An alternative ID

[The Rookie Detective]

That is a really interesting observation RD and something I had not noticed.
I have a vague memory of the Ada Tradigan research I did so will have to refresh my memory. I may re visit the research to see if I can rule out or firm up the identification further.
I did post a photograph accompanying the research on JTRForums from the female convict licences that I don't seem to have posted on this thread. Here is Ada Tradigan:

Fabulous photograph Debra.

Authentic photographs are like the holy grail of research.


May I just say, that yet again I am in complete awe of how methodical and concise your research is, and you always seem to have the ability to take things to the next level and add layers that goes above and beyond.


Humbling and inspiring


I did notice that Ada is married, as she has a ring on her finger.

She also has a certain look in her eyes that indicates she wasn't someone to cross. A quiet, poised, yet defiant glare into the camera that speaks a thousand words.

Her hand position appears rather unnatural and I get the impression she wasn't comfortable being told to pose for the camera.

I don't get the sense she liked being told what to do and to me she seems quite dominant in her features, and her face contrasts her body position, signalling resilience and strength though oppression.


What an absolutely exquisite find.


RD

[Debra A]

I have great difficulty seeing the latest new posts or threads on Casebook. How does everyone else find new posts?

[Debra A]

That is a really interesting observation RD and something I had not noticed.
I have a vague memory of the Ada Tradigan research I did so will have to refresh my memory. I may re visit the research to see if I can rule out or firm up the identification further.
I did post a photograph accompanying the research on JTRForums from the female convict licences that I don't seem to have posted on this thread. Here is Ada Tradigan:

[The Rookie Detective]

This is an absolutely fascinating thread Debra


And I believe that your ID may indeed be the correct Ada.


Can I please make one additional observational point; which I notice hasn't been mentioned in this thread thus far.


Assuming that your ID is correct and Ada was indeed discharged from the South Grove Workhouse on the 27th March, ergo, the day before she was attacked...has the connection been made to an alleged previous victim; Annie Millwood, who was discharged from hospital on the 21st March and placed..

in the South Grove Workhouse.

That would mean that Annie Millwood was in the same place as Ada...

That then makes a link between Annie and Ada...and the suggestion that they may have been attacked by the ripper makes things even more interesting.

Ada - already in South Grove
Annie - admitted 21/03/88
Ada - discharged 27/03/88
Ada - attacked 28/03/88
Annie - dies 31/03/88


That's a striking coincidence



South Grove Workhouse was situated just a few minutes walk from Maidman Street.


And of course, not forgetting that even though it has been deemed that Ada Wilson was attacked too far East; Maidman Street was approximately a 7-minute walk away from the home of Mr George Lusk, at 1 Alderney Road.



Does the attack on Ada being released a day after she was discharged from SOuth Grove Workhouse, have anything to do with the fact she would have been in the workhouse at the exact same time that Annie Millwood was also in the same workhouse.

Does that suggest that the attacker of Ada was also a frequenter of the South Grove Workhouse?


The similarities between Ada and Annie's attack are of course completely different, but Millwood is very close to Tabram in terms of method, and so are Ada and Annie linked by the same attacker?


This is of course based entirely on your ID of Ada being correct.


But it's an interesting coincidence nonetheless



RD

[Debra A]

Hi Debs

That is great research in the OP to track detail into Ada Wilson's past.

You, and others, mention a great article by Mark Ripper in a previous Ripperologist magazine (is anyone able to upload it?) that suggests Ada's attacker was her ex-husband George who attacked her in a similar way at another time.

Did Mark provide a description of George ?

Does he fit the description of Ada and the witness / Rose who said the attacker was 25-35 y.o, fair, moustache, sunburnt face ?

You would think Ada would have said it was her ex-husband ?

Craig

Hi Craig
Just to clarify: Mark Ripper's article identified Ada Wilson as a different woman to the one I have identified. That is the reason I have said this is an alternative ID. Mark's Ada was born Zoa Ada Wilson, (but used Ada) she lived in Mile End and she married a man named Samuel. You might be able to google some of the article discussion using the full name. This Ada was a younger woman than 39. Mark suggested Ada's attacker was her husband to be, Samuel Wilson, as he attacked Ada with a knife on another occasion.

The discovery of the Mile End Infirmary records that have a 39 machinist, Ada Wilson with a husband George and the follow up with Ada Tradigan and her husband George and Ada Drew and her husband George are all part of my ID. These 3 women named Ada were all described as 'machinists.'

