Attempted Suicide of a Maniac - Update

Citation

"Police [Court,] Marylebone" The Standard No. 2912 [London], Thursday 08 September 1836, p. 4 col. 1-3; digital images, British Newspaper Archive (http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000183/18360908/025/0004?browse=false : accessed 14 Feb 2015)

Transcription

POLICE. [. . .]
MARYLEBONE -- Yesterday [. . .]
A maniac, who gave his name "Joseph Hume,"[1] was
brought before the magistrate, having been found wander-
ing about on Hampstead-heath in a state of distraction by
police-constable 218 S, whom he seized by the throat,
and would have strangled, had not assistance promptly
arrived.
He was ordered to be delivered to his friends, who are
said to live on Saffron-hill.

Close Reading (information clarifying the transcript and enlarging upon the information provided)

[1] In the previous article about this individual "Attempted Suicide of a Maniac" he was only named as a person called Hume with a brother and sister living on Saffron Hill.

Commentary

In the absence of this second article, which was found by my 'half 4th cousin once removed', my reading of the case was that Archibald Hume was the person arrested. On that presumption, I assumed that the brother and sister would be Hugh Hume and Elisabeth Hume nee Naylor. Whilst the article did say brother and sister I considered it would be referring to brother and sister-in-law. The only inconsistency in that assumption is that it states the person was a master plumber living on Saffron Hill. Hugh was living on Saffron Hill whilst Archibald was close by in Clerkenwell.

The addition of my cousin's article adds a name for the individual, Joseph Hume, and states he was delivered to his friends who live on Saffron Hill.

At this date (September 1836) Hugh and Elizabeth Hume were living at 69 Saffron Hill, St Andrews, Holborn, Middlesex. Archibald and Mary Hume were living at 32 St Helena Place, St James, Clerkenwell, Middlesex. At this point, both Hugh and Archibald are employed as plumbers.

I tried to trace a Joseph Hume in the wider family and drew a blank. In addition, I reviewed the 1841 and 1851 censuses for both Saffron Hill and Clerkenwell and cannot find another Hume who was a plumber. In addition, I have looked at the trade directories for the area at this time and also drawn a blank for other Hume plumbers. I’ve found Scottish bookselling and paper staining Humes but not plumbers.

I have also drawn a blank on any reference to a Martha as a member of the Hume families. I do wonder however if this ‘maniac’ was referring to the biblical Mary and Martha sisters of Lazarus in relation to taking them out of their graves?

So where I am with this at present is that in the absence of other evidence we cannot be certain about who this individual is. The name reported in the newspaper may not be correct - either misreported or the individual did not provide his correct first name. It seems from both articles that he was a Hume with links to Saffron Hill which seems to link quite strongly with our family. In addition, the occupation as a plumber is also a strong circumstantial linkage.

Sadly there aren’t any surviving records from the Marylebone Police Courts from these dates and there aren’t any records for the Peckham House Insane Asylum where Archibald eventually died so I suspect we will not get to the bottom of this mystery.

I will be looking into whether Holborn or Clerkenwell Parish records exist which include any information about Archibald's transfer to Peckham House Lunatic Asylum but I would be happy to receive any other suggestions for where to look for information.

Have you had difficulty tracking down an ancestor in the newspapers of the day? If so we would be delighted to hear from you in the comments below.

Attempted Suicide of a Maniac

Citation

"Attempted Suicide of a Maniac" The Morning Post No. 20516 (London), Thursday 08 September 1836, p. 4 col. 1; digital images, British Newspaper Archive (http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000174/18360908/024/0004 : accessed 31 Jan 2015)

Transcript

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF A MANIAC -- A man of wild ap-
pearance, respectably dressed, was charged as follows:-
It appeared from the evidence of police constable S.218 [1]
that about seven o'clock that morning he was told that a mad-
man was wandering about Hampstead Heath. He and an-
other constable went there, and saw the prisoner on the bank
of a pond, just about to throw himself in. They caught hold
of him, when he knocked them down several times, kicked
them and it was not till more assistance was procured that he
could be overpowered. He had since ascertained that the
prisoner's name was Hume and that he was a master plumber
living on Saffron-hill.
Mr. Rawlinson (to prisoner) -- What were you doing on
Hampstead Heath?
Prisoner -- I don't know.
Mr. Rawlinson -- Why did you strike the constables?
Prisoner -- I couldn't help it : they touched me : we're all
unjust men : I've been in prison from eternity, and was very
happy.
Mr. Rawlinson -- Can you tell where your friends live?
Prisoner -- No, I can tell where they died, and where I
took them out of their graves. Mary, Martha! oh, oh!
(here he burst into a fit of laughter.)
Mr Rawlinson having sent the constable to Saffron-hill, he
returned with the prisoner's sister and brother [2], to whom, they
having promised to take care of him, the unfortunate man
was given up.

Close Reading (information clarifying the transcript and enlarging upon the information provided)

[1] "Where records mention an officer's division they often use the following letter codes: ... No. 2 District: D - ... S - Hampstead" (The National Archives Guide reference: Domestic Records Information 52 - London Metropolitan and Transport Police)
[2] Hugh Hume was a plumber at 69 Great Saffron Hill (Robson's London Directory, 19th Edition, 1839). It is not clear whether the 'maniac' referred to here is Hugh Hume or not. His brother Archibald Hume was also based in London (at 32 St Helena Place, St James, Clerkenwell at this time) and died on 29 July 1857 at the Peckham House Lunatic Asylum, Camberwell, Surrey.

