Identity of Mary Jane Kelly

[MrBarnett]

As many of you know, I have spent much of the last 30 years trying to prove that MJK was my great aunt Elizabeth Weston-Davies or Craig as she was married to Francis Spurzheim Craig. Two additional snippets of evidence: Craig, who was editor of the East London Advertiser placed an announcement of the marriage in the ELA on 3rd January 1885 which shows that he was fully aware of the identity and antecedents of his new wife. Many people have speculated about the fact that MJK told Joe Barnett that she had been introduced to prostitution by relatives in Cardiff. On 7th July 1887 a Mary Jane Weston aged 23 appeared at Cardiff Magistrates Court charged with keeping a disorderly house at Irwin Street, Cardiff. She was jointly charged with a woman named Davies. Elizabeth's elder sisters and brother had all been born in or near Cardiff and the Weston Davieses had relatives there who included Elizabeth's first cousin Ivor Novello and his mother Clara Novello Davies (her father Jacob Davies was elder brother of Elizabeth's brother Edward's wife Margaret). I think this adds more weight to MJK actually being Elizabeth Weston Davies. Final proof will have to await DNA evidence which I hope will be forthcoming within the next 12 months.

Prosector

Hi Prosector,

Very interesting.

I see an announcement had been placed in the County of Middlesex Independent in December, 1884.

I have ancestors/family members buried at St Patrick’s. Please keep us updated with developments in connection with the exhumation.


Gary

[Prosector]

As many of you know, I have spent much of the last 30 years trying to prove that MJK was my great aunt Elizabeth Weston-Davies or Craig as she was married to Francis Spurzheim Craig. Two additional snippets of evidence: Craig, who was editor of the East London Advertiser placed an announcement of the marriage in the ELA on 3rd January 1885 which shows that he was fully aware of the identity and antecedents of his new wife. Many people have speculated about the fact that MJK told Joe Barnett that she had been introduced to prostitution by relatives in Cardiff. On 7th July 1887 a Mary Jane Weston aged 23 appeared at Cardiff Magistrates Court charged with keeping a disorderly house at Irwin Street, Cardiff. She was jointly charged with a woman named Davies. Elizabeth's elder sisters and brother had all been born in or near Cardiff and the Weston Davieses had relatives there who included Elizabeth's first cousin Ivor Novello and his mother Clara Novello Davies (her father Jacob Davies was elder brother of Elizabeth's brother Edward's wife Margaret). I think this adds more weight to MJK actually being Elizabeth Weston Davies. Final proof will have to await DNA evidence which I hope will be forthcoming within the next 12 months.

Prosector