Albert Bachert aka Alfred Charrington

[Jerry Dunlop]

Here are transcripts from two newspapers of the 1886 incident in Trafalgar Square using the two different surnames :

The meeting held by the original promoters was led by Mr. Kenny, with whom appeared to be associated the East-End Fair Trade Leaguers, Messrs. Lemon, Peters, and Kelly, with Mr. Cook, late Consrvative candidate for Battersea, and Mr. Albert Charrington.The platform stands were made on work benches at the north end of the square..
The Illustrated London News (London, England), Saturday, February 13, 1886,


The crowd surged towards the south, and gave a welcome to Mr. Kenny, with whom appeared to be associated the East-end Fair Trade Leaguers, Messrs. Lemon, Peters and Kelly, with Mr. Cooke, late Conservative candidate for Battersea, and Mr, Albert Bachert. The platform stands were made on work benches at the north end of the square..
Lloyd's Illustrated Newspaper (London, England), Sunday, February 14, 1886

Thanks Debs,

Very interesting!

Obviously the same man. Was Backert using two names to the press, or did the press know him by two names? Does that make sense?

[Howard Brown]

Bob

That's why I agree with Debra that the missive seems to have been made by someone with a modicum of artistic skill and/or not just a random card or letter written by a kook.

It is a little creepy....to answer your question.

[SirRobertAnderson]

Just in case this helps....

Does anyone else find this image quite disturbing? Right out of a nightmare....

[SirRobertAnderson]

Thanks, How. I can't believe I've been on this planet for 60+ years and have only just heard about the SA.

Gary, I had the exact same thought. It's a fascinating thread. That Ripper letter with the coffin has always raised the hair on the back of my neck.

[Debra Arif]

It's very odd that some newspapers reported the 1886 Trafalgar Square incident naming him as Albert Bachert and others calling him Albert Charrington. The wording apart from the name is almost identical.

As we know he later gave evidence in court about the incident as Albert Bachert.

Here are transcripts from two newspapers of the 1886 incident in Trafalgar Square using the two different surnames :

The meeting held by the original promoters was led by Mr. Kenny, with whom appeared to be associated the East-End Fair Trade Leaguers, Messrs. Lemon, Peters, and Kelly, with Mr. Cook, late Consrvative candidate for Battersea, and Mr. Albert Charrington.The platform stands were made on work benches at the north end of the square..
The Illustrated London News (London, England), Saturday, February 13, 1886,


The crowd surged towards the south, and gave a welcome to Mr. Kenny, with whom appeared to be associated the East-end Fair Trade Leaguers, Messrs. Lemon, Peters and Kelly, with Mr. Cooke, late Conservative candidate for Battersea, and Mr, Albert Bachert. The platform stands were made on work benches at the north end of the square..
Lloyd's Illustrated Newspaper (London, England), Sunday, February 14, 1886

[Robert Linford]

It could have been worse - someone could have stuffed their harmonium with pigeons culled from Trafalgar Square.

[Sam Flynn]

I disagree but don't fancy continuous back and forth posts on the subject of perspective!

It might at least put a different slant on things, Debs

[Gary Barnett]

When I researched the Skeleton Army for 'Strange Victoriana', I found nothing to suggest that they were active prior to 1881. There is a good history of the Salvation Army, namely PJ Walker, Pulling the Devil's Kingdom Down, which discusses the Skeletons on pp 223-34. Also a specialist publication, V Bailey in T Donajgrodzki (Ed.), Social Control in Nineteenth Century Britain, pp 231-53 all about the Skeletons.

But there were disturbances at Salvation Army gatherings earlier than 1881.

This report from the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent of 29th April, 1879 made me smile.

[Gary Barnett]

There are some fabulous illustrations in the Illustrated London News of Saturday, February 13, 1886. Drawnings from life of speakers and attendees at the 1886 Trafalgar Square meetings which became the 'West End Riots' that Albert Charrington was involved with as a speaker for the Conservatives and Fair Traders, as he also was as Bachert. Albert Charrington is mentioned in the accompanying text but none are labelled as Charrington but I wonder if he is the subject of one of the sketches.
-Debs-

I'm on it Debs.....

This is said to be from the IPN of the 20th Feb. Look at the guy waving the flag in the middle of the three small sketches on the right. He looks like some kind of a ringleader.

[Jan Bondeson]

When I researched the Skeleton Army for 'Strange Victoriana', I found nothing to suggest that they were active prior to 1881. There is a good history of the Salvation Army, namely PJ Walker, Pulling the Devil's Kingdom Down, which discusses the Skeletons on pp 223-34. Also a specialist publication, V Bailey in T Donajgrodzki (Ed.), Social Control in Nineteenth Century Britain, pp 231-53 all about the Skeletons.

