Adolphus Williamson

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

Punch, April 21st 1883 -



Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

moving up

Hello All. I am sure this has been posted elsewhere, so this serves only as a refresher. Note the many fine officers promoted at the same time.

Snippet from "Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper" 14, July, 1878.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

adding

Hello Phil. That would be interesting to find.

Wish he had his old papers lying about. I daresay he could add a great deal.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

right

Hello Cris.

"You never can substitute experience with anything comparable."

Precisely! Others shined their medals, he walked his beat to get to the top.

Cheers.
LC

[Phil Carter]

Good post, Autolycus.

Agree with you about 'Dolly' Williamson.
He achieved the highest rank any 'career' policeman ever did at a time when the 'top' positions were dominated by patronage appointments.

The difference between him and somebody like... say Macnaghten... is like night and day. You never can substitute experience with anything comparable.

Hello all,

I believe there is a newspaper write up somewhere of his funeral etc Cannot remember where I saw it now.

best wishes

Phil

[Hunter]

Good post, Autolycus.

Agree with you about 'Dolly' Williamson.
He achieved the highest rank any 'career' policeman ever did at a time when the 'top' positions were dominated by patronage appointments.

The difference between him and somebody like... say Macnaghten... is like night and day. You never can substitute experience with anything comparable.

[Cogidubnus]

Autolycus I agree with you re Dolly Williamson...but what of Mr Whicher?

This wonderful book finally reveals the truth about one of the very best early detectives...and shows how politicians and the press brought him down, despite the fact he was undoubtedly right in every respect...and subsequently all but proved so...

If I've learned anything in my life so far, it's don't trust the media in any form (they're all whores) and trust politicians even less (they're whores who take your money and don't deliver)...Poor old Whichers story is a great illustration of this...

Best regards

Dave

[lynn cates]

Dolly

Hello Autolycus. Yes, he was quite ill in 1888.

I presume, however, he worked some. There is a scrawl across a MEPO document, written, I think, by Abberline, which says (of Isenschmid) "Seen, Mr. Williamson has been to see the Dr. at the Infirmary."

I trust this refers to Adolphus and not another Williamson?

Cheers.
LC

[Autolycus]

Hello All,

I’m just back from two weeks holiday, during which my poolside reading was “The Suspicions of Mr Whicher” by Kate Summerscale. This is a study of the mysterious murder of the infant Saville Kent in rural England in 1860. For my money, it’s a very good read.

Adolphus “Dolly” Williamson, (Later Chief Constable of the CID) was involved as a detective sergeant in the Rode House investigation. During the course of the book the author draws on numerous contemporary sources to illustrate some specific areas of his involvement, the techniques used by Williamson and his superiors and the determination and persistence shown by the Scotland Yard men who were eventually ordered to investigate.

It prompted a few thoughts that I‘d like to share with you

· Although the “science” and procedures of investigation were new, some of these officers were thorough, shrewd and given the leeway to follow their instincts and put proper pressure on potential witnesses and suspects.
· Even by the time of this crime, in 1860, there are several examples of successful investigations elsewhere. This seems particularly true of London itself, where the specialist detective force was based and knew the area intimately.
· Williamson is only a bit player in TCMW, however, it seems reasonable to assume that he would have adopted the methods and approach of his superiors who were the pioneers of real-life detection. These people were not all corrupt halfwits as some elements of the LVP media portray.
· Williamson was appointed Chief Constable of the CID in 1886, and under normal circumstances could have been expected to play a pivotal role in the JTR investigation. Sadly, ill health prevented this and he died in 1889.

The detail contained in TCMW has modified my thinking on the Ripper case in a couple of ways.

Firstly, I feel that although the police inevitably lacked the advantages of modern forensic science, it is likely that they had the benefit of a hard-core of committed local officers who would have been highly likely to identify the killer (directly or otherwise) if he had been some exotic “outsider”.

Secondly, I speculate that Williamson’s ill-health robbed the police of an experienced officer who would have given them a better chance of rising above the amateurism and political point scoring at the top of the force in 1888.

On a personal note: I have lurked in the shadows enjoying the exchanges on this site for some time. Keep it up!

Autolycus.