Willy Clarkson - The Wigmaker of Wellington Street - a New Theory on Jack the Ripper

[pwilliamgrimm]

Gary: This is a very interesting and difficult issue you have raised with this document you found, and let me thank you again for finding it and bringing it to light. I don't mind that people are critical of the speculative element of this documentary, but the surgical tool connection is a foundational thing which, if credibly discredited, could lead to the collapse of the entire theory. Which is okay with me, if this is the case. Like I said, unlike many others, I think speculation is ok - but only if supported by facts from which reasonable conclusions and inferences can be made. If the surgical tool issue is resolved, I am comfortable with the documentary.

Here's my issue, it seems. Willy Jr, was a costumer, wigmaker and barber - and by that time, barber basically meant hair stylist and not barber surgeon. Willy Sr. was a hair stylist and wigmaker, and was dabbling in costuming. These are undisputed, I am sure. While Clarkson Jr.'s biography says with great certainty that the grandfather Clarkson was a barber surgeon, the marriage certificate says tailor. But his son and grandson were, to slightly different extents, both barbers (wigmakers) and tailors (costumers). Is this what was meant by tailor, that it was the family business to do both, and the certificate simply stated tailor, as that would be a normal thing at that time? I do not know the answer to this question but I have asked it of a couple of my friends who are professors here in London that specialize in the Victorian and pre-Victorian era. So, I will circle back when/if they respond.

Thanks again.

[MrBarnett]

I wonder if the Peter Clarkson who married Susannah Wild at St Bride’s in 1803 and the man of the same name who was trading as a tailor in Great Waterloo Road, Lambeth in 1830, and who died in Lambeth in 1832, were one and the same.

Although his parents were living in Wellington Road, Covent Garden at the time, Willy Clarkson was baptised in Lambeth, so one or other (or both) of his parents presumably had a connection to south London.

[Robert]

Hi Gary

Yes, one and the same. Peter Clarkson was living Waterloo Rd when he died in 1832 and Susannah when she died in 1849 ditto (Ancestry burials).

William Clarkson with his mum Susannah and presumably sister Mary, was in Waterloo Rd in 1841. William is a theatrical wig maker if I read it right.

William and Mary have a 'y' for yes by their names but Susannah has an 'n' for no.

[pwilliamgrimm]

I wonder if the Peter Clarkson who married Susannah Wild at St Bride’s in 1803 and the man of the same name who was trading as a tailor in Great Waterloo Road, Lambeth in 1830, and who died in Lambeth in 1832, were one and the same.

Although his parents were living in Wellington Road, Covent Garden at the time, Willy Clarkson was baptised in Lambeth, so one or other (or both) of his parents presumably had a connection to south London.

Hi George: Thanks again for this research. Robert shared some of these documents with me last night, which were very helpful. It seems clear that you are correct in this analysis. Peter seems to have been conducting himself as a tailor or "taylor" since 1825. Robert also found some advertisement that shows Peter Clarkson advertising as a tailor. Though it is possible, I suppose, that Peter could also have been a barber at this time, as stated in W. Clarkson Jr.'s biography, unless I hear from one of my professor friends that there was some kind of likelihood that these two occupations would have been undertaken by the same individual at the time, it makes this theory much more difficult to reconcile.

The Wellington Street/Road references confuse me somewhat, because W. Clarkson Sr. worked, and I believe lived, on Great Russell Street until W. Clarkson Jr moved the shop to 45 Wellington Street, Covent Garden in the 1870s, which now houses the London Transport Museum. My thought was that there were name changes, as there were several "Wellington Streets" And "Wellington Roads" at the time that were in Bethnal Green and also in the Westminster area and others; so this might explain that.

Anyways, thanks again for this amazing research. I am taking it in now.

[MrBarnett]

The image below is from an 1830 trade directory.