The issue Mark's article appeared in was Ripperologist 125 which is available for free download.

[Craig H]

Hi Debs

That is great research in the OP to track detail into Ada Wilson's past.

You, and others, mention a great article by Mark Ripper in a previous Ripperologist magazine (is anyone able to upload it?) that suggests Ada's attacker was her ex-husband George who attacked her in a similar way at another time.

Did Mark provide a description of George ?

Does he fit the description of Ada and the witness / Rose who said the attacker was 25-35 y.o, fair, moustache, sunburnt face ?

You would think Ada would have said it was her ex-husband ?

Craig

[Debra A]

1. The question of contention being based on: why Ada Drew on MArch 27th, Ada Wilson on the 28th. I have 'speculations' on the matter, but I would weclome yours first.

A point in favor (albeit tertiary) being, Ada Tradigan never strikes upon another omnibus passenger after her release in 86. Now, she may have "mended her ways", or resolved herself upon another lifestyle. Still, there is no apparent conflict of two different women appearing on the timeline [ie. Ada Tradigan receives a sixth conviction at the same time Ada Wilson is in the infirmary].

2. I would think that her name is Mary Williams based on her parent's surname. Also. She was in her early 20s at the time of her first conviction in 72, and she may haved not adopted the practice of employing aliases yet.

3. I notice the surname Drew appears in 74. An obvious conclusion would be that she met George at some time prior, but possibly after her first conviction. It would provide the time to have five children, if all of them were George's.

4. Did she receive any correspondence from George while she was incarcerated? Because he was attempting a reputable life before their cohabitation, I cannot completely conclude if he was done with her after his six-month conviction in 79, or if he had died soon after serving his sentence (thus, a lack of correspondence). Does it say when she listed him as residing at 49 Hatfield St?

5. Eviction policies & regulations would be good to know, if only to determine whether or not Ada Drew-Wilson could have left her rental abandoned for three whole months. Evidence of abandoned lodging makes her receiving a knock on her door one day after her release all the more bizarre/random. Could she have earned a rental payment reprieve bevause she was being treated in an infirmary?

Hi Robert
I can't really think of a specific explanation about why Ada Tradigan might revert back to using the 77 alias of Wilson in 88, or switched from Drew to Wilson in the space of a week even but it isn't an isolated example- Even within the case we have Mylett using specific names in specific geographic areas, and mainly to access some form of poor relief or treatment by claiming a different name and address. It's not until these names appear on certain records that we know of them at all so how or why aliases were used isn't always obvious. I did suggest a reversion to Drew and access to Whitechapel union to avoid people she may know in Mile End if she was living in Maidmans St in 88 as Ada wilson , her seeking treatment for syphilis.

Yes. I believe she may have been Mary Williams at birth but even though I know the death date of her father (or the date she was notified) there were a lot of Williams in Essex and London. The 1881 family living at Clara Villas are definitely related someohow as this is the address Ada given in Ada's records for family contact, including mother, father and husband George at certain times. Prison records mention a daughter Ada also. The trouble is that none of the people listed as Clara Villa in 1888 seemt to exist outside of the 1881 census entry! Mrs E King of Hatfield Rd, given as a c/o address for George and Ada's parents is Emma King, wife of a bell ringer/gas stoker named John but any lead from that isn't forthcoming so far.

A newspaper reported that Ada had married George a few years earlier but the couple hadn't lived together until recently (reprorting in 1879) it said.

George continued contact until the early 80s. He also visited Ada regularly at the beginning of her 79 sentence, with their two children. Her mother and father also visited regularly at the beginning but when Ada was moved to another prison the visits stopped from everyone-it may have been a purely geographical reason though, I haven't explored that idea fully. There is a note in the files, coming from her father, that all correspondence to Ada's husband George should go to the Hatfield Rd address rather than the Leytonstone Villa address. George's name is sometimes given as Tradigan in the correspondence list but that was also a common occurence when people used aliases-we see it with Joseph Flemming's mother's name being given as Evans in letters to her because he was using that alias when brought to the asylum.

I imagine that things like rent arrears and circumstances were based solely on private agreements with landlords and that it would be at the landlords discretion who he let get in to arrears and who he didn't? If Ada Wilson at Maidmans St was Ada Drew in the WI, and was assumed to be someone who would be able to make up the arrears once she arrived back or if someone was 'keeping' her might figure but that's just my guess to account for these all being the same women. If my ID is inorrect then Ada Wilson may never have been away from Maidmans St for 3 months so believing it was possible to get into 3 months arrears and only get a notice to quit when one came back on the scene doesn't really support my ID in any way.

