Lechmere's Wife - What Do We Know?

[Columbo]

So Lechmere/Cross's wife has recently come up on other threads. What do we know about her?

Another question: Does that fact Lechmere was married hurt or help the theory Fisherman has put forth?

Anyone?

Columbo

[miss marple]

D o we really need another thread on this? Enough already! Is this site The Lechmere Casebook.

Miss Marple

[Pierre]

So Lechmere/Cross's wife has recently come up on other threads. What do we know about her?

Another question: Does that fact Lechmere was married hurt or help the theory Fisherman has put forth?

Anyone?

Columbo

Sure. It is a problem for Fisherman that Lechmere was married. The existence of wife and kids explain why Lechmere did not give the name of the family in the newspapers.

Regards, Pierre

[Columbo]

D o we really need another thread on this? Enough already! Is this site The Lechmere Casebook.

Miss Marple

Actually Miss Marple (love your books by the way) This is the Lechmere/Cross section so I'm thinking this is appropriate.

At least it's not about timing or names.

Columbo

[Abby Normal]

So Lechmere/Cross's wife has recently come up on other threads. What do we know about her?

Another question: Does that fact Lechmere was married hurt or help the theory Fisherman has put forth?

Anyone?

Columbo

Hi columbo
generally it does neither-as many serial killers were married.

but just a point- Specifically, I have found it hard to believe that a serial killer would kill, mutilate and remove organs on his way to work. But as Fish pointed out, being married this might be the only opportunity he had. So in this particular point I think it helps.

[Fisherman]

Elizabeth Bostock, born May 20, 1849. Died September 21:st, in Stratford, London. Buried at Tower Hamlets Cemetery, London.
Father: Thomas Bay Bostock, a lighterman.
Mother: Susannah Ann Bostock, née Bland.
Twelve brothers and sisters.
Both parents and Elizabeth were illiterate.

Does it help the theory that Lechmere had a wife and family? Or is it something that lowers the probability that he was the killer?

Arguments can be put forward for both suggestions. There is nothing to negate that family men with kids could be serialists, anyhow. The examples are there.

[Columbo]

Hi columbo
generally it does neither-as many serial killers were married.

but just a point- Specifically, I have found it hard to believe that a serial killer would kill, mutilate and remove organs on his way to work. But as Fish pointed out, being married this might be the only opportunity he had. So in this particular point I think it helps.

Hi Abby,

I had a similar thought as well. I know a lot of killers are married with children, etc., and I wonder back then if, given the circumstances, the wife would not be as inclined to pay as much attention with the amount of work she must've have keeping the home together.

Columbo

[GUT]

Hi Abby,

I had a similar thought as well. I know a lot of killers are married with children, etc., and I wonder back then if, given the circumstances, the wife would not be as inclined to pay as much attention with the amount of work she must've have keeping the home together.

Columbo

Many wives back then also "Knew their place" and would never question the "Lord and Master".

Others were strong women who the man wouldn't question.

[Columbo]

Elizabeth Bostock, born May 20, 1849. Died September 21:st, in Stratford, London. Buried at Tower Hamlets Cemetery, London.
Father: Thomas Bay Bostock, a lighterman.
Mother: Susannah Ann Bostock, née Bland.
Twelve brothers and sisters.
Both parents and Elizabeth were illiterate.

Does it help the theory that Lechmere had a wife and family? Or is it something that lowers the probability that he was the killer?

Arguments can be put forward for both suggestions. There is nothing to negate that family men with kids could be serialists, anyhow. The examples are there.

I agree. I'm curious, as mentioned to Abby, about the circumstances of their home life. Was she so busy that she only got snippets of news and quite possibly never equated her husband to the murders? I'm speculating of course as we'll never know, but as in the Yorkshire Ripper case it's been suggested his wife had suspicions but never reported them.

Or is it possible that the Lechmere home life was so busy for both that he didn't have the luxury of going anywhere but work and home?

Do we know if his wife worked? I imagine not.

Columbo

[Columbo]

Many wives back then also "Knew their place" and would never question the "Lord and Master".

