Having been a beat reporter for a few years, I'm used to the facts finding me. That hasn't been the case with Mary's story.
Research is fascinating but can be overwhelming. I find myself getting sidetracked by research in an effort to find that one illusive fact that will thread together an unforgettable story. I have no previous knowledge of or even interest in the Victorian era, so I'm having to conduct a great deal of ancillary research just to get a sense of time and place.
I'm not complaining - mind you - because finding nuggets of fact
mired in the useless detail of scholarly work is like hooking a large
fish after an otherwise fruitless day on a cold lake. Instantly, I'm
filled with excitement and the
angst of hours sifting throughunusable material vanishes.
Most of the accurate and best research I've located is housed in library and newspaper archives in England. I've sent for 235 pages of court records from the National Archives and expect them any day. I also had the good fortune of visiting the Boston Public Library where I found excellent newspaper accounts of Mary's investigation and trial. I'm scanning them now and will upload on another post.
Through newspaperarchives.com I located much of the American coverage. I'm including some of the more interesting write ups here. It took some time to locate these clippings, as I hadn't realized how badly reporters deformed Mary's name. Her last name was spelled Pearcy, Piercey, Percy, Percie, depending on the account. In the American press, Mary was known as Nellie Pearcey, not Mary Pearcey. Worse still, Phoebe Hoggs was spelled Phoebe Hobbs in the American press.
This has made research most challenging but somehow apt too, as Mary is beginning to emerge as something of a shape shifter; a woman with
enough imagination to constantly reinvent her past and present
depending on the moment.
Something of interest to Ripper aficionados is how quickly the rumor spread that Phoebe and baby Tiggie's murders were the work of Jack the Ripper. I've included an article written by an American journalist that debunks that wildly spreading rumor. It really sheds light onto the psychology and constant fear that permeated the Hampstead and Whitechapel communities.
In my research, I've had the good fortune of running into several people who are much more skilled at research than I. They've been willing to share their valuable time and invaluable information with me and I'm most grateful.
For me, the most challenging part of my research lies in reconstructing Mary's early life. So far, my greatest "find" has been in local historian and geneology guru Chris Reynolds.
His website can be viewed here: http://www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/home.htm
Chris has been more than helpful in piecing together Mary's early life. For example, I discovered that Mary was not 10 when her father was executed as previously thought, but more like 19. This means she would have met Frank Hogg almost immediately after moving to London.
I now question if she really tried to hang herself in the family garden upon receiving the new her father was dead.
With Chris's help, I learned that Mary's mother name was Mary and that Mary Eleanor was called Ellen, not Mary. I have so much more genealogical research to conduct, but Chris's detailed understanding of the Wheeler family has helped immeasurably.
Another interesting fact is that is seems Mary did, in fact, have a brother. This may very well have explained why her blinds were drawn that fateful afternoon. I will be interested to learn when her brother died. Her explanation to Mr. Pearcey that her blinds were drawn out of respect and grief may well have been true.
The next and most important phase of research will be piecing together what life was like in Hampstead in the early part of the 19th century. Chris has suggested the following book: Larkrise to Candleford. I secured a copy from our local university library and was quite happy with that find.
Cottage Life in a Hertfordshire Village has proved more difficult to find and purchase. It's very expensive at $110.00. Should anyone find a discounted copy, even if abused, I'd be willing to buy it.
Enjoy the articles included.
More information to come.
Happy reading.
