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 Curtis. Court and Date of Trial: Edinburgh Sherrif's Court,...
Catalogue reference: HO 18/166/31
What’s it about?
This record is about the Prisoner name: John Curtis. Court and Date of Trial: Edinburgh Sherrif's Court,... dating from 1845-1846 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?
No, this record is not available to see in person at The National Archives. Other ways to view it.
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 18/166/31
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Date (When the record was created)
- 1845-1846
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Description (What the record is about)
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Prisoner name: John Curtis.
Court and Date of Trial: Edinburgh Sherrif's Court, 1845.
Crime: Theft.
Initial sentence: Imprisonment 9 months.
Outcome: Nil.
Petitions and letters: Petition from the prisoner pleading his innocence and due to a legal issue with his defence, he was not allowed to produce witnesses to establish an alibi.
Forwarded by Richard Arthur, solicitor, with a certified copy of the court proceedings.
Petition from Ann Curtis, the mother of the prisoner, saying her son is innocent and that George Hume, having died in prison, made a dying declaration that the prisoner was innocent.
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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)
- 166/31
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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
- Litigation
- Crime
- Prisons
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Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C20875930/
How to order it
- View this record page in our current catalogue
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- Select an option and follow instructions
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 18/166/31
Prisoner name: John Curtis. Court and Date of Trial: Edinburgh Sherrif's Court,...
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