"Puckeridge"

[Chris]

"... without the shadow of doubt"?

Lynn

Thanks. Certainly the accuracy of Major Smith's recollection seems to have been vindicated in this instance.

The only thing I do wonder about is whether Puckridge has as strong an alibi as Smith thought. I don't know exactly how private Victorian lodging houses were organised, but if Puckridge had his own latch key couldn't he have let himself out (and back in again) during the night without Mr Tolfree's knowledge?

[lynn cates]

ubiquity

Hello Chris. Excellent point. This reminds me of Wikinson's, "Kelly never went out again" then later admitting that he had not kept track of everyone.

Seems to me that such overseers were not ubiquitous.

Cheers.
LC

[robhouse]

Excellent find Chris.

I do not have my books with me, but I am just wondering... is there any documentation to back up the statement that Puckeridge was "educated as a surgeon." Warren also stated that Puckeridge was released from an asylum on August 4... has this been found to be true? I assume it has. (Again, I do not have any books with me.)



SORRY - I should have read your post above Chris(!)
RH

[Monty]

Great stuff Chris,

Its interesting to note how involved the City Police were prior to Eddowes murder.

Its also interesting to not that Lockharts Coffee house has cropped up yet again in this case.

Monty


PS Ive messaged you.

[Chris]

I do not have my books with me, but I am just wondering... is there any documentation to back up the statement that Puckeridge was "educated as a surgeon."

I think it would be interesting to know exactly what training Puckridge did receive. Usually he is described as an apothecary or a chemist/dispensing chemist.

His first appearance as an adult (originally found by Chris Scott, I think) is in the 1861 census as a chemist living at 41 High Street, Exeter. There is no head of household; Puckridge and another young chemist are described as "employed." Evidently they lived over the shop, as there were several chemists' businesses in succession at this address between 1839 and 1971:

http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_commercial/hinton_lake.php

[robhouse]

I assume that Puckeridge turned up as a result of the police asking the officials at asylums about any people recently released who may have had anatomical knowledge. So the details about Puckeridge being trained as a surgeon and that he had threatened to rip people up probably were communicated by officials at the asylum(?) I assume the police got more accurate information about him after he was tracked down and questioned... at which time (according to Smith) his alibis checked out, whatever that means exactly.

RH

[Chris]

Just to confirm that the initials on the report are indeed those of Henry Smith. Rob Clack kindly sent me some examples of Smith's initials from the service record of Frederick Holland for comparison:

Puckridge report:


Service record:

[Chris]

P. C. P. 105 Benham reports that at 3.30. P.M. 24th Inst, he saw Puckridge at the west End of Cheapside ... he left followed by Benham & P. C. P Smith, ...

I believe "P. C. P." stands for "Plain Clothes Patrol" here.

[Chris]

While looking for something else, I was surprised to come across a reference in the Home Office Daily Registers of Correspondence (HO 46/88) to a memo re "O. H. Puckridge" received on 10 July 1886. The entry is in the second "Cases" subsection of the "Prisons" section, and gives a reference to X10857, but as far as I can tell the file hasn't been preserved.

I haven't managed to find out why Puckridge was (apparently) in prison at that time, but searches of newspapers in the mid-1880s turned up reports of some very odd behaviour indeed.

It seems that at the time of the general election in 1880 Puckridge demonstrated his support for the Liberal Party by dyeing his dog yellow, as a result of which it had to be put down. The repercussions were reported by a number of newspapers. This is from the Daily News of 23 August 1884:

[Chris]

A few months later, under the alias of Oswald Fussell, he made an appearance as a drunk and disorderly Salvation Army preacher at Westminster. This is from the Morning Post of 4 December 1884:

[Chris]

It seems he had been living in Jersey for most of the year, and by that time was already well known as a public nuisance in the courts there. This is from the Star (St Peter Port) of 25 December 1884:

[Chris]

A few days later he was accused of having committed an assault, accompanied by a tame sheep while having in a bag with him a turkey, a goose and a duck. This is from the Star (St Peter Port) of 3 January 1885:

[Chris]

In October the same year, Puckridge was before the courts again. From what he said, it appears that his mother had been buried on the island. This is from the Star (St Peter Port) of 20 October 1885:

[Chris]

The following month, Puckridge was in trouble yet again, for riding a horse into the Post Office and attempting to send it by parcel post. Also, for having worn a sheepskin coat, and thereby having frightened a child so badly that it wasn't expected to live (though it's not explained quite why this sight should have been so terrifying). Unfortunately he is reported to have left for England afterwards, and this is the last report I've found of his activities in the Channel Islands. It's from the Star (St Peter Port) of 17 November 1885:

[Chris]

Here is a contemporary report of the curious incident of the dog at election time, from the Daily News of 7 April 1880. Strangely, according to this report, Puckridge painted his dog in both Liberal and Conservative colours.