The real Crossingham's Timothy Donovan

[The Rookie Detective]

Bump up for this quite brilliant thread!


RD

[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.

[Phil H]

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

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]

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

[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

[Debra A]

What I would like to find out is if the wife killer Donovan was the one who committed a series of petty crimes or whether this was the suicide Donovan. I think the wife killer Donovan is deffo worth looking into some more, just for the fact that he murdered his wife and his methods.

Hi Adam,
The wife murderer certainly did commit a number of crimes, his Old Bailey trial transcript mentions something like 20 other convictions proved against him, some for assault. Other researchers mention a number of cases at the Thames Police Courts probably being attributable to him. I did see one conviction of a Timothy Donovan at Clerkenwell in 1890 for wounding, which is possibly him too.

As Perry Mason and Miss Marple have mentioned though, the interest in Crossingham's Timothy Donovan as a suspect is probably based more on his geographical location, possibility that he knew a couple of the other victims etc. Added to that, a suspicion that he may have been responsible for other violent crimes and assaults in the area, which it looks like he wasn't.
There isn't the same direct link either geographically, or to the victims, with the wife killer.
I'm unsure about the suicide you mention, I've never heard of that one.

Debs

[Uncle Jack]

What I would like to find out is if the wife killer Donovan was the one who committed a series of petty crimes or whether this was the suicide Donovan. I think the wife killer Donovan is deffo worth looking into some more, just for the fact that he murdered his wife and his methods.

Great research find Deb, thanks for posting it.

I dont know that the theories surrounding Donovan were ever based on anything more than his presence at Crossinghams and the connection it has geographically and circumstantially with a few Canonicals, but you have shown that at least Donovan was no murderer.

I personally believe Crossinghams hold some keys.

All the best.

[miss marple]

Brilliant work, Debs,
That doe's seem to knock him out as a suspect.
Miss Marple

[Debra A]

Thanks Rob, I must thank Colin too, reading all his posts on registration districts etc. have certainly helped me with research like this.

[Rob Clack]

Great work as always Debs.

Rob

[Debra A]

Death Certificate

This is a transcript of the death certificate I received:

Registration District Mile End Old Town, 1896 Death in the sub registration district of Mile End Old Town Western, County of London.

Twenty fourth of April 1896 at 73 Romford Street, Timothy Donovan, 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.

this 35 Dorset st Donovan appears to be quite an innocuous charactor, a young married father,who died young and had no connection with the criminal activites of his namesakes.

Yes, it definitely seems that way MM. Also, the Daily News of Sept 11 1888 gave a descritption of Timothy Donovan at the inquest, describing him as a thin and pale faced young man, as the term Phthisis covers any sort of wasting illness, including TB, I wonder if Timothy Donovan was ill even in 1888?

[miss marple]

Good Caractor

Can't wait for the death cert, espicially as this 35 Dorset st Donovan appears to be quite an innocuous charactor, a young married father,who died young and had no connection with the criminal activites of his namesakes.
If this is the case, it seems to rule him out as a suspect, on charactor alone.He would have to have been of good charactor to get a job as a lodging house keeper, he would have to be trustworthy with money for a start and reliable, its no the sort of job that would go to a known criminal.
Cheers Miss Marple
P.S what was the extent of Rumblelow's suspicions?

[Debra A]

Unfortunately, in vino is not always veritas but, sometimes, misunderstanding. It will be interesting to see if he comments on your discovery.

I understand, GM.
I agree though, it would be interesting if he did comment on the find.

I find Timothy Donovan an interesting character. He would be even more interesting if any of the numerous assaults, woundings and violent thefts committed by men named Timothy Donovan could be attributed to this particular one. So far, it doesn't look like he is connected to any of the major reported ones, or ones that appear in the Criminal Registers.

MM. I've gone for the Mile End one first, purely because his last known address was in that registration district, I hope to get it right first time as I want to know the cause of death of this Timothy Donovan, if not I will try the other one.

Debs