Neighbors

[Roy Corduroy]

Wedding Bells

The grounds are now a park. The church was demolished not long after that picture was drawn and what is now St Mary Newington Church is on Kennington Park Road

Stephen, using your cue, I found the above photo of St Mary church where in 1864 his parents wed. Built 1721 and demolished 1876. Site Elephant & Castle newsletter - (click)

Thanks again,

Roy

[Roy Corduroy]

You're welcome, Steve and thank you for that. Yes, referenceing it I see the church where his parents wed in 1864 came down in 1876 and the new one built you pictured. (and that one rebuilt after WWII)

it would have been the Cutbush family's church.

Yes, but I've wondered if perhaps at some point Tom went to the nearby Metropolitan Tabernacle, where Spurgeon preached, considering he later went to the Temple to hear Dr Parker. But we don't know. Again, thank you.

Here is another photo of the area. Walworth Road/Cumberland Row looking towards Elephant and Castle. 1930's



And here's the old Pachyderm himself. Don't know date exactly.

[Stephen Thomas]

Nice picture, Roy. Thanks.

The church was situated near what is now the Elephant and Castle underground train station. The grounds are now a park. The church was demolished not long after that picture was drawn and what is now St Mary Newington Church is on Kennington Park Road quite a way away but very close to Albert Street so it would have been the Cutbush family's church.

Here's the church today

[Roy Corduroy]

MARRIAGE of parents
At the parish church, St Mary Newington, Surrey
On 29th Sept 1864
Thomas Taylor Cutbush bachelor and Kate Hayne spinster



Survey of London, vol 25, 1955

[Roy Corduroy]

Thank you, Debs

Sydney Mail Mar 3 1894

It sums up the Sun articles neatly.

Strange how the Sun managed to get the details about Cutbush's father leaving home right and someone must have tipped off the NZ and Australian press about the story, including the bit about his father being in NZ (if it does relate to Cutbush )yet Mcnaghten managed to get Cutbush's story completely wrong on the details about his father and his 'uncle.'

Uncanny, isn't it. I get your point.

Roy

[Debra A]

Yes, Debra, on the face of it that could relate to Cutbush. This would be just as the Sun articles are breaking. I recall seeing that NZ press report shared on a message board but can't find it now.

Thanks, Roy.
The same tiny report (cabled from London) appears in most of the Australian and New Zealand press of early 1894, the earliest of them 23 Feb 1894, about the time of the MM? Only one has slightly different wording in that as well as being a hopeless lunatic, the suspect was also now in an asylum. Sydney Mail Mar 3 1894
These can all be found by searching Google news.

Strange how the Sun managed to get the details about Cutbush's father leaving home right and someone must have tipped off the NZ and Australian press about the story, including the bit about his father being in NZ (if it does relate to Cutbush )yet Mcnaghten managed to get Cutbush's story completely wrong on the details about his father and his 'uncle.'

[Roy Corduroy]

Yes, Debra, on the face of it that could relate to Cutbush. This would be just as the Sun articles are breaking. I recall seeing that NZ press report shared on a message board but can't find it now.

Jake L posted the final Sun article Feb 19, 1894 here (click) which included a letter by H D Thatcher to the newspaper in response to the series. From the 1895 directory, his shop was at 198 Kennington Park Rd, near Tom's residence.


His letter:

THIS IS THE MAN.
Mr. H D Thatcher, of Kennington Park road, writes:-
After reading your story of Jack the Ripper, I must give you a description of my jack. About five years ago a young man, about 25 years of age, used to call here for tobacco, always late at night, about 11 p.m., talkative, always looked excited, a if he had just awoke from a long sleep, never talked to anyone in the shop but myself. His conversation was always about the way his face was twisting, always drawing up, and then in a most excited state tell me of the doctor administering a drug to poison him with, if the doctor offering him some thousands of pounds to compensate him, his refusal, and wanted a criminal prosecution against him. On one occasion he had communicated with the Public Prosecutor, also several M.P.s amongst them Mr. labouchere, who was going to bring a Bill before the House to prevent doctors dispensing their new prescriptions. Nearly every time he came here I had the same mad story. Sometimes he would lay an envelope on the counter addressed to persons of rank, would have a postage stamp stuck on it, but I never saw him post one. The box is only a few doors from here, His conversation led

TO AN OLD BLIND CAT I HAD.
I wished it would die. He once suggested some wonderful poison he had. I thanked him and refuse, and bade him good night, being then 11.30 p.m., the time I closed the shop. He darted off as usual without bidding me good night. It was a thing he never did was to say good night to me. To my surprise when I got outside I found him there. He tried hard for me to accept the poison, and told me in a cunning way that if I wanted to get rid of anyone it was a wonderful poison, as it left no trace of the death. I have noticed his walk as quiet still. His money was often marked with a black stain. He aid he had been using chemicals. Always talking about anatomy and chemistry. What with his distorted face, and prosecuting the doctor for poison, and showing me murder on easy terms, I though I had better get rid of him, so the next time he came I called him "Jack the Poisoner," and off he darted and I have not seen him since.

This ties in with the doctor complaint we know of.

Roy

[Debra A]

Tom was raised by his mother Kate, a single mom, at her parent's house on Albert Street, Newington.

