Annie and Alice Crook photographs.

[PaulB]

I'm not aware that Stephen Knight was attacked visciously after his death, nor that Melvyn Fairclough, who I spoke to only a couple of weeks ago, had his career destroyed. And I think Joseph is too readilly dismissed as a liar and a fabricator as far as his claim to be related to Walter Sickert is concerned, but then I rather liked Joseph and his family.

[Sam Flynn]

Stephen Knight himself was an avid researcher and worked for the BBC

He was a journalist who worked on a handful of local newspapers. He did write a couple of books on Jack the Ripper and the Freemasons, which sold extremely well. He appeared in one BBC Horizon documentary which was, I believe, the full extent to which he "worked for the BBC". He was not an ace investigative journalist by any stretch of the imagination.

I might observe that Henry Lincoln and Michael Baigent were avid researchers who worked for the BBC (Lincoln did so frequently), but that doesn't mean that their Holy Blood, Holy Grail was anything other than speculative, albeit fascinating, twaddle.

I've nothing against Knight, Lincoln or Baigent - on the contrary, I loved reading their books and still do. I'm just pointing out that "researchers" and "people who work for the BBC" come in different shapes and sizes, and are as capable of peddling rubbish theories as anyone else.

[Ally]

I have been attacked on this site for being a dissenting voice away from their silly lunatic theory.

I'm sorry.. you've been attacked on this site? I just looked over your posting history and it appears to be mostly you insulting people for not agreeing with you including one gem which is just you calling someone else an idiot just because they say Fairclough your idol shouldn't be taken seriously.

Now clearly you are a tad unhinged, but I'm feeling generous so I'll just pat you on the head and recommend you go back on your meds. I think they were helping.

[Vanillaman]

Joseph Sickert

A liar and a fantasist, really Rosella? And what do you base such a ludicrous assumption on? Oh, I get it. You've been listening to these so-called experts who perpetuate the imperialist xenophobic view of Sir Robert Anderson that "No Englishman could have done it". I have been investigating this case since I was 15. I'm now 53 and these alleged experts have stifled any connection to the British royal family ever since. They viciously attacked Stephen Knight after he died so that he couldn't defend himself. What they also distract you from is that the `only' reason why Joseph Sickert retracted his story to Stephen Knight was because Knight questioned how his father, Walter Sickert knew so much, thereby implicating Sickert himself. Stephen Knight himself was an avid researcher and worked for the BBC. He came across the Sickert story when he was approached by an ex policeman. So, if Joseph Sickert wanted to gain anything by fabricating the whole story, why didn't he present himself voluntarily before he even met Stephen Knight? Have you even read Knights book? Be honest!

I have been attacked on this site for being a dissenting voice away from their silly lunatic theory. They bullied and harassed Melvyn Fairclough for his book, "The Ripper and the Royals" and destroyed his career for making an error. They waited until Knight was in his grave to attack him, all because they believe their royal family are squeaky clean and perfect, when they are renowned for the sexual deviance and they won't even speak about Prince Eddy. They denounced and him and wanted him erased from history.

[Rosella]

Joe was quite a fantasist. Who knows if these photos are of Annie and Alice, they could be but coming from such a liar everything is tainted. It's years since I read Knight. Did Joseph also not say that he had a photo of John Netley, the coachman who according to Knight's theory, drove Gull around on his killing spree?

[packers stem]

Hi Avvie,welcome to casebook.
Both photos were provided by Joseph Sickert I believe.
Despite many peoples distrust of old hobo I can't see a reason to doubt they were who he said they were.
He had nothing to gain by making it up, nor knight.
However I've seen many argue that because he was officially a Gorman he's made up all of the background.....because, of course, infidelity has never happened in society and if it's Gorman on the birth certificate then it's carved in stone regardless of his own claims...
In truth, we've no way of knowing. We either take his word for it or we don't but Annie Crook and Alice did exist. May not have lived where knight claimed nor followed the life map he claimed but they did exist

[avvie]

Hope this hasn't already been mentioned. I have searched but couldn't find anything!

I'm currently reading Stephen Knight's Jack the Ripper. The Final Solution.
2 photographs have been included which are apparently of Annie Crook and Alice Crook! I have never seen these before. Found the one of supposed Alice online but searching online i cannot find anywhere anything to do with this supposed photo.

Here is the supposed one of Annie and Eddy's daughter, Alice



This is a photo i took using my phone of Annie taken around 1886 (sorry no scanner)



Both photo's as seen in the book



It does say both photo's are from Sickerts Family Photograph collection.

What are people's thoughts on these?