The signature of Polly Nichols

[The Grave Maurice]

Thanks, Neil. I suspected that, if the letter was still around, it would have been published in one of the books.

But do you guys see the signatures that Chris provided a couple of posts above? When two people sign a document, you expect to see differences in their handwriting. Those are evident in the most recent example, but not (to my eye, anyway) in the original post.

I wonder if it's possible that Polly's husband was illiterate and so she signed the certificate for both of them? That might explain why, having just written "Nichols" once, she did it again, inadvertently, in her signature. Besides, at that point, her surname actually was Nichols, and she may have been confused about which name to use.

[Supe]

Grave One,

I wonder if it's possible that Polly's husband was illiterate and so she signed the certificate for both of them?

I would doubt that possibility as William was a printer and in the 19th C those in that profession were as literate as any group this side of a university faculty club. Your suggestion, however, about why she signed Nichols initially makes perfect sense. if she was anything like infatuated schoolgirls of any era, she'd been practicing "Mary Ann Nichols" for months.

Don.

[The Grave Maurice]

Don,

Point well made. I had forgotten that William was a printer.

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

Well, any letter by Polly could clear things up with this signature thing.


Until then we can only guess, which one of the signatures could be correct.

However, my personal opinion is, that we are looking at the clerks signatures!

All the best
Jukka

[Jenni Shelden]

Hi

everyone is entitled to their opinion, but mine is that that is the signitures of Polly Nichols and her husband.

I dont see the problem!

Jenni

[Suzi]

Interesting- The very first signature with the crossing out looks as if she'd signed in her new married name and then Ooops signed in her maiden name- that would make a lot of sense.
I'm sure that Mary wasn't illiterate and wouldn't have just made a 'mark' on her wedding certificate- she was brighter than that- far more likely that she would have been flustered enough to sign as Nichols (New Mrs Nichols) on the day- being happy and excited!- Easy mistake!

[Suzi]

Yep!!

Hi

everyone is entitled to their opinion, but mine is that that is the signitures of Polly Nichols and her husband.

I dont see the problem!

Jenni

Nor me!! see post below! x

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

Polly was litterate, no doubts about that!

All I want, is some confirming info, Jenni!

All the best
Jukka

[Suzi]

Come in Jen!!!!!!!

[tautridelta]

I'll say this much...If it is her signature, then Polly the uneducated streetwalker had far better penmanship than most of today's PHD's.

-TTD

[Jane Coram]

Hi,

The wording in Polly's letter to her father shows that she was far from illiterate, not just because she wrote a letter, but to use the word 'teetotalers' which most would cringe at trying to write (I had to look it up in a dictionary because I almost put two lls in ). If she had been barely literate she would have put 'they don't drink' or some other phrase which was easier to spell.

If you look at the 'Ann' in the known signature and the certificate, they are almost identical, apart from the A being slightly more squat in one. The chances of that, if they were written by different people is extremely small, and 'Nichols' is also so similiar, that I think it very unlikely indeed they were written by different people. It just looks as if they were rather rushed in the witness signatures and didn't take so much care.

As Don said, all kids were taught to write using a template in those days. My nan and grandad were very basically educated in Board Schools, but they had the most beautiful handwriting that shared a lot of similar characteristics.

Hugs

Janie

xxxx

[j.r-ahde]

Hello, Jane!

Well, one person - unfortunately have forgotten the name - stated, that the reason for Jack the Ripper case becoming a legend was the following:

The Ripper was litterate and all the victims were litterate. And most of all; most of the public was litterate!

All the best
Jukka