The real Crossingham's Timothy Donovan

[Tom_Wescott]

Great work, Debs. You're a wunderkind. All this Donovan business can get a bit confusing though. Someone should write a reader's guide to the various Donovans and who is and isn't a suspect, etc. Is there even ANY viability in discussing any Timothy Donovan as a suspect after your find?

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Phil H]

Can someone provide a summary please

I don't know whether I am the only Casebook member to be confused about the current state of thinking on Timothy Donovan, manager of Crossinghams.

Would it be possible for some knowledable poster/researcher, to summarise the present state of thinking on this one-time "suspect"? (I didn't want to start a new thread so I have tagged my post onto this old one.

I will try to get my head around all the various possible people of that name and their histories, but at first glance I am confused.

Was there not a Donovan would was around for the early part of 1888 but died later in the year (ruling him out as MJK's killer and thus as JtR in the eyes of many)? What is the position now on him?

Is there a concensus now that Donovan - any of them - is ruled out as a potential "Jack" and if so why?

The A-Z (latest edition p141) seems unsure of which identification or what conclusions to prefer.

Grateful for any light any more well-informed poster than I can shed and especially for an "idiots guide" summary.
Phil

[Debra A]

Phil,

The thread is very confusing, I agree.
From my research, only part of which was included in the new A to Z:

On the thirteenth December 1887 at 35 Dorset street (Crossingham's)
Timothy Donovan, Bricklayers labourer, and his wife, Margaret Donovan, formerly Dempsey, had a son, also named Timothy. He was registered
on 18th January 1888 by his mother Margaret Donovan who gave her address as 35 Dorset Street Spitalfields.

Here is the same family 3 years later on the 1891 census, showing that Timothy Donovan snr. was born in Essex c 1865:

71 Romford Street, Mile End Old Town
Timothy Donovan, head, 26, general labourer, b Essex, [Stratford?]
Margaret Donovan, wife, 26 b London, Whitechapel
Timothy Donovan, son, 3 b Spitalfields
John Donovan, son, 7m b Stepney

On the twenty fourth of April 1896 at 73 Romford Street, Timothy Donovan died, the death certificate reads:
male, 29years, builders labourer. Cause of death Phthisis, informant 'X the mark of Margaret Donovan, widow of the deceased present at death' 73 Romford Street.
registered Twenty Seventh April 1896, John B Ratcliff registrar.

So far, I have been unable to link this Timothy Donovan, known to have lived at Crossingham's in 1888, with any of the assault cases researchers have uncovered, for various reasons.

If this is the correct identification, which I personally think it is, then Timothy Donovan was alive at the time of the murder of MJK.

Hope this helps.

[Phil H]

Thanks very much indeed, Debra, that's most helpful.

Phil

[Uncle Jack]

I think the TD we should be focussing our attention on now is the wife killer, who is the only TD who works as a viable suspect.

[The Rookie Detective]

Bump up for this quite brilliant thread!


RD