Others were strong women who the man wouldn't question.

That's true as well.

Columbo

[Pcdunn]

I agree. I'm curious, as mentioned to Abby, about the circumstances of their home life. Was she so busy that she only got snippets of news and quite possibly never equated her husband to the murders? I'm speculating of course as we'll never know, but as in the Yorkshire Ripper case it's been suggested his wife had suspicions but never reported them.

Or is it possible that the Lechmere home life was so busy for both that he didn't have the luxury of going anywhere but work and home?

Do we know if his wife worked? I imagine not.

Columbo

The wife of serial killer Herb Baumeister was said to have only cooperated with the police after her husband's behavior seemed to become more disturbing to her. One of the things which she suspected was how often he claimed he needed to take "business trips" away from their main home.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Baumeister

http://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/baumeister-herbert.htm

Re the wife working-- most late 19th to early 20th century wives in American census reports answer "Keeping House" when their occupation is asked.

I think raising 10 children and keeping the house in good order, was work enough, don't you?

[Columbo]

The wife of serial killer Herb Baumeister was said to have only cooperated with the police after her husband's behavior seemed to become more disturbing to her. One of the things which she suspected was how often he claimed he needed to take "business trips" away from their main home.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Baumeister

http://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/baumeister-herbert.htm

Re the wife working-- most late 19th to early 20th century wives in American census reports answer "Keeping House" when their occupation is asked.

I think raising 10 children and keeping the house in good order, was work enough, don't you?

It would be for my wife. Thanks for the info.

[GUT]

The wife of serial killer Herb Baumeister was said to have only cooperated with the police after her husband's behavior seemed to become more disturbing to her. One of the things which she suspected was how often he claimed he needed to take "business trips" away from their main home.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Baumeister

http://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/baumeister-herbert.htm

Re the wife working-- most late 19th to early 20th century wives in American census reports answer "Keeping House" when their occupation is asked.

I think raising 10 children and keeping the house in good order, was work enough, don't you?

With 10 kids I'd take lots of business trips too.

[Pcdunn]

With 10 kids I'd take lots of business trips too.

Lol.... but Herb only had 2 or 3 kids I think....

[Fisherman]

Many wives back then also "Knew their place" and would never question the "Lord and Master".

Others were strong women who the man wouldn't question.

Generally speaking, 1888 was more of manīs world than todays version. I think there was more male oppression then than now, and that it was condoned by society to a larger degree.

That is the general picture. It says nothing specifically about the Lechmeres.

As you will know, I am saying that if Lechmere was the killer, then he was a psychopath.
When psychopaths look for spouses, they typically choose them from one of two camps (according to a psychologist specializing in crime): They either marry somebody who is a mirror image of themselves - a psychopath - or they marry somebody who is inferior to themselves, and who they can easily control.
Elizabeth Bostock was an illiterate woman from a very humble background. Charles Lechmere came from a high-brow background, could read and write and was ambitious enough to start his own business.

It proves nothing, but makes for an interesting backdrop.

You have all seen the picture of Charles Lechmere. There is a corresponding picture of his wife, taken on the same occasion and at the same spot. Where Charles stands with a very self-assured attitude, seemingly in control of matters, Elizabeth looks like most people did on these early photos - she stands to attention, straight up, arms along her sides, looking a lot less at ease than Charles.

It proves nothing but makes for an interesting backdrop.

And, of course, regardless of how they were buried in the same cemetery, twenty years dividing their deaths, Elizabeth was not laid to rest alongside Charles when she passed away in 1940.

It proves nothing but makes for an interesting backdrop.

But we know terribly little about them when it comes to their everyday life; next to nothing. There are pictures of their kids in nice clothing, implicating that they were cared for, and one may perhaps think that this showed that they were responsible parents.
Then again, if we take a look at how a psychopath works, it is abundantly clear that they are normally very ambitious people, who like to show off. They are likely to be in charge in many a way, bosses at work and taking control of matters to as high a degree as possible.

In the end, it is very much a matter of which angle we look at things from.