[Debra A]

Thanks for the feedback, Robert. I'll go through all the points later today -it was too much work for a Saturday night!

[Debra A]

1. The question of contention being based on: why Ada Drew on MArch 27th, Ada Wilson on the 28th. I have 'speculations' on the matter, but I would weclome yours first.

A point in favor (albeit tertiary) being, Ada Tradigan never strikes upon another omnibus passenger after her release in 86. Now, she may have "mended her ways", or resolved herself upon another lifestyle. Still, there is no apparent conflict of two different women appearing on the timeline [ie. Ada Tradigan receives a sixth conviction at the same time Ada Wilson is in the infirmary].

2. I would think that her name is Mary Williams based on her parent's surname. Also. She was in her early 20s at the time of her first conviction in 72, and she may haved not adopted the practice of employing aliases yet.

3. I notice the surname Drew appears in 74. An obvious conclusion would be that she met George at some time prior, but possibly after her first conviction. It would provide the time to have five children, if all of them were George's.

4. Did she receive any correspondence from George while she was incarcerated? Because he was attempting a reputable life before their cohabitation, I cannot completely conclude if he was done with her after his six-month conviction in 79, or if he had died soon after serving his sentence (thus, a lack of correspondence). Does it say when she listed him as residing at 49 Hatfield St?

5. Eviction policies & regulations would be good to know, if only to determine whether or not Ada Drew-Wilson could have left her rental abandoned for three whole months. Evidence of abandoned lodging makes her receiving a knock on her door one day after her release all the more bizarre/random. Could she have earned a rental payment reprieve bevause she was being treated in an infirmary?

Motown week has been so harsh!..Cos you don't really love me..
The rules around here are you have to prove I'm wrong. Ask Simon, Phil C and Trevor M. How much work do you want me to do !

[Robert St Devil]

Widow of George



1. The question of contention being based on: why Ada Drew on MArch 27th, Ada Wilson on the 28th. I have 'speculations' on the matter, but I would weclome yours first.

A point in favor (albeit tertiary) being, Ada Tradigan never strikes upon another omnibus passenger after her release in 86. Now, she may have "mended her ways", or resolved herself upon another lifestyle. Still, there is no apparent conflict of two different women appearing on the timeline [ie. Ada Tradigan receives a sixth conviction at the same time Ada Wilson is in the infirmary].

2. I would think that her name is Mary Williams based on her parent's surname. Also. She was in her early 20s at the time of her first conviction in 72, and she may haved not adopted the practice of employing aliases yet.

3. I notice the surname Drew appears in 74. An obvious conclusion would be that she met George at some time prior, but possibly after her first conviction. It would provide the time to have five children, if all of them were George's.

4. Did she receive any correspondence from George while she was incarcerated? Because he was attempting a reputable life before their cohabitation, I cannot completely conclude if he was done with her after his six-month conviction in 79, or if he had died soon after serving his sentence (thus, a lack of correspondence). Does it say when she listed him as residing at 49 Hatfield St?

5. Eviction policies & regulations would be good to know, if only to determine whether or not Ada Drew-Wilson could have left her rental abandoned for three whole months. Evidence of abandoned lodging makes her receiving a knock on her door one day after her release all the more bizarre/random. Could she have earned a rental payment reprieve bevause she was being treated in an infirmary?

[Debra A]

Thanks, Dusty. I didn't have much luck with Tradigan in use as a surname but there were variations like Trudigan/Trudgeon/Tradgean and similar that I thougtht were probably variations of the name.

[drstrange169]

You are probably already across it, but if it's of any use, the only Tedigan I could find was a death notice in various Welsh newspapers at the end of July 1886.

[Debra A]

Hi Debs

Could Ada have been a 40 Elephant? Just speculating off the Elephant&Castle. And being an experienced thief.

Hi RSD

Thanks. That's an interesting idea. There is nothing in her prison records or news reports to suggest this though. She worked with male partners usually.

[Robert St Devil]

Hi Debs

Could Ada have been a 40 Elephant? Just speculating off the Elephant&Castle. And being an experienced thief.

[Debra A]

I'd love to get some feedback on this research. It's a possible ID of Ada Wilson, taking in to account the pretty convincing ID of Mark Ripper's in Ripperologist, I'd welcome some peer review!

