Henry Richard Farquharson, MO

[Mike Covell]

Hi Andrew, I will keep you informed. I stumbled upon the name but was surrounded by paper, notes and trade directories and knew if I went off on a tangent, I would not get my work done.

I will seek out any references on my next visit.

Isn't Bethnel Green under the Tower Hamlets Local Studies catchment area?
It might be worth contacting them, to see if they have any info that might help you.

As for colleges and Universities, I find contacting them before hand and letting them know I am carrying out genealogical research gets me an appointment.

[aspallek]

As for colleges and Universities, I find contacting them before hand and letting them know I am carrying out genealogical research gets me an appointment.

Yeah, but I don't know how favorably Winchester is toward Druitt-related requests. Perhaps if I informed them that my research is into understanding Druitt as an individual and not merely in treating him as a Ripper suspect. That is, after all, the truth. I would be just as satisfied at finding information that provides an airtight alibi for Druitt as I would in finding incriminating evidence. I am looking for the truth, whatever that may be.

[Mike Covell]

Hi Andrew, I agree, and that is the way I approach people now.

"Hi, I am here because of my interest in Jack the Ripper!" seem's to send people a little crazy, you get 15 minutes of their theories before you can begin research.

I have found that researching the families of Stephenson and Dawber to be easier if I keep "ripperology" out of it. At a later date when people are comfortable I bring it up in passing, but focus more time on trying to establish more about the family.

[aspallek]

Hello All,

I just couldn't decide the appropriate Druitt thread for this snippet so I thought I'd try the Farquharson one.
A quote from Dan Farson's "Jack The Ripper" (Sphere paperback version:1973) at page 124:-
" It seems that suspicion of Montague did spread beyond the family. The Winchester* magazine The Trusty Servant (December, 1972 ) claims...
'...that a Kennyite who was here in the nineties knew of the suspicion at the
time ' ".

JOHN RUFFELS.

John, could you post the quote above in fuller context or a scan of the page(s)? I don't have the paperback version. I think this may be an important find.

Thanks.

[Natalie Severn]

John, could you post the quote above in fuller context or a scan of the page(s)? I don't have the paperback version. I think this may be an important find.

Thanks.

Indeed Andy---and that there may still be people alive who know about it from oral history!

[Robert]

Here is a link with an email address.

http://www.winchestercollege.co.uk/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?&pid=387&srcid=224

And this link may be of non-JTR interest.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/winchester-trusty-servant/49168/29087/

[Johnr]

Hello Andy and Robert and other folk,
I unfortunately, cannot scan the relevant page about the Trusty Servant article Andy.
However, the preceeding paragraphs deal with his cricketing connections with I Zingari,Free Foresters, Band of Brothers, Oxford Harlequins, Household Brigade and Yorkshire Gentlemen. ( all teams he played against). It touches on Irving Rosenwater's pioneering article on Druitt as a cricketer, then mentions Druitt's membership of the M.C.C.
" It seems that suspicion of Montague did spread beyond the family. The Winchester magazine The Trusty Servant (Dec. 1972 0 claims:..' that a Kennyite who was here in the nineties knew of the suspicion at the time' ".
"So Edward's fears* were justified".( Farson is here trying to weave a possibility that Edward, knowing of Montague or suspecting him, immediately sought to distance himself by taking himself off to Queensland as an Engineering Officer to work on Australia's fledglibg defence fortifications).
My own research suggests Edward was already planning his departure and had other reasons for reducing contact with his family.
As for the frequent mention of 'The Trusty Servant', this was a very old mural which graced one of the walls at Winchester College and has become widely known as a symbol for the College and Winchester in general.
Farson's book would be useful for you Andy.And if I were you, I would be examining the connections between the Druitt family and St Cuthberga the patroness saint of Wimborne Minster.
JOHN RUFFELS.

[aspallek]

Many thanks, John.

I have contacted the librarian at Winchester but unfortunately the present term ends this Friday and the library will be closed much of July. I will be near Winchester (actually at Fareham) July 11-23. However, the librarian was very kind and he is going to send me a copy of the December 1972 issue. I'll have to have him post this to my first England destination though as I leave the States on July 9. I doubt that there will be any great revelation in the article in question but there may be a small clue as to the branch of the family that suspected Druitt -- and that is a key question. Finding a Dorset-born Harvey at Winchester at the correct time has opened my eyes to the very likely possibility that it was not the Druitts who suspected Montague so much as the Harveys, who were after all much more familiar with mental illness.

I do have a copy of the 1972 hardcover edition of Farson but it obviously does not have the reference to the December 1972 issue of The Trusty Servant.

I was also going to email the archivist at Winchester. However, if the college is shut down for summer holidays there may be no point.

[aspallek]

I made a follow up inquiry to the Winchester librarian regarding what might be in the college archives and what is the general attitude of the college toward Druitt inquiries. He gave this rather interesting response:

"Dear Mr Spallek
As far as the Archives are concerned, we view Montague Druitt as just another Old Wykehamist. As we number at least four regicides and would-be regicides in our old boy lists, what is perceived by many as unacceptable behavior is no bar to our having relevant material. As it happens, part from the ‘Trusty Servant’ piece, there is surprisingly little in the collection about Druitt, and most of it stems from the 1972 article."

This is interesting since Farson and Cullen both wrote of Druitt before 1972. I can't remember how much Cullen has of his days at Winchester but Farson certainly does have much detail in his Pre-1972 editions.

Edit:- I forgot that I started a separate Druitt at Winchester thread. I'm going to cross post this to that thread so the discussion can be continued there.

[Robert]

Andy, I'm not totally sure, but I think this may be your Edwin Harvey.

Dec 4th 1928

[Robert]

Sorry, larger.

[Robert]

I'm jiggered if I know why that's come out so small. Anyway, you'll know how to access it.

[aspallek]

It appears that Farquharson was a member of Arthur's Club, now Carlton Club of St. James's Street.

[Johnr]

Greetings All and Sundry,

I have been patiently reading the sometimes surreal debate between Norma (" Natalie Severn " ) and Ben and Gareth (" Sam Flynn " ) over on the " Toffs In Spitalfields " .
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.
Take this for instance: Natalie has discovered that in September 1888
" The East End Advertiser " launched into a stinging campaign against the well-to-do habitues of the experimental " People's Palace ".
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. And not only that, but the price of the catalogues and the number of dogs entered by locals gave the whole exercise a distinctly "Us and Them " atmosphere to the whole thing.
Well: guess who was big-wig in The Kennel Club? Guess who was later (1894) planning a switch from from a rural electorate to a Towers Hamlet electorate?
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.
Needless to say, Chris G has located a record of Montague Druitt making a modest donation to The People's Palace....Hmmmmmm. JOHN RUFFELS.

[Sam Flynn]

I have been patiently reading the sometimes surreal debate between Norma (" Natalie Severn " ) and Ben and Gareth (" Sam Flynn " ) over on the " Toffs In Spitalfields " .
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.

There absolutely is, John - albeit none of them address the salient issue being discussed in that particular debate, viz., the oft-touted tale of the fashion among well-dressed gentlemen to go whoring in Spitalfields after dark. Speaking for myself, any ideas I may have are shaped by evidence, not fixed by tradition, and none of the evidence produced so far in any way supports the notion of well-heeled gentlemen going out of their way to hire the "unfortunates" of the slums of the East End.

It's unfortunate that Natalie's posts ended up in the wrong sort of thread, for if you seek information about the behaviour of Victorian gentlemen in comparatively "safe havens" in the East End, and at civilised hours, then look no further. Any perception of "ganging up" is unfortunate, but neither planned nor intended - quite the contrary.