. Unfortunately Bob doesn't know where that came from and asked people to keep an eye open for it. So that's back to square one.

[Sally]

Thanks Robert - yes I was vaguely aware that Bob Hinton had thought Hutchinson to be 28 - but I have also seen references to his being 33 - do you know where that came from?

I haven't had much luck in finding out, hence the thread

Thanks for your reply.

[richardnunweek]

Hi Sally,
Unless proven otherwise, Hutchinson was aged 22 years , and we all know to who that describes?
Regards Richard.

[Robert]

Hi Sally

I haven't a clue where 33 comes from. Only just now in Googling I found an old post which says that newspapers gave that as his age. But which newspapers?

[Sally]

Hi Sally

I haven't a clue where 33 comes from. Only just now in Googling I found an old post which says that newspapers gave that as his age. But which newspapers?

Newspapers, eh? I had wondered if the reference came from a later account. Well, newspapers is a start - but like you say, which ones? I can't recall seeing any such reference to Hutchinson's age in a press report.

[Sally]

Hi Sally,
Unless proven otherwise, Hutchinson was aged 22 years , and we all know to who that describes?
Regards Richard.

Hi Richard

As posted in response to Lechmere, above, this thread does not concern any personal conviction regarding the identity of Hutchinson. Please resepct the topic under discussion.

If you know where the documentary references to Hutchinson's age as either 28 or 33 originate from, on the other hand, this is the place to post that information.

Thanks

[The Good Michael]

Sally,

Hutchinson was 22. The only age we have is that of George Topping Hutchinson. Any other Hutchinson would be of an unknown age.

Mike

[Debra A]

Maybe the age of 33 has crept in because of 33 year old George Hutchinson of Cottage Grove, convicted of stealing a watch in 1887? We've had many threads over the years on the possibility of him being GH the witness.

[Sally]

Thanks Debra - maybe that's it then. I'm still intrigued by the possibility that there were press references to his being 33 - although as I said to Robert I don't recall ever seeing any?

[richardnunweek]

Hi,
Must agree with Mike,
If one takes all the other Hutchinson's known, which have 'never' been pinpointed since 1888, as possibles, we are left with two ages 28/33 which do not apply to anyone, what's more no matter how hard one scans press reports, no mention of those ages appear..
How can we advance , when we don't accept the plain obvious, since day one, Topping is the only name ever put forward, with very good credentials,
There is no other....
Regards Richard.

[Ben]

Thanks for that, Debs.

I was despairing at how more many gentle, friendly reminders it would take before certain posters respected the original premise of Sally's thread, which was not Toppy, but rather to ascertain the sources for those two ages attributed to Hutchinson. I think you may be right about the origin of 33. Did you ever manage to have a butchers at his signature?!

Both Bob Hinton and the late Brian Marriner remembered seeing a newspaper reference to Hutchinson's age being 28, but as Robert and Sally point out, nobody seems to have seen it since.

All the best,
Ben