The Welsh connection - contemporary investigations

[Chris Scott]

Western Mail
15 November 1888

THE VICTIM'S CONNECTION WITH SWANSEA
Mrs Jane Williams, landlady of the Unity Inn at Swansea, writes us denying the statement that the woman Kelly who used occasionally to visit her house is identical with the victim of the Whitechapel murder. The name of the former was Abigail, that of the latter Mary Jane. The first named married at Llanelly one Muir, a Scotch mason. Both emigrated to America and are now, or lately were, living in Kansas City with their two children.

[Chris Scott]

I must point out that there was an article refuting this story published shortly afterwards
I am trying to find it and will post
I think the type of investigations carried out at the time are of interest in their own right, not only as a possible "lead"
Regards
Chris

[Fisherman]

Interesting, Chris, as always!
But the remark "all born in Cardiff" about the children seems strange, since Mary Jane would have been around 16 at the time the of the 1881 census, whereas Dennis was 19. That seems to rule out that Mary Jane was born in Ireland, only later to move to Wales, does it not?
Thoroughly interesting and promising, though!

The best,
Fisherman

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Chris!

She could fit very well to "our" Mary Kelly.

But how has she ended up being just one could-have-been in the long run?

All the best
Jukka

[Chris Scott]

1881 Wales Census
38 Halket Street, Llandaff
Head: John Kelly aged 45 born Ireland - Marine store dealer
Wife: Mary Kelly aged 45 born Ireland
Children:
Dennis aged 19 - Labourer
John aged 12
Daniel aged 11
All born in Cardiff

[Chris Scott]

Western Mail
13 November 1888

The fact that Marie Jeanette Kelly, the last victim of the Whitechapel fiend, was at one time a resident of Wales naturally intensifies the interest felt throughout the Principality in the mysterious and melancholy massacre of London unfortunates. So far the attempts made to identify the poor girl in Wales have not been very successful, which is not surprising looking to the contradictory character of the information secured in London. Her paramour's evidence at the inquest leaves much open to conjecture. She had told him that she was born in Limerick, but when very young was brought to Wales by her father, John Kelly, a "gaffer" in an ironworks in either Carnarvonshire or Carmarthenshire. The latter county was the one meant, no doubt, since the northern shire has no ironworks. This information inferentially brings us back to the original statement, that the father was employed at Llanelly, the only town in Carmarthenshire which had an ironworks years ago. Interpreting the additional statement that she married a collier named Davies, who was killed in a colliery explosion, by the light of local knowledge the event which widowed her must have occurred outside that county, where the colleries are almost without exception not dangerously fiery, and where no serious explosion seems to have happened during the last five or six years. The name Kelly is familiar enough in Llanelly, and there should be no difficulty in ascertaining the truth of the victim's story. The very circumstantial information supplied today by our Swansea reporter throws new light on the subject. Unless there be a mistake in the identidication - and the presumption is opposed to that - he has dispersed all the mystery which enveloped her Welsh antecedents.

Western Mail
12 November 1888

Our Swansea reporter writes:-
The very name of Whitechapel is regarded with such general loathing that one might expect it would be cautiously avoided as a topic of conversation. The news, however, of the sixth (or seventh) murder in this vicinity furnished by the papers on Saturday was a subject more freely canvassed than any other at Swansea, and there was, of course, a good deal of speculation as to whether the police would this time be too many for the wily perpetrator. The subject exerted the more interest on it coming to light during the day that the murdered woman Kelly was for some time a resident of Swansea. She was, I am informed, born in a house near the National Schools, Llanelly. She came to Swansea, and entered the service of a Mr and Mrs Rees (the latter being the daughter of the late Dr Hopkins, of Carmarthen, and now awaiting her trial for murder) where she remained for about six months. She afterwards lived at Swansea, and her morals became more questionable every day. She is described as a fine, well built girl.
Our reporter made inquiries at Cardiff Police station, in order to discover if the unfortunate woman was known to the police. He was informed by Mr Hemingway (the head constable) that he had no recollection of anyone answering the description of the victim, and that so far as he was aware, the woman had not come under the notice of the police.

Western Mail
13 November 1888

THE VICTIM'S ANTECEDENTS
HER CONNECTION WITH CARMARTHEN, SWANSEA, AND LLANELLY

Our Swansea reporter wrote on Monday night as follows:-
The rumour to which I gave publicity yesterday as to the deceased woman Kelly's connection with Carmarthen and Swansea proved to be in the main true. There is, however, one point in which I was inadvertently led into error, and as it might, in the opinion of some (although I hardly think so myself), be calculated to prejudice the mind of the public against Mrs Rees, who was stated to be the mistress of the deceased, I gladly take this opportunity of correcting it. It appears that Mr Rees had been married before he led the daughter of Dr Hopkins to the altar. I had no knowledge of this fact. It was while he was living with his first wife that the woman Kelly was in his service. The present Mrs Rees, therefore, had no connection whatever in this way with the deceased. I have this direct from Mr Rees himself. Mr Rees says that Kelly was born at Llanelly, and not at Limerick. Her father was a marine store dealer, and was a remarkably well informed and intelligent man. He was well known throughout the whole district from Carmarthen to Llanelly, and many people living there would be able to call him to mind. He was of an argumentative turn of mind; and Mr Rees says that his discussions with the late Dr Hopkins were quite often a treat to hear. His daughter, Mary Jane, was a remarkably fine girl. She left his service and went to Swansea, where she remained for some time. She will probably be remembered at the Unity, which she used to frequent. She seemed to gone on the loose at Swansea and to have removed to Cardiff, from whence she evertually went to London. Mr Rees was in London about six months ago, and met the deceased. She ran across the street and addressed him in Welsh. There were but little signs of dissipation upon her, and her appearance was calculated to create admiration on the part of anyone who saw her.