Henry Richard Farquharson, MO

[Johnr]

Thanks for your courteous reply Gareth,
After reading your posts on the above-mentioned other thread, I think you are correct that Natalie's arguments do sometimes stray.
Nonetheless, in my opinion Natalie's active and present-day researches are producing many useful book-references. Many of which I have never seen mention of before.
Finally, as to your argument that "real" 'toffs' (toffee-nosed snobs? as in "stuck-up"?) would not get down and dirty with any of the Canonical Five, I think I would say JTR only pretended he wanted to have sex with them, his mind was on different "jollies".But I still think young sporting types often strayed into unintended streets- especially after getting a "skin-ful" at local pubs and music halls.Perhaps very very few on a regular basis, but the police often had to quietly steer "well-dressed" young fellows in raucous groups away from the more violent "stews".
(I apologise this post is partly off-topic but still relevant). JOHN RUFFELS.

[Ben]

Hi John,

Whilst it sometimes savours of a couple of blokes with fixed ideas ganging up on poor Natalie, in amongst all the turgid stuff are some pure gems of research by Natalie.

...Which would be a deeply questionable interpretation considering that the only rudeness to emerged from the discussion emerged from Norma herself, when she professed not to give a "bare baboon's arse" what another person thought. The simple fact of the matter was that she was in the conspicuous minority of opinion, and neither Gareth nor myself could do much about that, I'm afraid. We certainly won't going to "pretend" to agree out of concern that it might otherwise look as though we're ganging up. When irrefutable census information emerged, courtesy of Gareth, to lend support to his observation, I considered it a little shabby that this was flat-out reflected simply because it ill-accorded with the "toffs went to Spitalfields" argument being advanced.

Worst it seems was that the locals were subjected to these well-offs coming into their midst and inflicting seemingly inappropriate functions like Dog Shows for the middle class KENNEL CLUB at The People's Palace.

Well no. All that actually transpired was that outsiders with means beyond that of the poorer denizens of the district ventured there on one occasion, and since the People's Palace was both desgined for and used by the ordinary, local population, this highly unusual can-canning episode made the headlines. None of the attendees on that occasion were toffs, and I'm as anxious as ever to escape this notion that "sportsmen" referred to upper-class "Hooray Henry's" - to appropriate a deeply unfortunate phrase that was bandied about in the thread you mentioned. It was desinged and built for the enjoyment of the local poor, and they were its chief patrons.

And guess who had a strong ( if not-for-publication) opinion about just who Jack The Ripper was? None other than H.R.Farquharson. MP for West Dorest in 1888; Owner and importer of big Newfoundland dogs through the port of Poole Dorset; owner of a Crufft's champion and a large breeding operation near Blandford in Dorset.

Not quite how or why the ownership of dogs bestows on someone any greater authority to opine on the identity of Jack the Ripper, let alone shine any light on the representation of "toffs" if the district.

I'm not saying that Norma didn't uncover some wonderful research gems. That's undeniable. I said so at the time. I simply disagreed with the conclusions she arrived at from that research.

Best regards,
Ben

[aspallek]

Farquharson was an avid kennelman and if the Peoples' Palace hosted dog shows Farquharson could very plausibly be interested. However, lets not forget that Farquharson is already tied to the East End. Where did Farquharson plan to stand for Parliament before his untimely death intervened? Bethnal Green.

[Jeff Leahy]

Andy

Sorry to butt in on your thread but I do have a specific reason for asking these questions:

Was it ever confirmed if Farqharson was McNaughten’s source on Druitt?

Has anyone ever traced Farqharson’s family to see if any unknown relating documents or Photos exist?

Many thanks

Pirate

[aspallek]

Hi Pirate. No problem; jump right in.

Farquharson was certainly a source for Macnaghten regarding Druitt. He may or may not have been the source of Macnaghten's "private information." Farquharson's blabbing was public. I suspect that the "private info" was of a different nature and perhaps from a different source.

News accounts of Farquharson's blabbing indicated that the police had been or would be contacted. This implies that Macnaghten would have been familiarized with Farquharson's claims and very likely would have spoken with Farquharson himself. Both Macnaghten and Farquharson were Etonians whose academic careers overlapped and both ran tea/coffee plantations in India/Ceylon.

Farquharson's family has been contacted and they say that no papers, etc. exist.

[aspallek]

Farquharson was an avid kennelman and if the Peoples' Palace hosted dog shows Farquharson could very plausibly be interested. However, lets not forget that Farquharson is already tied to the East End. Where did Farquharson plan to stand for Parliament before his untimely death intervened? Bethnal Green.

Here once again is the article from the Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, 5 Febraury 1894:

[Jeff Leahy]

Hi Pirate. No problem; jump right in.

Farquharson was certainly a source for Macnaghten regarding Druitt. He may or may not have been the source of Macnaghten's "private information." Farquharson's blabbing was public. I suspect that the "private info" was of a different nature and perhaps from a different source.

News accounts of Farquharson's blabbing indicated that the police had been or would be contacted. This implies that Macnaghten would have been familiarized with Farquharson's claims and very likely would have spoken with Farquharson himself. Both Macnaghten and Farquharson were Etonians whose academic careers overlapped and both ran tea/coffee plantations in India/Ceylon.

Farquharson's family has been contacted and they say that no papers, etc. exist.

Many thanks for that Andy, most useful information.

You are a gent.

Pirate

PS I dont suppose you have any thoughts on McNaughten's Source or possibly the Crawford letter?

