Why is There Little Interest in the Nichols Murder?

[Lechmere]

Cross’s life is fairly well documented.
He has been located on every census throughout his life.
He has birth, death and marriage certificates, a christening form, certificates for his eleven children’s births (and two of their early deaths), plus he witnesses his mother’s third marriage and his name is on his children’s marriage certificates.
On every instance his name is Lechmere – apart from once when he was 11 in 1861, when his mother was married to Thomas Cross, the policeman ten years her junior.
Thomas Cross was a bit of a ‘nobody’.
His real father, John Allen Lechmere, was the grandson of John Scudamore Lechmere of Fownhope in the Herefordshire. The Lechmere family were (and some still are) very rich members of the landed gentry in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
For unknown reasons one branch descended to the East End (where some still are).

And with absolute certainty it is pronounced Letchmere

[Observer]

How do you know that? And theres no reason to shout.

[Lechmere]

I know people called Lechmere... I thought you may have missed it when I said before how it was pronounced.

[Observer]

One thing is very very clear to me, JTR was long gone before Cross/Lechmere approached Polly Nichols body

[Observer]

I know two sets of people called Smthye, one set prounounces it Smith, the other Smythe as in tithe

[Observer]

On every instance his name is Lechmere – apart from once when he was 11 in 1861, when his mother was married to Thomas Cross, the policeman ten years her junior.

So at one point in his life he was referred to as Charles Cross

[The Grave Maurice]

Yep. And I can help you guys with the pronunciation too. It's spelled "Lechmere", but it's pronounced "Luxury-Yacht". (Credit: Monty Python)

[Lechmere]

I know Lechmeres in Worcestershire (they are the Baronet Lechmeres) and the East End Lechmeres (who are distantly related to them) and they all pronounce it 'Letchmere' - usually shortened to 'letch'!

Yes he was listed in the 1861 census as Charles Cross. That was essentially how the connection between Cross and Lechmere was proved, otherwise it could have been a coincidence that the carman Charles Allen Cross gave 22 Doveton Street as his address, where the carman Charles Allen Lechmere lived.

We do not know that he was ever ‘referred to’ as Cross. Perhaps the census enumerator asked the married couple their names – Thomas and Maria Cross - and then automatically put the children down as Cross also.

If Cross didn’t do it, I would hazard that JtR wasn’t long gone by the time Cross approached the body. It was still warm and two policemen had been down the street within half an hour of Cross.

[Lechmere]

'but it's pronounced "Luxury-Yacht".'

Ah - that'll be the Monte Carloshire Lechmeres

[Observer]

How do you pronounce Luxury-Yacht? I knew a man with that name and the x in his name was silent, in effect Loory Yacht

[Lechmere]

Surely Lury Yacht?

[The Grave Maurice]

Quite right. And the closer you get to Cheshire, the more often it's pronounced "Cholmondeley". Odd things, British surnames.

[Observer]

Yes he was listed in the 1861 census as Charles Cross. That was essentially how the connection between Cross and Lechmere was proved, otherwise it could have been a coincidence that the carman Charles Allen Cross gave 22 Doveton Street as his address, where the carman Charles Allen Lechmere lived We do not know that he was ever ‘referred to’ as Cross. Perhaps the census enumerator asked the married couple their names – Thomas and Maria Cross - and then automatically put the children down as Cross also.

Not an unnatural thing to do. However, I would suggest that he and the other children were known as Cross until the time came when they could decide for themselves whether they retained the name, or reverted back to their original name. The point is, Lechmere did not grasp an imaginary name out of the ether, and if he had been known as Cross at some time in his life then he did not lie. Also, as has been pointed out, he gave his correct address. Not the sort of information a guilty person would submit in my opinion.

If Cross didn’t do it, I would hazard that JtR wasn’t long gone by the time Cross approached the body. It was still warm and two policemen had been down the street within half an hour of Cross.

As I said long gone

O

[Observer]

Surely Lury Yacht?

No Luury Yacht, there's two u's in Luxury. The Essex (or Esse) branch of his familly pronounce double u as oo, as in boo

[Observer]

Incidently, albeit an American pronunciation

http://rwinters.com/council/notes2006Oct30.htm