As featured in our 17th March 2007 Fine Art & Antique sale

Lot 235 A late 19th century brown silk screen printed shawl decorated with Michaelmas daisies, 8ft (with some sections cut out and torn).  (Illus.)

Provenance:

According to the vendors’ family history this shawl is purported to have belonged to Jack the Ripper victim Catherine Eddowes, and was removed from her body by his great, great uncle Acting Sergeant Amos Simpson who was based near Mitre Square in the East End of London.   However, there is some controversy surrounding the authenticity of this story and interested parties are advised to do their own research before bidding.  The shawl spent some time in The Metropolitan Police Crime (Black) Museum, and in 2006 was subject to inconclusive forensic testing for a programme on Channel 5.

 The story of the shawl is discussed at length in Appendix One of Kevin O’Donnell’s book The Jack the Ripper Whitechapel Murders based on research by Andy & Sue Parlour; a copy is available on demand in the office.

A Brief History:

Between August and November 1888 the Whitechapel area of London was the scene of (at least) five brutal murders of women who were working as prostitutes.  The killer became known as 'Jack the Ripper'.  He was never caught and he is not thought to have killed again after November 1888.  Much speculation surrounds the possible identity of the murderer and many varied theories have been put forward over the years ranging from a member of the Royal household, through doctors, butchers, an artist and even a woman. 

Catherine Eddowes is generally believed to be the fourth victim of Jack the Ripper.  She was murdered and mutilated on 30th September - the second woman killed that night in what is termed “the double event”.   Her body was found in Mitre Square, approximately ten minutes walk away from the police station where she had just been released from for being drunk and disorderly.  

The murders were considered too much for the local Whitechapel (H) Division C.I.D to handle alone and extra men were drafted in from other areas.  After the Eddowes murder the City Police were also engaged on the hunt for the killer.

Amos Simpson was born in 1847 at Acton, Sudbury, Suffolk. He joined the Metropolitan Police in 1868 and was posted to Y Division (Kentish Town). In 1881 he was promoted to Acting Sergeant and in 1886 he was posted N Division (Islington). At its Southern point N Division is very close to the City boundary and Mitre Square. Simpson retired to pension in March 1893 and he died on 10th April 1917 at Barrow Hill, Acton.