It would be one thing to simplify multiple occupations to ‘tailor’ on a marriage cert, but if you were also operating as a wig-maker/barber you’d be sure to advertise those services also.

One other question you might like to ask your professorial contacts is when barbers ceased performing ‘surgery’.

[pwilliamgrimm]

I agree with you with my 2019 eyes, but I will withhold judgment on how it was viewed during this time period. I saw the advertisement page that you cut/paste there and you might note there were individuals who identify themselves as "surgeons." I do know that was something different from "barber" or "barber surgeon" - i.e., a barber surgeon would cut off a mole or fix you with leeches, but a "surgeon" would amputate your leg. Though at that time you'd probably die from a leg amputation.

Proper "surgeons" broke off from the barber-surgeon society in 1745 to form their own organization, which eventually morphed into the Royal College of Surgeons, which still exists today and is of course very prestigious. But, from what I can see, barbers continued to conduct some forms of surgery through the mid-1800s, past the time of Peter Clarkson's life, but I don't know how the advertisements went. Barbers were less formal and certainly considered less reputable than surgeons. I searched briefly for a barber advertisement from the period but couldn't find one. I'll continue looking today. I will report back when I hear more.

[MrBarnett]

Mike,

Where does your description of the weapon used on Martha Tabram come from? It seems at odds with the opinion of Dr Killeen who examined Martha’s body.

‘ ...a sharp blade about six inches long, like a scalpel a barbers surgeon would use.’

Gary (aka ‘George’)

[PaulB]

I don't have access to my files, but Willie Clarkson had any entry in the A to Z because in The People, 27 March 1932, Clarkson said that shortly after the double murder a policeman came into his shop with a ‘light brown wig of ample curly hair’. He said it had been found near Catherine Eddowes’ body and after he had left,Clarkson recalled selling such a wig to a wiry,medium-sized man with a sallow complexion, greying hair and full lips. He was obviously of the professional classes and his eyes were cold, resolute and magnetic.

I'm afraid I am late to this thread, so don't know until I get through reading it whether this was mentioned.

[MrBarnett]

We are told that Willy had ‘freely roamed’ the East End as a child. Is there any evidence to support that? All I’ve seen so far is a link to an anecdote about him frequenting Liverpool Street Station, which isn’t actually in the East End, as an adult.

At 14 he returned from school in Paris to take over his father’s business. So at what age is it imagined that he was ‘freely roaming’ the dangerous streets of Whitechapel, Spitalfields and St George’s?

[pwilliamgrimm]

Yes, it comes from both of the two biographies that I have read. He served as a messenger boy for his father, and he includes stories about traveling through and around the East End. I think I uploaded some pages to that. Again, if the biography is not considered reliable, then you might not believe this, but kids as I understand it grew up faster back then. I included some footage from the time period in my documentary that shows younger kids walking around themselves. It also appears that his fiancee Jennie Glover was born in Bethnal Green and lived there for some period of time between 0 and 10 years of age; and Willy seemed to know her all his life. She was "adopted" by Albert Glover, whose shop was on Hamsell Street, which as you say was not in the East End, but only about a mile from it. But, Jennie's biological parents - Albert's sister - remained in Bethnal Green throughout this period so it is possible that Clarkson spent time in the East End through that avenue as well.

[pwilliamgrimm]

I don't have access to my files, but Willie Clarkson had any entry in the A to Z because in The People, 27 March 1932, Clarkson said that shortly after the double murder a policeman came into his shop with a ‘light brown wig of ample curly hair’. He said it had been found near Catherine Eddowes’ body and after he had left,Clarkson recalled selling such a wig to a wiry,medium-sized man with a sallow complexion, greying hair and full lips. He was obviously of the professional classes and his eyes were cold, resolute and magnetic.

I'm afraid I am late to this thread, so don't know until I get through reading it whether this was mentioned.

