Record revealed
Hoax letter signed by ‘Jack the Ripper’
This is one of hundreds of letters in police files claiming to have been written by the infamous Whitechapel Murderer – otherwise known as 'Jack the Ripper'.
Item
Prisoner name: John Collins. Prisoner age: 23. Court and date of trial: Lancaster...
Catalogue reference: HO 17/123/198
What’s it about?
This record is about the Prisoner name: John Collins. Prisoner age: 23. Court and date of trial: Lancaster... dating from 1832 May 14 in the series Home Office: Criminal Petitions, Series I. It is held at The National Archives, Kew.
Is it available online?
Yes, this record is available from a third party. How to view it.
Can I see it in person?
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Full description and record details
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Reference (The unique identifier to the record described, used to order and refer to it)
- HO 17/123/198
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Date (When the record was created)
- 1832 May 14
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Description (What the record is about)
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Prisoner name: John Collins.
Prisoner age: 23.
Court and date of trial: Lancaster Quarter Sessions held at Salford April 1832.
Crime: Stealing cloth.
Initial sentence: Seven years transportation.
Gaoler's report: Character bad. Tried in April 1828 and acquitted. Convicted January 1831 and once imprisoned for attempting to commit a felony.
Petitioner(s): Robert Collins prisoner's father and 22 signatories.
Grounds for clemency (Petition Details): Seduced by crafty and designing characters; weak intellect; distressed parents.
Other papers: Note from Robert Peel forwarding petition; certificate by John Jonathan Steele confirming the veracity of facts contained in petition.
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Held by (Who holds the record)
- The National Archives, Kew
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Former department reference (Former identifier given by the originating creator)
- Yq 30
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Legal status (A note as to whether the record being described is a Public Record or not)
- Public Record(s)
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Closure status (Whether the record is ‘open’ (available to the public) or ‘closed’ (not available due to a legal exemption))
- Open Document, Open Description
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Subjects (Categories and themes found in our collection (our subject list is under development, and some records may have no subjects or fewer than expected))
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- Topics
- Transportation
- Pardons
- Crime
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Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C16850911/
How to order it
- View this record page in our current catalogue
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Series information
HO 17
Home Office: Criminal Petitions, Series I
See the series level description for more information about this record.
Catalogue hierarchy
Over 27 million records
This record is held at The National Archives, Kew
1,720,231 records
Within the department: HO
Records created or inherited by the Home Office, Ministry of Home Security, and related...
19,921 records
Within the series: HO 17
Home Office: Criminal Petitions, Series I
232 records
Within the piece: HO 17/123
Petitions referenced Yn, Yo, Yp and Yq. (Described at item level)
You are currently looking at the item: HO 17/123/198
Prisoner name: John Collins. Prisoner age: 23. Court and date of trial: Lancaster...
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