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Of course we can! I only brought him up on account of your initial post on this thread, stating how important it is to have caseralated evidence before we can put credence in a suspect.
Interestingly, when you were presented with caserelated evidence, you fervently denied itīs importance.
Food for thought.
But now, by all means, back to the clergyman, the probable Jack the Ripper - have fun!
In the account of the Bishop's inauguration at St Pauls Cathedral in the Pall Mall Gazette June 15th 1883, it mentions that his first London Living was for five years at Holy Trinity Church Islington till 1878 when he was transferred to the rectory at Spitalfields
' Where up to the present time [ 1878-1883] he has been well known for his earnest work for the unemployed and the poor.It will be a cause of satisfaction to the London clergy that one of their own number, who has worked so long and sucessfully in the East End of London should be appointed to succeed the Bishop of Wakefield'
So he was over ten years in Spitalfields not four months.
His death notice 25th feb 1898 appears in The Western Gazette[ his first curacy was in Somerset. It difficult to read not being on white paper. There are other obits. His health seemed to have broken down because of his overload of work in the east end. He married in 1862 Harriet Fowler, daughter of George Price of Somerset and had a son, who was present at his inaugaration , Mr Billings of Chesterfield.
He was a member of the Missionary Society. I dont know what the London Society is or why that is negative. The only London Society I coud find was founded in 1912.
Sorry I cant download newspaper articles, but I am sure others will. I have problem with computer stuff.
Miss Marple
Last edited by miss marple; 04-19-2015, 07:40 AM.
Reason: to add
That's interesting. The anti immigrant rhetoric is the same as as used today by Ukip and others. I don't think it means that Billings was specifically a jew hater but had a fear of immigration taking british jobs. The jews were particually industrious, as are the Poles regarded today and his experience with the poverty in the East End led him to blame the incomers.
I Can't see any reason why he would be a ripper. He was a man of his time, with the prejuices of his time. He seemed to have cared about his parisheners and worried about the poverty around him. A man as familiar as the bish would have a problem in chatting up whores without being recognised.
The Bishopric of Bedford used to come under London, there was a change to St Albans after Billings who did die in office and indeed the Bishopric was in abeyance till 1935. It was a minor bishopric, a suffragan bishop is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop, that is one with a large diocese. Bedford does not have a cathedral and the church could have been reorganising its suffragan bishops, so they may not be anything sinister inthe fact that it was in abeyance for a while.
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