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: George Cross. Crime: Leaving his wife chargeable to the parish....
Catalogue reference: HO 18/166/23
What’s it about?
This record is about the Prisoner name: George Cross. Crime: Leaving his wife chargeable to the parish.... dating from 1845 in the series Home Office: Criminal Petitions, Series II. It is held at The National Archives, Kew.
Is it available online?
Yes, this record is available from a third party. Alternatively, you can view it online for free at The National Archives. 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 18/166/23
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Date (When the record was created)
- 1845
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Description (What the record is about)
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Prisoner name: George Cross.
Crime: Leaving his wife chargeable to the parish.
Initial sentence: Committed to Lawsford Gate Gaol for 3 months.
Outcome: 6 weeks imprisonment.
Petitions and letters: Petition from Joseph Hall, builder and the prisoner's employer, informing that he had employed the prisoner for four years and he was supporting his two children. He was not supporting his wife because she was living with another man in Bristol. The committing magistrate has confirmed he would not have sentenced Cross if he had known the facts.
A letter from H W Newman, magistrate, recommends half the sentence. With a copy of the information of Henry Matthews, assistant overseer of the poor of the hamlet of Bilton, confirming that Cross' wife is living with another man.
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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)
- 166/23
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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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Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C20875922/
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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
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You are currently looking at the item: HO 18/166/23
Prisoner name: George Cross. Crime: Leaving his wife chargeable to the parish....
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