Druitt's room

[Jonathan H]

No, sorry, not a clue.

My part-time researcher would know (as she knows all) but the lady is indisposed at the moment.

[GUT]

No, sorry, not a clue.

My part-time researcher would know (as she knows all) but the lady is indisposed at the moment.

Just curious I had an upteenth time uncle by marriage practicing in Kensington about that time.

Figured if anyone knew it'd be you.

Hope it's nothing serious for your researcher.

[Jonathan H]

No, no, I just meant she was out.

[Roy Corduroy]

Mr. Valentine's School at Blackheath

I argue that the likeliest theory is No. 3 -- his belongings remained at the school, the sporting club would not have dismissed a man believed to be in a state of acute mental distress, and the brother did not arrive at his missing sibling's rooms until weeks later (because he initially believed his brother had suddenly gone abroad).

Question for anyone - did the fall school term stop at the end of the month of November?

Or was school still in session in December?

What were the school terms for an academic year, what months were they?

Was this a special type of school with a unique arrangement of semesters, or terms?

Or was this a standard school with standard terms, those being what at that time and place?

Roy

[GUT]

Little is known of Valentine's school, however in 1864 the Clarendon Report was released following a 4 year commission bwhch included the following on Principal's duties:

Regarding the head masters' responsibility for discipline and teaching, the Commission said:

the Head Master should be as far as possible unfettered. Details ... such as the division of classes, the school hours and school books, the holidays and half-holidays during the school terms, belong properly to him ... and the appointment and dismissal of Assistant Masters, the measures necessary for maintaining discipline, and the general direction of the course and methods, which it is his duty to conduct and his business to understand thoroughly, had better be left in his hands.

So even with, what you may call government schools, it appears holidays were on a school by school basis.

[Rosella]

In the dissertion on George Valentine's school on this forum Neil Rhind and other writers state that term finished at the end of November. Sugden has Valentine's school as a private boarding school that prepared pupils for universities, army and the Professions. Some of these schools took older boys who had left school but needed extra coaching, for army exams for example.

It's ridiculous that we know so little about the workings of Valentine's school really, considering Druitt has been a prime suspect for decades.

[pinkmoon]

Has anyone ever tried to trace the descendents of people who worked or were pupils at the school during the 1880s?

[Jonathan H]

Not quite what you are asking, but on the JTRForums.com site there is a thread, somewhere, which lists students who were taught by Druitt (or at least were at the school at the same time as the probable Ripper).

The last handful died out in the early 1950's. A few years later Dan Farson broadcast Druitt's identity, though his name was still with-held from the public until 1965.

I argue that the secret of his specific identity, as promoted and yet concealed by Macnaghten and Sims, lasted [just] long enough.

[GUT]

Not quite what you are asking, but on the JTRForums.com site there is a thread, somewhere, which lists students who were taught by Druitt (or at least were at the school at the same time as the probable Ripper).

The last handful died out in the early 1950's. A few years later Dan Farson broadcast Druitt's identity, though his name was still with-held from the public until 1965.

I argue that the secret of his specific identity, as promoted and yet concealed by Macnaghten and Sims, lasted [just] long enough.

Pretty sure that list is also here on Caseb0ook, somewhere, Chris Scott posted it if I recall correctly.

[David Andersen]

Druitts Room !

The press is not explicit as to where exactly any note or documents left by Druitt were found. It is assumed that this was at the school, in Blackheath, where Druitt lived.

We are told that a search was made of 'where he had resided'

I contend that this search was made, and Druitts note was found' not in The Blackheath school, or at Druitts chambers, but at the place where he had stayed during the last 3 - 4 days of his life.

If a note, or letter, alluding to suicide, had been left at Valentines school it would surely have been seen very soon after Druitts sudden departure from the school. It wasn't, since Valentine was under the impression that Druitt had gone abroad.

Druitts decision, to die, if indeed that was his decision, was made after his departure from the school is suggested from his purchase of a return ticket.
Furthermore the wording of the letter 'since Friday' suggests, to me, that it might possibly have been written on the Sunday 2nd December after his arrival in the Chiswick area.

[GUT]

The press is not explicit as to where exactly any note or documents left by Druitt were found. It is assumed that this was at the school, in Blackheath, where Druitt lived.

We are told that a search was made of 'where he had resided'

I contend that this search was made, and Druitts note was found' not in The Blackheath school, or at Druitts chambers, but at the place where he had stayed during the last 3 - 4 days of his life.

If a note, or letter, alluding to suicide, had been left at Valentines school it would surely have been seen very soon after Druitts sudden departure from the school. It wasn't, since Valentine was under the impression that Druitt had gone abroad.

Druitts decision, to die, if indeed that was his decision, was made after his departure from the school is suggested from his purchase of a return ticket.
Furthermore the wording of the letter 'since Friday' suggests, to me, that it might possibly have been written on the Sunday 2nd December after his arrival in the Chiswick area.

All plausible David, but no more so than it referring to his rooms at the school, his Chambers though would not normally be described as "where he resided"

[David Andersen]

If a note was found at the school it must have been written before he left the school on the Saturday morning. Why was it not seen for four weeks. Valentine did not know of its existence?

[GUT]

If a note was found at the school it must have been written before he left the school on the Saturday morning. Why was it not seen for four weeks. Valentine did not know of its existence?

Perhaps simply because Valentine didn't have his room searched but William did.

[David Andersen]

If we assume that Druitt was instantly dismissed on the Friday he may have left the school at that time. We only assume that he stayed until the following day, Saturday, the date on his ticket. Given the circumstances of his dismissal it is unlikely, in my opinion, that he would have been allowed to remain overnight, even more so if the 'serious offence' was of a sexual nature.

The wording 'since friday' in Druitts note indicates that the note was written sometime after Friday. If written on the Saturday I contend that it is more likely that he would have used the phrase 'since yesterday'.

[GUT]

If we assume that Druitt was instantly dismissed on the Friday he may have left the school at that time.

Not an assumption of which I am persuaded.

We only assume that he stayed until the following day, Saturday, the date on his ticket.

Given the circumstances of his dismissal it is unlikely,

But we don't know the circumstances of his sacking.

in my opinion, that he would have been allowed to remain overnight, even more so if the 'serious offence' was of a sexual nature.

If, but that is an assumption with, as far as I have ever seen, no solid evidence to lend it support.

The wording 'since friday' in Druitts note indicates that the note was written sometime after Friday. If written on the Saturday I contend that it is more likely that he would have used the phrase 'since yesterday'.

But which Friday??