Transcription of Post Office London Directory 1841 - Great Saffron Hill and Little Saffron Hill

Citation

Frederic Kelly, The Post Office London Directory. Comprising, amongst other information, street directory, commercial directory, trades' directory... [Part 1: Street, Commercial, & Trades Directories], Kelly’s Directories Ltd, London, 1841, pages 109 and 153, University of Leicester, Special Collections Online, http://cdm16445.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16445coll4/id/8844, accessed 23 January 2015.

Transcript

Great Saffron hill, 10 Hatton wall.
[Header]	1841.] Street Directory 109
[Footer]
[Number]	[Surname]	[Forename]	[Business]
31	Stradling & Comfort		chandlers
69	Hume	Hue	plumber
71	Gunby	John	carpenter
72	Bedhouse	Thomas	water gilder
73	Jones	Samuel	ivory turner
70	Le Gier & Goodwin		bed & mattress ma
100	Colliss	Moses A	glass manufactory
111	Fox	Charles James	rouge manufr
129	Paul	George	printers' joiner

Little Saffron hill, 16 Hatton wall.
[Header]	1841.] Street Directory 153
[Footer]
[Number]	[Surname]	[Forename]	[Business]
1	Fleetwood	Thomas	auctioneer, &c
7	Bridle & Knight		timber merchants
9	Manning	William	wireworker
10	Harley	Benj	musical instrument ma
19	Lomax	John	turner
21	Shaler	James	fur & skin dyer

Transcription of Robson's London Directory 1828 - Great Saffron Hill

Citation

William Robson, Robson London Commercial Directory, Street Key and Conveyance List, 8th Edition, 1828, London Metropolitan Archives, microfilm, 96917/43 MF43, accessed 15 April 2014.

Transcript

Saffron hill Great, Hatton Garden
[Header]
[Footer]
[Number]	[Surname]	[Forename]	[Business]
5	Rivolta	Jos
16	Power	John
17	Sully	John
21	Bond	James
24	Green	Jones
26	Jones	Thomas
31	Stradling	J E
34	Josolyne	John
58	Healey	Josh
71	Harrow	Josh
76	Gunby	John
95	Barnett	William
101½	Edwards	John
111	Woolard	J
	Fox	Charles James
114	Coke & Jowers
115	Hammond	William
122	Potter & Co
124	Hindenburg	John
128	Bullock	John
129	Paul	G
130	Johnson	William
137	Solomons	Jobn

Transcription of Robson's London Directory 1839 - Great Saffron Hill

Citation

Citation

William Robson, Robson's London Directory, 19th Edition, 1839, Pg. 262, London Metropolitan Archives, microfilm 96917/52 MF52, accessed 15 April 2014.

Transcript

Saffron hill, Gt, Hatton - gar
[Header]
[Footer] 262
4 and 5	Kendall	Chas	bootmaker
6	Short	Robt	grocer
9	Munday	Eliz	retailer of beer
11	French	Thos	“Distillers’ Arms”
17	Sully	J	compo ornament maker
19	Crick	J	“Horseshoe and Magpie”
20	Carty	Edw	marine store dealer
22	Freeman	Wm	smith
24	Dolling	Wm	grocer
25	Rhodes	Thos	gro and cheesemonger
29	Dolling	Jno	grocer
30	Paul	M	grocer
31	Stradling	J E	tallow chandler
34	Cooke	Jas	baker
36	Jacobs	Woolfe	spectacle maker
40	Hawkins	W	slopseller
41	Slone [?Stone]	Beaj	“Hog in Armour”
42	Nichols	Jno	porkman
49 and 50	Stanley	—	gen dlr & brkr
50	Beeson	Jno	“White Horse”
50	Topley	Rich	iron manger
58	Healey	Jos	glass dealer
59	Benson	M	“Golden Anchor”
60	Gauntlett	Sm	grocer
64	Shrimpton	Chas	saddler
68	Collis	Jas	glass warehouse
69	Hume	Hugh	plumber
71	Gunby	Jno	carpenter
72	Bedhouse	Thos	water gilder
73	James	Saml	ivory turner
76	Le Geir & Goodwin		bd & bld ms
81	Flack	Jno	chair maker
82	Kegele	Wm	furniture broker
89	Solomon	Jno	clothes salesman
90	Harding	Wm	baker
91	Kyberd	P	smoke jacket maker
92	Gould	Thos	“Ship”
94	Wild	Jos	whitesmith
95	Sanklin	Jon	marine store dealer
98	Keesing	Henry	clothes salesman
100	Collis	M A	glass cutr &maker
101	Phillips	Alex	clothes salesman
106	Fitzgerald	Jas	undertaker
111	Fox	C J	putty pow & rouge mr
121	Rebbeck	Cath	“Coopers’ Arms”
122	Holmes	John	baker
123	Burge	Wm	bootmaker
124	Hudson	G	biscuit maker
127	Dixie	Wm	“One Tun”
128	Swift	C F	tobacconist
129	Paul	G & W	printers
129	Paul	Geo	printing press maker
130	Hoffmeister	Alex	baker
147 & 148	Powell	Geo	boot & shoe m