Crawford Letter

[aspallek]

Interestingly enough, authoress Lucy Walford gives the name "Jabez Druitt" to one of her characters in her novel Iva Kildare: A Matrimonial Problem (1897). As part of the novel pokes fun at this "funny-sounding" name, I suspect the authoress had somewhere encountered the Jabez Druitt's name and it simply stuck in her mind. Walford died in 1915.

[aspallek]

Some of this information is beginning to come back to me now. Jabez Druitt was listed in Kelly's and other directories as a "Monumental Mason," i.e., as in cemetery monuments. He, not surprisingly, had a shop near Manor Park. This is the cemetery in which Polly Nicholls and Catherine Eddowes are buried and near to the cemetery where Ann Chapman is buried, not that this connects him in any way to their murders. Later on he appears to have had multiple shops and also exhibited some of his other sculptures. He was obviously very successful.

[Chris Scott]

Andy
The tree below might be of use
Chris

[aspallek]

Thanks, Chris, but where's Emily?

[Chris Scott]

Oops
Posted the incomplete one!
Doh!

[Chris Scott]

Just for completeness, the Edith M Druitt, grand-daughter of Jabez and listed as living with him in 1891,. was the daughter of his son Alfred. I presume she was living with her grandfather as her mother, Elizabeth, had died young in 1882

[Chris Scott]

Jabez's son, Alfred, remarried.
His first marriage was in 1874 to Elizabeth Littlejohn, but she died in 1882 at the age of only 25. In 1891 Alfred is listed as follows:
118 Bridge Street, Mile End
Head: Alfred Druitt aged 35 born Stepney - Stone mason
Wife: Phoebe Druitt aged 37 born Shadwell.
Children:
Alfred J aged 14
George aged 5
Both born in Stepney

This second marriage was registered in Hackney in the last quarter of 1883, and his second wife's name was Phoebe Danforth.

[Chris Scott]

In 1901 Alfred is listed as follows:
23 Forest Drive, East ham, Essex
Head: Alfred Druitt aged 45 born Stepney - Monumental stonemason
Wife: Phoebe Druitt aged 47 born Stepney
Child:
George aged 15 born Stepney

In 1901 Emily was living with her sister Alice and her husband. Annie was also living with them.

Boxobell, Lowther Hill, Lewisham
Head: Edward S Flint aged 59 born Brixton - Company accountant
Wife: Alice S Flint aged 48 born Stepney
Brothers:
Charles Flint aged 56 born Brixton - Warehouseman
Walter B Flint aged 53 born West Ham - Commercial Traveller
Sisters in Law:
Annie Druitt aged 38 born Stepney
Emily J Druitt aged 36 born Stepney
Servant:
Mary Fruin aged 17 born Leytonstone

Lowther Hill is only 3.7 miles from Eliot Place, Blackheath where M J Druitt taught.

[Carrotty Nell]

Can we read anything significant in Crawford's female being 'nearly related' rather than 'related'? If she was a sister or a cousin would she not simply be described as 'related' to the suspect? If Crawford's female was Jabe'z daughter Emily might she suspect she was related to MJD just because of a shared surname? Might this explain the rather odd expression 'nearly related' rather than just straightforward 'related'?

[Chris Scott]

Hi CN
Interesting point.
The word "nearly" is of course ambiguous and the possible meanings put very different interpretations on Crawford's letter.
If the meaning is nearly as in "almost", then the implication would be the unknown female was outside the circle of immediate relations.
If the meaning is nearly as in "closely" (as in a "near relation") then the implication would be pretty much the opposite, i.e. a member of the immediate family circle
Chris

[Chris]

I'm posting this on behalf of Pat Marshall, who is in Edinburgh.

Recently the National Library of Scotland kindly gave permission for her to look at the correspondence of the 26th Earl of Crawford (and 9th of Balcarres), which is held there. Unfortunately relatively little of the earl's correspondence survives. Pat checked what there was (details below) but unfortunately didn't find any correspondence with Anderson, or any other reference to the case.

Although the result is a bit disappointing, I'm very pleased that Pat has been able to check these papers, which might well have shed some light on the mystery of the Crawford Letter.
___________________________________________

Acc. 9769, Personal Papers, Boxes 95/1-3 and 96/1

Includes incoming personal correspondence, 1854-1913, incoming family correspondence, 1854-1913, draft replies (family), 1863-1906, draft replies (personal), ?1874-1910, and correspondence of the earl to his wife, 1868-1910.

[Jeff Leahy]

Here's the original scans in case anyone's interested - thanks for starting the thread Andy!

[ATTACH]1231[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]1232[/ATTACH]

Quote:To recap on my update to "Emily and the Bibliophile"...

I found that the "Emily Druitt" who worked with Quaritch/Muir in 1886/1887 was in fact related to a different line of Druitts through Jabez and Sophia Druitt of Mile End - she was not Emily Druitt, MJ's cousin (though both were art students). Muir was the son-in-law of Sophia and Jabez Druitt. My source for this was: “Blake: An Illustrated Quarterly”, Vol. 27, No. 1, Summer 1993.

A post made by Chris Phillips back in 2003 indicates that there exists within the Druitt papers evidence that Jabez was in contact with the family of Robert Druitt (MJ's uncle). If true this may indicate that there may still be a link between the Druitts and Crawford, via Quaritch.

It has also been suggested that the Crawford letter might relate not to Druitt but to Kosminski, who we know was Anderson's favored suspect.

What remains are the questions, Who was the woman Crawford introduced to Anderson, and Why did Anderson see fit to keep only this item in his personal correspondence (it was the only item I found in the Anderson family papers which has anything to do with the Ripper case).

Obviously it would be great to pore through Crawford's own correspondence to see if any mentions are made of this incident.
Stephen P. Ryder, Exec. Editor
Casebook: Jack the Ripper

Dear Casebook

With reference to Stephen Ryders above statement. I am currently trying to discover more about THe Earl of Crawford his connection to Sir Robert Anderson and of course some of the questions Stephen himself Raises.

I understand that this letter was the only letter that has reference to the Whitechapel Murders. However no mention is made of the other some 599 letters that accompany this particular item.

Given the the importance of this letter as a singular item, this appears relevant , I was wondering if anyone knew the dates (If any) subject and types of letters that are also included in the collection with this letter.

Given that little else of Anderson correspondence appears to have survived it might be pertinent and would appreciate any information your might offer

Yours Sincerely
Mt Jeff Leahy
Producer/Director

[packers stem]

So we have a link between the Crawford family and Sir William Gull.
Eldest son rented 74 Brook Street from Acland .
Interesting ....

[Elamarna]

So we have a link between the Crawford family and Sir William Gull.
Eldest son rented 74 Brook Street from Acland .
Interesting ....

However, has Gull was not involved in the Ripper crimes, such a "link" is irrelevant.
Renting a house from Gull's son in law is not surprising given that they were of the same elite grouping in society..

Steve

[packers stem]

However, has Gull was not involved in the Ripper crimes, such a "link" is irrelevant.
Renting a house from Gull's son in law is not surprising given that they were of the same elite grouping in society..

Steve

Of all the houses in all the streets you had to walk into mine .....

None of us know who was or was not involved in the ripper crimes at the moment so jumping the gun a bit there Steve .
Had he rented a house from the Kosminsky family you would be all over this like a rash .

It proves a link between the Gull and Crawford families .
All we know is that Crawford was rather coy and careful in his wording so we can not have any idea who he was talking about but clearly a friend of the family in my opinion .
I mean it must have been a friend who held him in confidence .

I know you love your coincidences Steve .
Sometimes in life , just sometimes , things aren't