[Gary Barnett]

Could this be Charrington?

Complete with a little Toby hat.

[Gary Barnett]

I doubt the SA was a single organisation with some kind of central command. It's far more likely that they were just disparate groups of roughs looking for a bit of aggro in their local town centre, the SA name and imagery being spread by the press. Something like the earlier 'ghost' craze that morphed into Springheeled Jack. From the little I know about Bachert, I think it's likely he may have claimed to have been the originator/head of the movement when in fact he wasn't. If anyone could be called the originator, it was probably the first person to have lobbed a stone at the noisy buggers who were disturbing his afternoon nap.

-Gary Barnett-

Gary....check this out :


Skeleton riots continued elsewhere until 1893 when they faded out. In 1889 at least 669 Salvation Army members were assaulted, including 251 women. On one occasion, while defending themselves 86 Salvation Army members were arrested and imprisoned on disorderly conduct charges. When a new Salvation Army Corps was opened in Potton in Bedfordshire on 1 June 1890, large contingents of the Skeleton Army made fun of the local Salvationists. The War Cry reported:
"... the skeletons did all the shouting and we had only the opportunity of blessing them by showing unruffled love in answer to the disturbance in our proceedings"...."The skeleton flag was out with its coffin, skull and cross-bones as well as the whole Skeleton force, uniformed, beating a drum, playing flutes, whirling rattles and screaming through trumpets. One of their chosen leaders was carried shoulder high, ringing a bell and attired in an untrimmed coal-scuttle bonnet. I noticed that the publicans looked pleased to see this array and several waved their hats. But we were good friends of the skeletons, twelve of whom sat at our tea table... Their leaders were very courteous and sincerely desirous of keeping their somewhat rabble followers within bounds. Almost implicit obedience was given them. Their skeleton War Cry was freely sold, but doesn’t quite beat the original"

Thanks, How. I can't believe I've been on this planet for 60+ years and have only just heard about the SA. I was aware that the Sally Army were often set upon by rowdies in the street, but that the opposition to them was organised in some way and had such a brilliant name is entirely new to me. What a fascinating bunch. I'll certainly keep an eye out for them in the future.

And I can now add Potton, Beds to the list of SA locations, which, coincidentally, was the ancestral home of the Tomkins clan.

[Gary Barnett]

I believe there's a chapter on Charrington in the Mammoth book.

There is indeed, it's by M. Trow. He presents FC as a spoof suspect.

Trow also says Charrington threw away a £1.25m inheritance. He references Guy Thorne (FC's biographer) frequently, so possibly that's where he got his information about the inheritance from.

I think Rob Clack has a copy of Thorne's biography. If he's looking in, perhaps he can clarify that.

[Howard Brown]

I doubt the SA was a single organisation with some kind of central command. It's far more likely that they were just disparate groups of roughs looking for a bit of aggro in their local town centre, the SA name and imagery being spread by the press. Something like the earlier 'ghost' craze that morphed into Springheeled Jack. From the little I know about Bachert, I think it's likely he may have claimed to have been the originator/head of the movement when in fact he wasn't. If anyone could be called the originator, it was probably the first person to have lobbed a stone at the noisy buggers who were disturbing his afternoon nap.

-Gary Barnett-

Gary....check this out :


Skeleton riots continued elsewhere until 1893 when they faded out. In 1889 at least 669 Salvation Army members were assaulted, including 251 women. On one occasion, while defending themselves 86 Salvation Army members were arrested and imprisoned on disorderly conduct charges. When a new Salvation Army Corps was opened in Potton in Bedfordshire on 1 June 1890, large contingents of the Skeleton Army made fun of the local Salvationists. The War Cry reported:
"... the skeletons did all the shouting and we had only the opportunity of blessing them by showing unruffled love in answer to the disturbance in our proceedings"...."The skeleton flag was out with its coffin, skull and cross-bones as well as the whole Skeleton force, uniformed, beating a drum, playing flutes, whirling rattles and screaming through trumpets. One of their chosen leaders was carried shoulder high, ringing a bell and attired in an untrimmed coal-scuttle bonnet. I noticed that the publicans looked pleased to see this array and several waved their hats. But we were good friends of the skeletons, twelve of whom sat at our tea table... Their leaders were very courteous and sincerely desirous of keeping their somewhat rabble followers within bounds. Almost implicit obedience was given them. Their skeleton War Cry was freely sold, but doesn’t quite beat the original"

[Howard Brown]

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