During the search for Jack the Ripper members of the public wrote to the newspapers and the police with their theories. On 3 October 1888 the Daily Telegraph published a letter from X of St Albans who reported that a lunatic, considered dangerous to women, had escaped from Leavesden asylum the previous year. His name […]
On 19 September 1888 Sir Charles Warren, Head of the Metropolitan police, named a suspect in the search for a murderer who would soon be called Jack the Ripper. He wrote: “A man named Puckeridge was released from an asylum on 4 August. He was educated as a surgeon – has threatened to rip people […]
I am often asked to recommend a book about Jack the Ripper. My answer is always Phillip Sugden’s Complete History. First published in 1994 this is a masterclass of quality research presented in a readable narrative. It persuaded historians to take the topic seriously, with the forthcoming Routledge Handbook showcasing the growing interest of professionals […]
On 15 August 1914 the poet John Barlas died in the Gartnavel Royal Asylum, Glasgow, aged 54. According to his friend, Robert Sherard, Barlas gave away his fortune and became destitute. On New Years Eve 1891 he fired a revolver at the House of Commons. Oscar Wilde paid part of his bail. Afterwards his mental […]
The Routledge Handbook of Jack the Ripper studies will be published on 27 November 2025. This is an extensive multi examination of the 1888 Whitechapel murders across multiple disciplines with forty chapters written by experts in each field. My contribution covers copycat and legacy killings. More information is available here, https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-of-Jack-the-Ripper-Studies/Kilday-Nash-Watson/p/book/9781032203348
Six years ago, I published a book outlining the evidence for and against 333 Jack the Ripper suspects. Since then, the number of people accused has risen again. My most disturbing finding was the number of plausible candidates, men capable of committing such terrible atrocities. Given the lack of direct evidence my preference is to […]
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