[Johnr]

Not Exactly the Isle of Dogs: Just the Kennel Club

Ahoy thar Pirate Jack,

I wonder if you have considered the mention by Farson in his 1973 paperback edition of his book " Jack The Ripper ", of the fact a former " Kennyite" ( that is a former member of Fearon House, Winchester College) apparently displayed some knowledge of Druitt being suspected as JTR?

Andy discussed this on another thread under " Suspects/ M.J.Druitt ".

This if true, would suggest a family member or school contemporary as the informant.

It is my impression Macnaghten seems to have firmed in his conclusion Druitt was JTR in the years after his Memorandum (" Aide Memoire?") of 1894. And in fact, suggests that this occurred because of this " private information ".

The Crawford tale is just that at this stage.It was Andy who finally tracked down the elusive " West of England member " who canvassed the "son of a surgeon " Ripper theory.

So Farquharson's links to the Kennel Club and Bethnel Green the latter albeit, in 1894,(the year Macnaghten wrote his memo) are surely interesting if not relevant.
I wonder if Barnaby and Burgho were located via the Kennel Club?

JOHN RUFFELS.

[aspallek]

Many thanks for that Andy, most useful information.

You are a gent.

Pirate

PS I dont suppose you have any thoughts on McNaughten's Source or possibly the Crawford letter?

First, for information on the Kennyite source see http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=305&page=3 and following posts. I was able to find no more about it in my visit to Winchester. It remains a mystery.

On Macnaghten's source for his "private information" I have some conjectures. Farquharson remains a possibility, though this seems to be different information from that which we know Farquharson to be disseminating publicly. John Henry Lonsdale remains a strong possibility, in my opinion. He certainly knew Druitt and was the Druitt family's clergyman (one of them) at the time of the murders. He and Macnaghten were classmates at Eton and their wives were both from the Chichester area, Macnaghten's father-in-law being a clergyman as was Lonsdale and his father and grandfather.

This being said, I have no doubt that Farquharson was a source in general for Macnaghten's information on Druitt.

On the Crawford letter, I also have conjectures. Emily Druitt, not Montie's cousin by the same name but rather the daughter of Jabez Druitt, worked for Quaritch, who in turn knew the Earl of Crawford. Montie's cousin Gertrude Druitt was in correspondence with Jabez at the time of the murders exploring possible family connections. This could have prompted Emily to believe that she was related to Montague and she may have heard of the Druitt family's suspicions. Jabez lived in the Mile End Road in the East End.

[Jeff Leahy]

John and Andy

That was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you both so much.

I'm afraid my Druitt has become a little rusty. Quick brush up was required.

Many thanks

Pirate

[Johnr]

Apologies Andy,

For my jumping in and rudely answering a question asked of you .
I am pleased you did not snitch me to the new Reporting Thread!
JOHN RUFFELS.

[aspallek]

Not a problem, John.

[Johnr]

A n East of England Members Interesting Statement..?

On Andy Spallek's ground-breaking Dissertation: " ' The West of England M.P. ' Identified " , he sites an interesting reference to another M.P., Mr Montagu Williams, from "The Aberdeen Weekly Journal " 's London Correspondent.
Dated 14 February, 1891, the day Frances Cole's body was discovered, it said :
" It seems almost a queer irony but a few days ago Mr Montagu Williams was reassuring us with the account of an interview which seemed to indicate that the murders were over....."

Elsewhere I have a letter from a Ripper researcher alleging similar rumours being in circulation in the first half of 1889.
The same source cited an alleged letter from the Ripper with the enigmatic Biblical quote: " He is not dead but liveth..."
Can anybody throw further light on where I can source these interesting items?
Needless to say, Farquharson expressed interest in taking up an East End seat in his latter years, and he is connected with a theory of his own the Ripper was dead.
The 1889 suggestion seems almost to offer support for the discredited
Bachert allegations. It is just possible, McCormick the author- might have been quoting from real newsclippings in his tale about Bachert. JOHN RUFFELS.

[Nothing to see]

On Andy Spallek's ground-breaking Dissertation: " ' The West of England M.P. ' Identified " , he sites an interesting reference to another M.P., Mr Montagu Williams, from "The Aberdeen Weekly Journal " 's London Correspondent.
Dated 14 February, 1891, the day Frances Cole's body was discovered, it said :
" It seems almost a queer irony but a few days ago Mr Montagu Williams was reassuring us with the account of an interview which seemed to indicate that the murders were over....."

Elsewhere I have a letter from a Ripper researcher alleging similar rumours being in circulation in the first half of 1889.
The same source cited an alleged letter from the Ripper with the enigmatic Biblical quote: " He is not dead but liveth..."
Can anybody throw further light on where I can source these interesting items?
Needless to say, Farquharson expressed interest in taking up an East End seat in his latter years, and he is connected with a theory of his own the Ripper was dead.
The 1889 suggestion seems almost to offer support for the discredited
Bachert allegations. It is just possible, McCormick the author- might have been quoting from real newsclippings in his tale about Bachert. JOHN RUFFELS.

I wouldn't get too excited. Oct 2, Bachert was reporting a dark man in a morning coat with a shiny bag and a black hat in The Three Tuns in Aldgate.

Dr Thomas Dutton was advising in March 1889 that Bachert was 'confidentially advised by the police that that the murderer had drowned at the end of 1888. (JTR A-Z p31).

I think myself Bachert wanted to be useful/important.

[aspallek]

Yes, John, these are interesting possibilities. I have always said that while we should be very wary of McCormick, we should not exclude the possibility that his Bachert tale was based on a kernel of truth.