There must be a photo of Frederick Abberline

[halomanuk]

Precisely..i truly think we have found the man himself,i am so annoyed at myself because i noticed this a long time ago and just kind of overlooked it in a stupid way,went along with the common consencus - something i never normally do !!!

But as with anything,it needs to be proved.
That really is Abberline,it has to be.

[Sam Flynn]

Thanks, HMUK.

Here's the "restored" photo next to an illustration of the hat-wearing Abberline:

[halomanuk]

That's a good effort Gareth,it still ties in with all we have been shown in the illustrations.

We just need to lift his hat up to check his hair and that could be it !!
It does seem typical Abberline and also the modest nature of him in the photo suggests typical Abberline.

[Sam Flynn]

I dont think photoshop will improve the quality of that photo at all.

Best I could manage was to remove the "eclipsing" officers and attempt to reconstruct the face, hat and right shoulder, based on an assumed symmetry:



Touched up the shirt and tie area as well. It was a quick job, and it's still very grainy, but at least it gives us an idea of the "whole"!

[robhouse]

I dont think photoshop will improve the quality of that photo at all. The only thing (as Jane says) would be if someone could rescan the image at a higher resolution... Even that might not do much, since the image looks very grainy.

Rob H

[Jane Coram]

HI,

This is a bit like 'Where's Wally (Waldo)'.

If anyone can get a higher res photo to me, I could have a go at painting over the three likely suspects to see what turns up. I don't think that copy is good enough to get anything decent from.

I can see there is a lot of potential in the new candidate, so maybe worth a go.

If we look at the three of them. I would say the one on the right does look the closest to the sketch that I worked from for the portrait........although in the photo he does appear to have hair under his chin as well as the whiskers at the side......... that could just be a trick of the light, or shadows though.......or he could have had a bit more facial hair at that time - but it does tally quite well in other ways with the full face sketch we have. I could try superimposing the sketch over the three suspects faces and see what happens.

I think the one in the front row next to him, who is the other candidate has too wide and short a face for it to be Abberline, if the sketches are at all accurate, although they vary quite a bit! I personally don't think that he is likely to be Abberline though.

The new candidate at the back though, does have a lot of potential, and is possibly the closest the profile pic we have........he looks slimmer and has more sensitive features than the other two.

Oh well, if anyone can come up with a higher res copy of the photo, I'll have a bash at it.

Much love

Jane

xxxxx

[Suzi]

Y-y-y-yes-s-s-sir r-r-r-ight a-a-away sir...

[Robert]

Not even your lines, Hanney?

HSQ, MA

[Suzi]

Just had a look at the Andy Aliffe article in Ripperologist No. 72, and they have missed him too.

That`s him alright

Yep ...(almost) ..without a doubt!!!!!! Come on you P/Shoppers!! Am at work here at the mo so can't do anything...no matter how naff!

[Jon Guy]

Just had a look at the Andy Aliffe article in Ripperologist No. 72, and they have missed him too.

That`s him alright

[halomanuk]

I always thought he looked more like Abberline as well,he has all the stereotypical features of the illustrations - i thought people had seen him before,as im sure Rob did LOL !!!

But yes,if we can get it cropped up and obtain a clear image then we might just hopefully learn more..

Fingers crossed,anyone prepared to try their hand at it ?

[Suzi]

Cripes!! That's amazing!!..how has he slipped through the net...had never noticed him either!! We need a photoshop genius here.....Sam....

[Sam Flynn]

I`ve never noticed him before, Rob. Crikey.

Neither had I. Blimus! I agree that he looks far more like the illustrations... well, most of the illustrations at least. The spitting image, if I'm honest. I think I'm about to revise my opinion, Rob - for which many thanks.

[David Knott]

Can anyone tell me what exactly has been traced of Abberline's family, and whether it's known what happened to his personal papers after his and his wife's deaths?

Chris,

Not sure about the papers, but I did some work on his family a while back, which I will try to dig out. What I really wanted to find was some family event such as a wedding that FGA would have attended, and trace the descendants. At one time I tried looking through various newspapers and magazines at Colindale for obituaries but I didn't find any with a photo.

Basic family details are that he had 4 siblings, Elizabeth b 1834, Emily [Dinah] b 1836, Miriam Harriett b 1838 and Edward b 1839.

Of these, Elizabeth died young, and Miriam Harriett never married. Emily married James Rice and had 3 children, but none of them married.

This leaves Edward, who married Helen [Ellen] McKay. I think they had three children, Helen b 1871, Cora b 1873 and Edward b 1875.

Helen died in infancy.

Cora married a Henry [Harry] Lindley in 1896 and they had at least 4 children, Harry b 1899, Edward b 1900, Charles b 1905 and Dorothy b 1908.

Edward married Lily Beard in 1911 and they had at least six children, Violet H b 1911, Grace L b 1913, Edna M b 1915, Edward b 1918, Joyce K b 1925 and Richard J b 1929.

Like I say, somewhere I have details of grand-nephews/nieces etc, but I never got around to contacting any of them. Perhaps I will do so if I get the time.

David

[Brenda]

Ha! That guy has my vote too!