Joseph Isaacs

[Wickerman]

Who else appeared in court Dec. 7th?

There isn't a list of names.

[Wickerman]

Thanks, Wick and those who helped you in straightening it out. He wasn't back in court those other days.

This of course is the key find:

Key indeed, especially for anyone who subscribes to the "wrong-day" theory to explain Hutchinson's story.

[rjpalmer]

A week later on 26th Sept. 1887, a brief report contained in The Manchester Evening News informs us that on this date Joseph Isaacs was committed to 3 months imprisonment for the charge described above.

Hi Wickerman--not overly important, perhaps, but do you recall off-hand if you found a conclusive age/birth year for Joseph Isaacs, the police imposter?

There seems to have been two sneak theives named Joseph Isaacs operating at the same time. Your man was sentenced to 3 months in late September, but according to Old Bailey on-line and contemporary news articles, another Joseph Isaacs was given three months with hard labour in October, 1887 for housebreaking in Peckham-on-the-Rye. Stole a coat and then passing out drunk.

[Wickerman]

Hi Wickerman--not overly important, perhaps, but do you recall off-hand if you found a conclusive age/birth year for Joseph Isaacs, the police imposter?

There seems to have been two sneak theives named Joseph Isaacs operating at the same time. Your man was sentenced to 3 months in late September, but according to Old Bailey on-line and contemporary news articles, another Joseph Isaacs was given three months with hard labour in October, 1887 for housebreaking in Peckham-on-the-Rye. Stole a coat and then passing out drunk.

Correct. I found the same two Joseph Isaacs, the same two you mention.
The Joseph Isaacs who impersonated a detective in Dover (and resided at Little Paternoster Court, Dorset St.) is recorded in the St. Albans Prison register as 33 yrs old in 1894.

[Wickerman]

Hi RJ

I have a bit of a file on this particular Joseph Isaacs.
I found several sources which point to a D.o.B. of 1859.
He was committed to Armley Jail in Leeds in 1887, age given as 29.
There is also census records which give him as 23 in 1881.
I found a Birth Index Record for a Joseph Isaacs in Apr-May-Jun of 1859.
A St. Giles Workhouse Register has a Joseph Isaacs, age 40 in 1899.
Also, a County of Essex Record of convictions has him aged 45 in 1904.

That covers most of what I have regarding his possible birth year.

[rjpalmer]

Many thanks, that should cover it. The drunken housebreaker in Peckham was listed as being in his mid-forties in 1887; 46, I think.

Although not the Ripper, Isaacs is an interesting character and well worth the study. His antics remind me a bit of Ostrog.