Robert Paul, Jack the Ripper?

[David Orsam]

Yes, I know that journalists sometimes make mistakes as I also know that people don't always tell the truth. Just trying to work out first of all if there was any kind of connection between Cobbett's Court and the Covent Garden Market, which I assume there isn't.

[GUT]

Yes, I know that journalists sometimes make mistakes as I also know that people don't always tell the truth. Just trying to work out first of all if there was any kind of connection between Cobbett's Court and the Covent Garden Market, which I assume there isn't.

Sorry I had misunderstood the question.

I have not found any connection, but I guess [and that's all it is] that Cobbett's Court may have been ran by Covent Garden Market, I've got some books on the market somewhere 'll have a sticky.

[Harry D]

When's the documentary?

[David Orsam]

Sorry I had misunderstood the question.

I have not found any connection, but I guess [and that's all it is] that Cobbett's Court may have been ran by Covent Garden Market, I've got some books on the market somewhere 'll have a sticky.

Thanks GUT, I'll be interested to know the answer.

[GUT]

Oh, everyone's descended from royalty, more or less. It doesn't make you special, you know.

The big question is - did Paul realise that?

It is Paul we're discussing here.... right?

Me and Paul [or some bloke a bit like him] are related.

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

Robert Paul may have worked with, or for—

John Scott, Carman, 21 Corbet's Court [1888 PO Directory]
Henry Hill, Carman, 14 Corbet's Court [1891 Census]
Timothy Crowley, Carman, 15B Corbet's Court [1891 Census]
William Williams, Carman, 19 Corbet's Court [1891 Census]
Daniel White, Carman, 19 Corbet's Court [1891 Census]

Corbet's or Corbetts Court - Administrative County of: London, Civil Parish: Christ Church, District of Whitechapel, Ecclesiastical Parish or District: St Stephens, RG12/273.

Corbet's Court appears on the 1873 Ordnance Survey map with this spelling. By the 1891 census it is spelled Corbetts Court. Which is correct is open to speculation.

Regards,

Simon

[Djb]

Could it have been suicide?

[David Orsam]

Hi All,

Robert Paul may have worked with, or for—

John Scott, Carman, 21 Corbet's Court [1888 PO Directory]
Henry Hill, Carman, 14 Corbet's Court [1891 Census]
Timothy Crowley, Carman, 15B Corbet's Court [1891 Census]
William Williams, Carman, 19 Corbet's Court [1891 Census]
Daniel White, Carman, 19 Corbet's Court [1891 Census]

Corbet's or Corbetts Court - Administrative County of: London, Civil Parish: Christ Church, District of Whitechapel, Ecclesiastical Parish or District: St Stephens, RG12/273.

Corbet's Court appears on the 1873 Ordnance Survey map with this spelling. By the 1891 census it is spelled Corbetts Court. Which is correct is open to speculation.

Regards,

Simon

Thank you Simon, good work. From that spelling, a quick google search reveals this description of the area by Bud Flanagan (born 1896 at 12 Hanbury Street):

"Hanbury Street crawled rather than ran from Commercial Street, where Spitalfields Market stood at one end, to Vallance Road, an artery that spewed itself into Whitechapel Road at the other. On one corner stood Godfrey Phillips; tobacco factory, with its large, ugly enamel signs, black on yellow, advertising “B.D.V” – Best Dark Virginia. It took up the whole block of the first turning, a narrow lane with little houses and a small sweet shop. This was known as Corbett’s Court. There is today a luxury block of flats in Kensington with the same name. I smiled as my memory went back to the Corbett’s Court I knew. The only luxury about it was the rent of houses – 3s. 6d. a week."

http://darkestlondon.com/2012/06/22/bud-flanagan-in-hanbury-street-e1/

If I read that correctly, Corbett's Court was (at least in the early 1900s) mainly a residential lane containing a large tobacco factory, but, it seems, no market. If the tobacco factory existed in 1888, was Paul employed there I wonder?

[GUT]

I had thought that it was Spitalfields markets, but I may be wrong, that he carted from, but that may be as a mix up with Covent garden.

[Simon Wood]

Hi David,

Here's two more for the collection—

Frederick White, Carman, 16 Corbet's Court [1891 Census]
John William Cooper, Carman, 17 Corbet's Court [1891 Census]

Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, 30th September 1888—

"Mr. Paul says that after he made his statement to our representative, which appeared in Lloyd's, he was fetched up in the middle of the night by the police, and was obliged to lose a day's work the next day, for which he got nothing. He was then summoned to give evidence at the inquest on two different days, and he had to pay a man 5s. each day to do his work, or he would have lost his place. At the close of the inquest he got two shillings, being a shilling for each day."

Regards,

Simon

[Simon Wood]

Hi David,

Robert Paul told Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, 2nd September 1888—

"It was exactly a quarter to four when I passed up Bucks Row to work as a carman for Covent Garden market."

Robert Paul may have fetched fresh produce from Covent Garden for delivery to a wholesaler in the Whitechapel/Spitalfields/Bethnal Green area.

See http://www.gander-name.info/misc/carmen.shtml for the life of a carman.

But in the end everything must remain supposition.

Regards,

Simon

[harry]

Where did Paul and/or Cross stable their horse? Was it at the place of employment.

[GUT]

Where did Paul and/or Cross stable their horse? Was it at the place of employment.

Paul we cannot say with certainty, but probably so.

Cross definitely as Pickfords maintained huge stables.

[J6123]

It's pretty obvious that Paul did it. He lied about the time he left home - 3.45am - to give himself an alibi for the time of Nichols' death at 3.30am. In actual fact he was mutilating Polly's body when he was disturbed by the sound of Charles Cross coming along Bucks Row at 3.37am. Quickly Paul undid his boots and took them off and hid in the shadows. He slipped past Cross in the darkness and returned silently to the east end of Bucks Row whereupon he put his boots back on again and began to walk loudly down the cobbles.
It's easy to explain why Paul suggested that Cross move the body - he wanted Cross to get blood on his hands and thus to frame him for the murder. Luckily a bit of quick thinking saved Cross from the noose and he refused to touch the corpse , suggesting that he and Paul find a policeman instead.
Working as a carman just off Hanbury Street Paul knew about the broken door at Number 29 and thought it an ideal place to commit his next murder with less chance of interruption. Case solved by a completely fictitious theory , there you go now we can all go home !

I laughed so hard my ribs fell off.

[Rosella]

Me too! And my kidneys! It's the most brilliant theory I've read all year!