Hi, and thanks for commenting. This was mentioned in a Facebook group where a similar, though less cerebral, discussion is ongoing. I think the fact that this story was pretty consistent between Clarkson's bio and the People story bodes in its favor; but another reasonable analysis if one chooses to disbelieve Clarkson, is that he was simply making up both stories. As I mentioned on FB, I tend to believe the wig story. I have never said I am convinced beyond doubt that Clarkson is the guy, but I do believe the wig story, partly because the biographer accepted it as true, but rejected as dubious many other claims of Clarkson; and partly because the newspapers do cover the fact that Clarkson often disguised police officers from the Bow Street Police Station, near his shop, and he was close with them. With this relationship, it is reasonable to believe the police went immediately to Clarkson to try and identify the purchaser of the wig, but Willy had no bill of sale - I proffer because he was the one who wore the wig during the killings, and the description of the purchaser was a ruse to distract the police.

[pwilliamgrimm]

Mike,

Where does your description of the weapon used on Martha Tabram come from? It seems at odds with the opinion of Dr Killeen who examined Martha’s body.

‘ ...a sharp blade about six inches long, like a scalpel a barbers surgeon would use.’

Gary (aka ‘George’)

I don't have that answer off the top of my head. I will have to go back and find my source for this. Will revert.

[MrBarnett]

Yes, it comes from both of the two biographies that I have read. He served as a messenger boy for his father, and he includes stories about traveling through and around the East End. I think I uploaded some pages to that. Again, if the biography is not considered reliable, then you might not believe this, but kids as I understand it grew up faster back then. I included some footage from the time period in my documentary that shows younger kids walking around themselves. It also appears that his fiancee Jennie Glover was born in Bethnal Green and lived there for some period of time between 0 and 10 years of age; and Willy seemed to know her all his life. She was "adopted" by Albert Glover, whose shop was on Hamsell Street, which as you say was not in the East End, but only about a mile from it. But, Jennie's biological parents - Albert's sister - remained in Bethnal Green throughout this period so it is possible that Clarkson spent time in the East End through that avenue as well.

I haven’t seen the pages you uploaded. Can you direct me to them or provide a link?

In his autobiography, East End criminal Arthur Harding, who provides a lot of info about the area in the late 19th/early 20th centuries, makes a comment about kids not being allowed to stray far from their own front door until they were 9 or 10. But these were tough East End kids whose extended families would have lived in the surrounding area. That a middle class tradesman from the West End would send his child on errands into the ‘heart of darkness’ that was Whitechapel etc seems highly unlikely.

[MrBarnett]

I haven’t seen the pages you uploaded. Can you direct me to them or provide a link?

In his autobiography, East End criminal Arthur Harding, who provides a lot of info about the area in the late 19th/early 20th centuries, makes a comment about kids not being allowed to stray far from their own front door until they were 9 or 10. But these were tough East End kids whose extended families would have lived in the surrounding area. That a middle class tradesman from the West End would send his child on errands into the ‘heart of darkness’ that was Whitechapel etc seems highly unlikely.

I should qualify that. I can see him, perhaps, putting his son in a cab and sending him off to Schneider’s cap factory, say, to collect or pay for something, but that he would be allowed to ‘roam freely’ carrying money or valuable goods through the East End really doesn’t ring true.

[MrBarnett]

I don't have access to my files, but Willie Clarkson had any entry in the A to Z because in The People, 27 March 1932, Clarkson said that shortly after the double murder a policeman came into his shop with a ‘light brown wig of ample curly hair’. He said it had been found near Catherine Eddowes’ body and after he had left,Clarkson recalled selling such a wig to a wiry,medium-sized man with a sallow complexion, greying hair and full lips. He was obviously of the professional classes and his eyes were cold, resolute and magnetic.

I'm afraid I am late to this thread, so don't know until I get through reading it whether this was mentioned.

Hi Paul,

The video tells us the wig was found at the Stride murder site. We are also told that Stride was known to have defrauded a number of people to obtain charity.

Gary