Ada Wilson was attacked on the 28th March 1888 at Maidman St. Several newspapers repoting on the attack gave Ada's age as 39.
Ada Wilson was taken to the London Hospital and discharged from there on 27th April 88
These are the facts.

From here on is a tentative ID of Ada Wilson for anyone who feels inclined to look over and give an opinion on:
With this ID there is a picture but I'd like to keep that back at present and hope others will respect this as one of the names is a rare name that brings up obvious results including that picture.

After the attack-Ada would have been discharged from the London Hospital once her wound was on the mend but it was often the case that people who still were not able to earn a living because of an injury were admitted into Union Infirmaries to recover fully. With this in mind I first came across this interesting record:
One day after Ada Wilson's discharge from the London Hospital, on April 28th 1888 -a woman also named Ada Wilson, age 39, was admitted to the Mile End Workhouse She is described in the Porters' book as the widow of Geo. [no surname] an engineer. Ada was described as destitute . She was sent on to the Mile workhouse first then admitted to the Mile End Infirmary the same day. She spent eight weeks in the Infirmary before discharge which would be apt for recovery from a serious throat wound.
Mile End Workhouse/Infirmary would be the place Ada Wilson was sent as her address before the attack was Mile End.
Mile End Workhouse Porter's Admission and Discharge 1887-1888Admitted 28th April, Ada Wilson, 39, widow of George, engineer, destitute

Mile End Infirmary creed register Admitted 28th April 1888 and 1889 ? (page damaged) Ada Wilson, 39

Mile End Infirmary Admissions and Discharges
Admitted Sat April 28th 1888 Ada Wilson age 39 C of E, no address,
Discharged Mon 25th June 1888 at own request

Searching the available records there are no women named Ada Wilson of the right age, married to a man named George in the census records.However, there is a woman who sometimes went by the name of Ada Wilson whose real name was Ada Tradigan and she appears in the female convict licence records. This Ada was around the right age and interestingly, was also married to a man named George:

Here are some newspaper details of Ada and George's escapades:

Morning Post 05 March 1879
George Drew, 40, gunsmith and Ada Tredigan, 28, married, were placed in the dock to be sentenced. The prisoners were found guilty yesterday upon an indictment for having stolen a pair of spectacles from the person of Agnes Henderson while in an omnibus in the Waterloo-road, and had been remanded in order that a list of previous convictions might be formally proved against the female prisoner. Mrs Wiltshire, from the Westminster House of correction, now attended, and said that the woman had been convicted four times for robberies from the person, the last sentence being nine months imprisonment and four years police supervision in July 1877. Since her release detectives had watched her, and had seen her frequently riding in omnibuses starting from the Elephant and castle, and there was little doubt that she was an experienced thief. It was stated that she had been married to the other prisoner some years ago, but up till Christmas last they had not lived together, and that Drew was in respectable employment and possessed a good character until that period.
The chairman sentenced Drew to six months imprisonment with hard labour, but said that in view of the previous convictions against the female prisoner he must pass in her case the heavy sentence of 10 years penal servitude.

Here's a bried bio of Ada Tradigan from several sources:
Born: 1851, in Newington, Surrey. father J H Williams (prison records give parents address as Clara Villa, Harrow Road).
Married to: George Drew aged 40 and a gunsmith (Morning Post, 5 March 1879) (they had married some years before 1879, but had not lived together until Christmas 1878 and that Drew was in respectable employment and possessed a good character until that period.He is mentioned in the prison records in1885, but may have died sometime between then and 1888 if this is the widow Ada Wilson in the workhouse records). Ada Tradigan had 5 children, 3 living. The prison records also list a Mrs Williams (mother), of Eleanor Villa Harrow Road and Clara Villa Harrow Road, a letter from daughter 'Ada’ and brother George, both at the same address. Also Mr Williams (noted as father) c/o 49 Hatfield St.The same address was used as a contact for husband George Drew [also called George Tradigan sometimes in the records]

checking further on some of these details and addresses:

Living at 49 Hatfield St Southwark in 1881 is a John King, bellhanger and gas fitter and his wife Emma. Emma was born 1849 Lambeth. a Mrs E King of 49 Hatfield Rd (given as a c/o address for Ada's parents) is listed in the prison records several times, plus a letter from her is included in the file.

