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: Joseph Turner alias John Bowles, aged 19. Court and Date of Trial:...
Catalogue reference: HO 18/178/29
What’s it about?
This record is about the Prisoner name: Joseph Turner alias John Bowles, aged 19. Court and Date of Trial:... dating from 1846 Feb-1847 Dec in the series Home Office: Criminal Petitions, Series II. It is held at The National Archives, Kew.
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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)
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HO 18/178/29
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Date (When the record was created)
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1846 Feb-1847 Dec
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Description (What the record is about)
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Prisoner name: Joseph Turner alias John Bowles, aged 19.
Court and Date of Trial: Suffolk Quarter Sessions, Beccles, January 1844.
Crime: Horse stealing, namely a black mare pony, value £9, the property of Robert Godbold of Bungay, and a bay mare, value £20, the property of Jeremiah Bothenight of Bungay, together with William Trudgill (two indictments).
Initial sentence: One year's imprisonment and 10 years transportation.
Gaoler's Report: Character good. Conduct good on board York hulk.
Outcome: Nil.
Petitions and letters: Three petitions from Thomas Dixon of 6 Smith's Buildings, Cambridge Road, Mile End, London, then of 44 Beaumont Square, Stepney, vicar of Tibenham, Norfolk, the prisoner's parish, pleading ill health (scrofula), previous good conduct, led astray by others and would be employed if released, or that he be sent as free emigrant to Van Diemen's Land, the second with certificate from chaplain and governor of Ipswich gaol, testifying to good conduct in prison, and covering letter.
Report from chairman of Quarter Sessions stating that petitioner is 'a most worthless, profligate character' and finding no grounds for mitigation, with copy evidence.
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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)
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178/29
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Legal status (A note as to whether the record being described is a Public Record or not)
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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))
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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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Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C18289857/
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Series information
HO 18
Home Office: Criminal Petitions, Series II
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
1,719,919 records
Within the department: HO
Records created or inherited by the Home Office, Ministry of Home Security, and related...
14,553 records
Within the series: HO 18
Home Office: Criminal Petitions, Series II
67 records
Within the piece: HO 18/178
Petitions. (Described at item level)
You are currently looking at the item: HO 18/178/29
Prisoner name: Joseph Turner alias John Bowles, aged 19. Court and Date of Trial:...
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