I have found some more interesting information for those of you who have read Part One of this blog post.

HUGGY bEARS THE BURDEN

In the previous post, I showed that Dr George Hugginson Wilson was facing bankruptcy proceedings issued on the 17th of March, 1876. This advert below was placed in The Liverpool Daily Post the day before, clearly stating that Dr G.H. Wilson was the occupier.

It still begs the question of how a midwifery doctor, who only got his medical licence a year prior, managed to afford to live in such luxury. The obvious answer is he couldn’t. This man was perfected into the Freemasons at the same time as James Maybrick in 1873. Both had Normanston as their address.

BUTLER’S BACK

James Maybrick is also linked to Normanston via Butler Gasquoine, a stockbroker who also worked at Knowsley Buildings from around 1870 onwards.

Butler’s son Butler Cleveland died on 31st December 1867 at Normanston.

In 1872 James’s business was based at number 28 Knowlsley buildings. Later in 1876, he was based at 37, next door to Gasquoine.

Later we have this newspaper advertisement from 1873 which claims Butler Gasquoine was selling his property called ‘Holmefield’.

MY THEORY

It’s my belief that Dr George Hugginson Wilson was somehow assisted by James Maybrick to acquire residence at Normanston because of his relationship with Butler Gasquoine. By the census in 1871, Butler Gasquoine was living on Part Street in Southport, close to the station. He moves again to Holmefield before subsequently looking to sell that property in 1873.

In 1871, Scottish merchant John McLaren, with his family, takes on one of the properties in the Normanston estate. I suggest that from 1872 to 1876, Dr George Hugginson Wilson was at least partly sponsored by James Maybrick to take on the other property on the estate. I do not believe James Maybrick ever lived on the premises. However, it cannot be ruled out. Only James’s business address appears on the electoral register between 1873 to 1875.

I believe by this point, Sarah Ann Robertson had already lost a number of children. Having a soon-to-be qualified specialist doctor on-hand in the field of midwifery may have been seen as useful in keeping any further children alive.

Not only that, if the children were illegitimate, which all the evidence indicates they most likely were, he is, in effect, also guaranteeing discretion from a fellow mason and someone he has personally assisted. I do not believe this strategy ultimately worked for James.

By late 1875 / early 1876, his relationship with Sarah Ann may have soured to the point of separation. James is also spending more and more time in America at this stage. This also ties in chronologically when Thomas and Christiana Conconi move from Sheerness in Kent back to London. James simply had no further need for Huggy.

With that, Dr Wilson was unable to continue living and maintaining the lifestyle he had become accustomed to at Normanston through his own means and was forced to declare bankruptcy. The embarrassment was most likely the catalyst for his subsequent move to Spain.

If I successfully track down any of the illegitimate children born in this period in Liverpool, the case for this theory becomes stronger. Even more so if Dr Wilson can be linked to them in any meaningful way.

Why would any of this matter if true? It would endorse my belief that James Maybrick did not care about the destruction and chaos he caused in people’s lives. Often on the surface, appearing to be helpful and supportive, but ultimately manipulative and self-interested. Lives were ultimately commodities to be traded and discarded as and when he saw fit. Perhaps Florence was the one person he may have acquired genuine affection for.

JACK THE RIPPER: THREADS

Think you know Jack the Ripper? Think again.

In ‘Jack the Ripper: Threads’, Jay Hartley presents a compelling fictional exploration of the idea that the infamous serial killer was actually James Maybrick, a cotton merchant from Liverpool. Using a mix of fact and fiction, this historical crime thriller brings to life actual events and characters from the era in a way that will challenge everything you thought you knew about this unsolved case.

With gripping prose and meticulous attention to detail, Hartley paints a vivid picture of Maybrick’s life and his possible involvement in the gruesome murders that terrorised London’s Whitechapel district in 1888.

But the story doesn’t end there. Did one of Maybrick’s family members murder him in 1889, bringing an end to the Ripper’s reign of terror?

This debut novel will keep you on the edge of your seat as you follow the clues and try to piece together the truth behind one of history’s most baffling mysteries.

So if you’re ready to challenge your assumptions and dive into a world of intrigue and deception, ‘Jack the Ripper: Threads’ is the book for you.