Victorian Folklore of Spring Heeled Jack

The Victorians were delightfully adept at ghost stories and the like. They simply could not get enough gothic horror. The early 19^th century found reports of ghosts stalking the streets of London. Pale figures that preyed upon unsuspecting citizens out alone at night. 

Soon, periodicals such as the Penny Dreadfuls picked up these stories and disseminated them to the masses. Literature of the gothic genre was quite productive and widely consumed by voracious readers. Set against the backdrop of Victorian Era London we meet Spring Heeled Jack. 

A Case of the “Morbs”

When one is feeling decidedly gloomy, one may say he has a case of the morbs. Morb, as in morbid. Victorian culture, particularly in England, was rapidly expanding. Add to that, scientific experimentation was on the rise. Cadavers were used for medical advancement and the only way to advance is to experiment. Hello Dr. Frankenstein. 

Additionally, the Spiritual movement was on the rise. Women, who traditionally had little agency of their own, found they could excel in the realm of spiritualism. When Queen Victoria’s husband passed away, she went into a period of deep mourning. Her distress set the tone for the mourning customs that also rose during this time. 

Geographical expansion, which fostered a natural fear of outsiders, together with medical experimentation, emerging technologies such as electricity, the rise of spiritualism and elaborate mourning practices, and gothic literature eager to capitalize on these trends, all combined to create the perfect soup of Victorian spookiness. It is little wonder that as night fell and shadows lengthened one could easily imagine specters peeking around every corner. 

A Springy Specter

The first alleged report of Spring Heeled Jack occurred in 1837. Witnesses claimed Jack had a frightful and diabolical appearance. He had clawed hands and his eyes looked like glowing balls of fire. One report claimed he wore a black cloak over a helmet and a tight-fitting outfit. He seemed to be a devil.

Soon, reports began to spring up all over the UK From London to Scotland. The 1837 report purportedly comes from a girl named Mary Stevens. She was returning to Lavender Hill, where she worked as a servant, after a visit to her parents. As she made her way through Clapham Common, a peculiar form leapt at her from a dark alley. He stopped her by wrapping his arms around her. He then began to kiss her face, rip her clothes with his claws, which were, according to her testimony, "cold and clammy like those of a corpse". Panicked, the girl screamed, causing the attacker to run away from the scene. The turmoil brought several residents outside, and they immediately launched a search for the aggressor, but he could not be found. The following day, a leaping figure accosted another victim nearby.

He leaped in front of a carriage which caused the horses to panic, and the driver lost control injuring himself. Then the figure leapt over a nine-foot-high wall laughing maniacally. As reports spread, he was dubbed Spring Heeled Jack.

The Lord Mayor

On January 9, 1838, Sir John Cowan, Lord Mayor of London held a meeting at the Mansion House revealing a letter he had received about Spring Heeled Jack. He was skeptical at first but many in attendance shared that servant girls across London had been attacked by the rogue. 

The events were reported to the Times soon after and to other newspapers the day after. The Lord Mayor showed a crowd of citizens a pile of letters from all over London reporting Spring Heeled Jack and his “wicked pranks.” Reports of injuries from Jack’s claws and fits from fright were rampant. Police were instructed to root out this criminal and rewards were offered for his capture. 

Victorian Gothic Pop Culture

After two very widely publicized attacks of two young women, Spring-heeled Jack became one of the most popular individuals of the time. His purported deeds were recounted in the newspapers and became the subject of several Penny Dreadfuls and plays presented in the cheap theatres that flourished at the time.

However, as his fame grew, sightings began to diminish. That is until 1843 when a new rash of sightings swept the country. The new reports prompted the formation of an investigation team. In July 1847 "a Spring-heeled Jack investigation" in Teignmouth, Devon led to a Captain Finch being convicted of two charges of assault against women. During the assaults he is reported to have been "disguised in a skin coat, which had the appearance of bullock's hide, skullcap, horns and mask."

The End of Spring Heeled Jack

In the beginning of the 1870s, Spring-heeled Jack was reported in various places. In November 1872, News of the World reported that Peckham had fallen “into a state of commotion” over sightings of a so-called “Peckham Ghost,” described as a mysteriously fearsome figure. The editorial noted that this apparition was believed to be none other than Spring-heeled Jack, the notorious figure who had terrified an earlier generation.

Similar narratives were published in The Illustrated Police News. Similar accounts appeared in The Illustrated Police News. In April and May of 1873, the paper reported a series of sightings in Sheffield of the so-called “Park Ghost,” which residents soon linked to Spring-heeled Jack. These reports were followed by further alleged encounters. By August 1877, one of the most notable incidents emerged from Aldershot Garrison, where a group of soldiers claimed to have seen the mysterious figure.

Reportedly, a sentry on duty at the North Camp looked into the darkness when his attention was attracted by an unusual figure "advancing towards him." The soldier issued a challenge, which went ignored. The figure came up beside him and slapped his face several times. A second guard shot at him, with no effect; some sources claim that the soldier might have fired blanks at him, others say that he missed or fired warning shots. The strange figure then disappeared into the surrounding darkness "with astonishing bounds."

Over the course of the remainder of the 19^th century reports of Jack came in from across the UK. The last reported encounter was in 1904. Considering the brutality of many of the reports one may wonder if the story of Spring Heeled Jack inspired the likes of Jack the Ripper. While Spring Heeled Jack has faded into obscurity, his story is still one that resonates today. If you ever find yourself out at night and the shadows are looming watch out! Maybe Spring Heeled Jack has returned!