Also at the address at Clara Villas Harrow Rd Leyton given in the prison records:
1881 Census
Clara Villa Harrow Rd Leyton
William Williams head , 45 butcher b London
Harriott Williams, wife 44 b Tolness Devon
Harry Williams, son, 19 b London
Walter Williams, 16, son, b London
Albert Williams 14, son b London
Elizabeth ??i? visitor widow 50 b Leytonstone
Beatrice Farrer visitor 13 b Leytonstone
Ada Farrer visitor 3 b Leytonstone

criminal record and aliases for Ada Tradigan:

Oval face, dark complexion, black hair, hazel eyes, 5ft 3.5 in tall, stout (10st 9oz/149ibs). Mole on left breast and on side of neck, scar on left leg. Ears pierced. A tailoress/machinist by occupation (the latter being her occupation before marriage). Health: very bad; rheumatic and typhoid fevers.

Her convictions-
1872, 1 June
As Mary Williams, 6 months, Malboro' St {Police Court)

1874, 7 December
As Emma (or Anna) Drew, 4 months, Middlesex Sessions, Larceny from the person & receiving. (London Evening Standard 12 November 1874, Emma Drew, shabbily dressed, 34, robbing a purse from a woman's pocket in an omnibus. Found in possession of other stolen property also taken shortly before from another omnibus. Accomplice who was on the roof and came to court and was recognised and arrested was later named in newspapers as William (or John) Clarke, 15, Union Place, Blackfriars.)

1875, 8 September
As Ellen West, 3 months, Marlboro’ St (London Evening Standard 10 September 1875. Ellen West Robbing a purse property of Mrs Shipton on an Atlas Omnibus said to have been a regular of the omnibus and suspected by the conductor of being a thief, along with a companion.)

1877, 9 July
As Ada Wilson, 9 months, Middlesex Sessions, Larceny from the person &receiving after a P.C.F (London Evening Standard 03 July 1877. Alleged robbery in an omnibus. Ada Wilson alias Ada Wilton living at the East End of London. Convicted Middlesex session)

1879, 4 February - sentenced to 10-years imprisonment
As Ada Tradigan, 10 years at Wandsworth from 4/3/79, Millbank from 15/4/79, Fullham from 13/11/79 [* appears on 81 census at Fullham Prison] Woking from 6/4/82, Licensed 20/4/86 via Fullham 13/4/86. George Drew [husband] was also convicted for same case in 1879 and received 6 months - he stated it as his intention On release will reside at 86 Armer? Rd Old Ford, Bow 23 Sept 1879

There are also four further infirmary or workhouse entries for a woman named Ada Drew in the Whitechapel Infirmary and SGE workhouse, of a similar age. Ada Drew also claims to be the widow of George. There are no married couples named Ada and George Drew in the UK census etc., nor any Ada Drew of a similar age who is a married woman. Ada Drew is also listed as a 'machinist' which is something 'Ada Tradigan', Ada Wilson and Ada Drew had in common, as well as a husband named George.

Here are the Whitechapel and SGE entries:
Note that the 87 WI discharge entry is only a few weeks before the attack on Ada, and if it is the same woman she was admitted for syphilis and was was staying in the Whitechapel area a few weeks before her attack in March 88. The newspaper clipping on Ada Wilson's crimes state she lived in the East End of London.

Whitechapel infirmary
Admitted 31 12 87 Ada Drew, 36, admitted from casual ward, widow of Geo. broker? 2 nights settlement (in Whitechapel) , admitted for syphilis, discharged 20 Feb 88

South Grove Mile End Rd creed register (admissions register for South Grove 88 not available)
Feb 22 1888 Ada Drew b 1854, admitted from Christchurch, machinist, widow, discharged 27 3 88

Whitechapel infirmary
admitted Feb 9th 1889 Ada Drew 35, 30 Dorset St widow of Geo. a dealer ulcer of heel, settlement 3 months .

Raine St workhouse a&d 1890
Feb 13th 1890 Ada Drew 1854 destitute
widow, machinist 40 cannon St Rd discharged 21st Feb 90

Interesting that the South Grove workhouse entry discharge is one day before the attack on Ada Wilson and South Grove workhouse, according to my reckoning, is pretty close to Maidman Street? Can anyone confirm this?


All of these women were the same age, none of their infirmary stays overlap or contradict each other, all the women were machinists as Ada Wilson was and all the women were married to men named George, as the Mile End 88 Porter's book mentionns, if it is to be beleived that is.
I'd welcome any thoughts, questions or feedback on this. I realise it's pretty complicated as an ID !
Thanks
Debs x
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