Writing in his Memoranda dated Feb 23, 1894, Asst Comm Melville McNaghten said of Tom Cutbush: His father died when he was quite young and he was always a "spoilt" child.

That is incorrect. His father did not die when he was quite young. In the Sun articles just previous to his penning the memo, the newspaper on Feb 17 wrote:

This man was born in 1865 in London. His father separated from his mother, whom he was said to have treated badly. In the case of the father, the morbid element appears in the treatment of his wife, his neglect of his child, and, finally, in his flying from his responsibilities and in his contracting a bigamous marriage abroad.

While there is no corroboration of spousal abuse, modern research confirms that Tom Cutbush's father, Thomas Taylor Cutbush, journeyed to New Zealand and in 1867 married Agnes Stoddart in Wellington. He never returned to England to our knowledge.

Roy

Thanks for setting this all out so clearly, Roy.

Just a quick question for anyone, possibly connected to Cutbush's father, I don't know.
Do the reports in the NZ press in February 1894, claiming that Jack the Ripper was the son of a New Zealand colonist (as THC was) and was now hopelessly insane, relate to Cutbush or to another possible suspect?
Thanks

[Mascara & Paranoia]

I highly doubt Thomas was in any way related to Charles Cutbush aside from the fact that they shared the same surname. It's probably nothing more than a coincidence (and there are dozens of 'em in the Ripper case, none of which probably hold any truth in them whatsoever). I think it's more likely that Macnaughten wrote his little disclaimer when the surname 'Cutbush' arose in connection to the Ripper, kind of like damage control. Yet by doing so he drew more light to it than what their already was in the first place and smeared three other peoples' names in the process. That stupid bastard's got a fair amount to answer for.

And why Tommy boy isn't listed as a reasonable suspect on this fine website is the biggest mystery of all

That I can agree with, despite not thinking that Thomas was the Ripper or even a killer at all. Though he's still the most interesting out of all the 'suspects' as an individual.

[Roy Corduroy]

I didn't know that Race lived a couple of streets away

Clarification of the map:

(1) The WHOLE TIME Kate raised Tom at her parents house on Albert St, Newington. From mid 1860's to his incarceration in 1891.
(2) 1881 CENSUS shows Supt Charles Cutbush at St Paul's Rd. In 71 census he was in Westminster, in 91 census at Burnley Rd, Stockwell (nearby)
(3) 1991 CENSUS shows Insp Race at Fleming Rd. In 81 census he was at Hargwyne St, Lambeth (nearby)

Roy

[Natalie Severn]

Thanks Roy,
But the marriage certificates/birth certificates of the Cutbush clan here ,dont give automatic immunity to extra marital affairs etc. Yes its a leap .But the whole saga is a mystery. Why on earth was Macnaghten writing ,in 1894,that an inmate of Broadmoor, accused a few days before by a National newspaper,The Sun, of being Jack the Ripper? If Thomas Cutbush,was not the "nephew" of Supt. Charles Cutbush,what close relationship did he have with him? And why on earth would Macnaghten have been so insensitive about the feelings of his Scotland Yard compatriot ,the recently retired Charles Cutbush,as to link his name to that of a man suspected of being a notorious serial killer? Why would he do that?
Best,
Norma

[Stephen Thomas]

I appreciate your input Nats. Have been going over the new information. You, AP, Robert, Debs, Chris Scott, Stephen Thomas, Simon, RJ and many others have been getting after it.

Thanks, Roy

I didn't know that Race lived a couple of streets away (Abberline didn't live a million miles away either). That was smart suburban living back then but now it's more like Grand Theft Auto. There are several mysteries here as you obviously know, like the 'nephew' business, the fact of the Sun articles, Charlie's suicide etc. And why Tommy boy isn't listed as a reasonable suspect on this fine website is the biggest mystery of all

[Roy Corduroy]

Hi Natalie,

I don’t want the map above to mislead anyone. Police Supt. Charles Cutbush, with his wife and children, first appear in 1881 census records at the St. Paul’s Road address above.

That's a gaint leap though, isn't it, Natalie? That Tom Cutbush, our person of interest, was illegitimate. Son of the future Police Supt Executive no less. Considering we have the marriage and birth records, and that his father, Tom T and Charles were not brothers. How does Charles come into the picture way back in 1864? We don't know where he was then. By 1868 Charles and his wife Ann have their firstborn, Amelia, in Westminster, where they are in the 71 census.

I appreciate your input Nats. Have been going over the new information. You, AP, Robert, Debs, Chris Scott, Stephen Thomas, Simon, RJ and many others have been getting after it.

Roy

[Natalie Severn]

" nephew" of Charles Cutbush -euphemism?

It has often seemed to me that when Macnaghten wrote his 1894 memorandum stating that he didnt think Thomas Cutbush was Jack the Ripper,he was using the term "nephew" to discreetly describe a relationship between Thomas and Charles Cutbush that went a bit further than just "relative".I think what he may have doing was using the term nephew as a euphemism for "illegitimate son".

[DVV]

Fleming Road - Police Inspector William Race, whose suspicions of Thomas Cutbush led to the Sun articles, which led to the McNaghten Memoranda

Living in Fleming Road and suspecting Cutbush...?
Oh mon Dieu...

Amitiés,
David