The Secret Special Branch Ledgers

[Chris]

I think the following entry from the Home Office register of incoming correspondence for 1888 (HO 46/93) probably refers to the entry in the Chief Constable's Register that appears to read "[?]Kelleyey Thomas petition from Wormwood Scrubs".

Sorry - I should have mentioned for the record that the entry was on p. 584 of the register, in the "Petitions - Criminal" section.

[auspirograph]

Where would a book on Jack the Ripper conspiracies be without mention and an adequate assessment of the Metropolitan Police Special Branch Index Ledgers?

For those who do have a personal interest in these developments on the case, details on their existence and relevance was first published in the foundational reference work on the Whitechapel murders in 2006, Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates pp. 241-242. Evans and Rumbelow.

In 2002, Dr. Lindsey Clutterbuck was granted access to the ledgers, though their existence was known before, to research a thesis on pre-WW1 foundations of the Metropolitan Police Special Branch in reference to Irish Republican extreme active campaigns. The title of the thesis, An Accident of History?, was in reference to a House of Commons debate where it was assumed that the early formation of British secret service had developed accidentally and in rapid response to mainland threats. Clutterbuck essentially argued, based on his sighting of the ledgers, that that position was historically and for reasons relevant to the Victorian period not complete. Indeed, the early and permanent Special Branch, sanctioned in 1887 and established in 1888, was an organized response founded by Monro, Williamson and Littlechild.

For reasons relevant to the period, the Whitechapel murders were brought to the attention of and investigated by Special Branch detectives in co-ordination with Scotland Yard's CID.

This latest crusade to stonewall the citadel of officialdom to gain exclusive entry to the holy grail of Victorian Scotland Yard practices, has only served to entrench reticence on the part of custodians of these historic primary sources and police index ledgers. Which I might add, have already been assessed by academics previously.

My new book, Jack the Ripper and Black Magic: Victorian Conspiracy Theories Secret Societies and the Supernatural Mystique of the Whitechapel Murders, I believe is the first to fully examine the context and relevance of these sources on the Whitechapel murders as far as is reasonably possible and appropriate to an understanding of their sensitive nature in regards other matters political to the late Victorian and subsequent periods.

[Chris]

This latest crusade to stonewall the citadel of officialdom to gain exclusive entry to the holy grail of Victorian Scotland Yard practices, has only served to entrench reticence on the part of custodians of these historic primary sources and police index ledgers. Which I might add, have already been assessed by academics previously.

To be fair, access to these records by (other) historians was already being blocked before Trevor Marriott's Freedom of Information requests. Alex Butterworth had previously tried unsuccessfully to get access to them by the same route:

http://www.alexbutterworth.co.uk/2011/05/15/the-special-branch-ledgers-the-information-commission-and-jack-the-ripper

Also, as I understand it, whatever access has been or will be obtained by Trevor Marriott through FOI requests will also be available to others, so it's not really a question of trying to get exclusive entry to the citadel.

[Phil H]

I can confirm that material released under FOI is, by definition available to anyone else who makes a request to see it. In my job, I deal with such requests frequently.

Phil

[auspirograph]

Fair enough Chris. I am aware of the efforts of Butterworth, Marriott and others to gain access. By exclusive I meant first rights.

[Phil H]

Anyone who shows the initiative to ask for information will have a slight advantage in time. But my understanding is that if you were to ask for the same information that has been released to trvor to be released to you, the authority (in terms of the FOI Act) would have to comply.

Phil

[Stephen Thomas]

This looks like a job for that Wikileaks guy.

[auspirograph]

Wikileaks Superhero

This looks like a job for that Wikileaks guy.

Yes, you might have a point there Stephen, if the reluctance of British authorities to release documents that the National Archives described as "...of no historical value" is any indication.

Well said...

[Trevor Marriott]

History Lost Forever

I recently made a new and revised freedom of information request to The Metropolitan Police.This request was based on new facts and new evidence which was not before the original tribunal.

I have today received the following reply :

"Following the tribunals you have mentioned the ledgers.registers were destroyed in line with the retention policy that the documents were to be retained for a period of two years after the last request to view the ledgers which expired 18 November 2013. As the ledger/registers were deemed to be of no policing purpose and the National Archives did not wish to hold the ledgers they were destroyed on 6th January 2014.

https://www.trevormarriott.co.uk

[Phil Carter]

That's what I call destroying history.

Very very sad news indeed. You worked tirelessly on this Trevor.

They didn't even offer them to the Met police Crime museum.

Shocked.



Phil

[GUT]

I'm not being critical, of Trevor or anyone else, but it just shows the importance of knowing the rules and time limits when dealing with Govt instrumentalities.

[GUT]

Having said that Bummer.

You must be gutted Trevor.

[Archaic]

It does seem very strange that the government would carefully preserve these ledgers for 127 years, only to destroy them now.

Thanks for your efforts, Trevor.

Archaic

PS: Any chance they photographed/digitized the ledgers before destroying them?

[Trevor Marriott]

I'm not being critical, of Trevor or anyone else, but it just shows the importance of knowing the rules and time limits when dealing with Govt instrumentalities.

There is a specific time limit before you can make a new application which I think off the top of my head is 3 years and besides no point in putting an application in until you have the ammunition

[Trevor Marriott]

It does seem very strange that the government would carefully preserve these ledgers for 127 years, only to destroy them now.

Thanks for your efforts, Trevor.

Archaic

PS: Any chance they photographed/digitized the ledgers before destroying them?

No there was no need for them to do so.