The Missing Memorandum

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

There are two extant versions of what is known as the Macnaghten Memorandum.

1. The 'Macnaghten Report' written on official 'Metropolitan Police Office' paper, dated 23rd Feb. 1894, and currently held at the UK National Archives [file reference MEPO 3/141, ff. 177-83].

2. The Aberconway version, present whereabouts uncertain. This is a part-typewritten and part-handwritten transcript of a now lost original Macnaghten document. As this version differs in certain details from the 'Macnaghten Report' it is generally agreed to be a "draft version" and, as such, must pre-date 23rd February 1894.

There may once have been a version owned by Lady Aberconway's nephew Gerald Donner and seen by his friend Philip Loftus in the early 50s. Now also apparently lost, it was said by Loftus to be "in Sir Melville's handwriting on official paper, rather untidy and in the nature of rough jottings." It has been suggested, however, that Philip Loftus misremembered and that the document he saw may have been the lost original of the Macnaghten report transcribed by Lady Aberconway.

Either way, this makes three versions of the Macnaghten Memorandum which were floating around in the 1950s.

But now, in November 2010, incontrovertible evidence of a fourth version has come to light.

Rough jottings on official paper, or the lost original draft version?

I know there's a lot of people out there sitting on unseen Ripper material, some of which could be described as having been found before it was lost, so would anyone care to contribute anything to this thread before I continue?

Regards,

Simon

[Stewart P Evans]

Plot

A fourth version??? The plot thickens - the smell of conspiracy hangs thick in the air!

[lynn cates]

anticipation

Hello Simon. I look forward to seeing this.

Cheers.
LC

[The Good Michael]

the smell of conspiracy hangs thick in the air!

Ah... I thought I had stepped in something. Thanks for clearing it up.

Mike

[Simon Wood]

Hi Stewart,

Blimey, by now the smoke alarms in your house must be going wild.

As far as I'm concerned it's simply documented fact from an impeccable source.

Regards,

Simon

[Trevor Marriott]

Hi Stewart,

Blimey, by now the smoke alarms in your house must be going wild.

As far as I'm concerned it's simply documented fact from an impeccable source.

Regards,

Simon

All the secret squirrels will now be in their dens checking on their nuts !!

[Trevor Marriott]

Hi Stewart,

Blimey, by now the smoke alarms in your house must be going wild.

As far as I'm concerned it's simply documented fact from an impeccable source.

Regards,

Simon

Stewart
i have just come back on the Ely Road towards Cambridge and saw a line of fire engines heading towards you are you ok ?

[Chris]

Simon

I hope you realise we're all on the edges of our seats ...

[Stephen Thomas]

But now, in November 2010, incontrovertible evidence of a fourth version has come to light.

Whooooah, Simon,

Please ELUCIDATE.

[mariab]

Mr Wood,
Would you be willing to ellucidate, plus, without even dreaming of asking you to be any more specific about your “impeccable source“, can I still ask 2 questions?
1) How do you know it's a 4th version, since we're not even sure about the THIRD version (the Gerald Donner one), not about its whereabouts or if it really existed? Is this 4th version you're talking about entirely typed?
2) Has this revelation anything to do with a new found mysterious source I've been hearing about which is supposed to blow R.J. Palmer's recent assessments out of the water? Or (most possibly), is this a different finding, pertaining to Tumblety? Perhaps your “impeccable source“ happened to find both.
With apologies for being so openly curious, as I know that curiosity killed the cat.

[mariab]

Simon Wood wrote:
Rough jottings on official paper, or the lost original draft version?
Apologies, I didn't notice this.
I was having visions along the line of a typed version, perhaps acquired by Daniel Farson, but what you're insinuating here looks more like a draft version. The original one, the Gerald Donner one, or a fake?

[corey123]

I also wait in anticipation.

Look foward to reading more Simon.

[Simon Wood]

Ms Mariab,

All will be revealed shortly, including the identity of my impeccable source.

It can be the third version if you so desire. It all depends whether you think Loftus was hallucinating or, perhaps, lying. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and figured he must have seen some document or other. What it might have been is, of course, another matter.

Handwritten.

And, no, thankfully all this has no connection with Tumblety.

Regards,

Simon

[The Grave Maurice]

C'mon, Simon, the suspense is killing me. Someone who is "sitting on unseen Ripper material" would have to be one of the biggies. Stewart, apparently, has never heard of it, and Rumbelow, et al. don't hang around here, so you probably aren't going to get any takers. We're ready for the unveiling. (And I'm very glad that Tumblety is out of the picture.)

[Tecs]

Damn!

My secret's out.

And I thought I'd filed it away safely between my original copy of The Bible and Abberline's I pod...