"Puckeridge"

[Kattrup]

Thanks Debra.

I found Oswald Puckridge, clerk, in Hamilton, Ontario, directory 1858. He would have been 20 at the time.
The company T. Bickle and Son advertised as chemists & druggists, King Street, Hamilton.

[Debra A]

Thanks Kattrup. I also have an 1851 Canada census entry for Paris, Brant, Ontario, for Clara 18, Frederick 17, Oswald 14 and Arthur Puckerage 12, all born in England, listed as inmates at an institution [name of institution not obvious ] Maybe someone else can find the name?

[Kattrup]

There’s a catholic mission, it seems, run by four sisters of St Joseph. From the catholic directory of North America, 1861. Could that be it?

[Kattrup]

I don’t think this particular story has been posted before, has it?

From his time on Jersey, Serenading the Jesuit Fathers.

From The Tablet, June 7th, 1884:

[rjpalmer]

Interesting account, Kattrup. This is from the Manchester Evening News, 4 May 1881.

[Kattrup]

I noticed some time ago this file In The London Archive: Edward Buckeridge, person of unsound mind

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/64111931-b24b-43f5-b278-64dcc8cad2d0

Oswald married 1868 and had a son, Edward, in 1870.

It seems likely that would be the person in question?

Perhaps a London-based researcher can have a look in the file one day.

[rjpalmer]

That's an interesting observation. Seeing that the file dates to 1888, someone should definitely look into it.

The similarity in names might be a coincidence, though. I see that there was an Edward Buckeridge who spent three years in the Heigham Hall Lunatic Asylum, Norwich, released 13 August 1887. Maybe the City Police had some reason to trace him?




Judging by census reports, etc., Oswald Puckridge/Puckeridge's son led a seemingly normal and stable life as a grocer, dying in 1953.

[Kattrup]

The similarity in names might be a coincidence, though. I see that there was an Edward Buckeridge who spent three years in the Heigham Hall Lunatic Asylum, Norwich, released 13 August 1887. Maybe the City Police had some reason to trace him?

Thank you RJ, yes seems most likely a coincidence at this point.

[The Rookie Detective]

Hmm... i disagree.

I believe we are looking possibly at Father and Son lunatics.

I may be wrong of course.


But talking of Oswald... here's a very interesting article from February 1888, that perhaps sheds some more light on Puckridge.


Or should I say...

"Buffalo Bill of Edmonton"


Fascinating...



A private Hoxton House inmate at the start of 1888 it would seem.

It would appear that he was somewhat of a celebrity in the press; judging by some of the wording of the article.

"Buffalo Bill of Edmonton"


'Wide Awake Hat' anyone?

Interestingly; he also walked with a fast shuffle and his toes turned outwards.

Intruiging indeed

[The Rookie Detective]

In 1893, Puckridge also tried to set fire to a Police Station and also caused some havoc with his dog...

But what's really interesting is that Puckridge had at some time previous injured his hand in a tram accident and in 1893 was still receiving surgical treatment for it.

Now, depending on exactly when that Tram accident occurred, would then determine his potential validity as a person of interest in the Ripper case.

All we know is that in 1893 his hand was still injured.

But the thought occurred to me; did Puckridge really hurt his hand in a Tram accident?

What if his hand injury tied in to the Ripper murders?

Why did the Ripper stop killing?

An injury perhaps?


Here's the article in question...





How wonderfully intriguing

[Fiver]

Thanks Kattrup. I also have an 1851 Canada census entry for Paris, Brant, Ontario, for Clara 18, Frederick 17, Oswald 14 and Arthur Puckerage 12, all born in England, listed as inmates at an institution [name of institution not obvious ] Maybe someone else can find the name?

That Census appears to use the term Inmates where we would say Inhabitants.

[Fiver]

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:

Some time between 1841 and 1851 Oswald Puckeridge's father died and she remarried to a William Fussell.

[Kattrup]

Some time between 1841 and 1851 Oswald Puckeridge's father died and she remarried to a William Fussell.

OMG! He used his stepfather’s name?!?
we know what that means: GUILTY!

[Debra A]

I noticed some time ago this file In The London Archive: Edward Buckeridge, person of unsound mind

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/64111931-b24b-43f5-b278-64dcc8cad2d0

Oswald married 1868 and had a son, Edward, in 1870.

It seems likely that would be the person in question?

Perhaps a London-based researcher can have a look in the file one day.

The record is catalogued amongst the collection of the ALLIED BREWERIES: MEUX'S BREWERY BRANCH

Reference: LMA/4435/A Title: MEUX'S BREWERY COMPANY LIMITED Description: This collection contains corporate, accounts and premises records. Corporate records include minutes of Directors' meeting and Annual General Meetings, memoranda and articles of association, legal papers relating to a court case against the Marquis of Aylesbury and trading agreements. Accounts records comprise a finance file. Premise records include documents relating to brewery premises, individual public houses and also brewery vessels used at the Wharf

LMA/4435/A/01 relates to Corporate issues

[The Rookie Detective]

The case of attempted murder in Southwark in 1889 (which has already been mentioned in this thread)

Here's an illustrative article from July 1889 with an interesting visualisation of the incident in which Oswald was involved.

If there was any suggestion that Oswald was a person of interest in the Ripper case; then the timing of Oswald being remanded and subsequently sent to the workhouse with a direct mention of the question of insanity; it may rule him out as the killer of McKenzie.

Fascinatingly odd character nonetheless.



The "Buffalo Bill of Edmonton" at it again, only this time in Southwark.


At least it shows that he spent time in North and South London and wasn't based in one place.


Fascinating.