Grainger and Jabez Balfour

[Maria Birbili]

Thank you for the information, Debs. I guess I'll have to look at what James' wife said during the divorce (now that's a reliable source) about James leaving the police force, if it's documented anywhere.
I'm not sure if Sgt. James shadowing of Le Grand in 1887 (ordered by the magistrate) would qualify as doing work on the side or as regular police work?
I'm not necessarily contemplating anything political, still, Lloyd's interest in attacking an obscure ex-policeman on trial for a banal domestic crime requires an explanation. That's why I'm wondering about the activities of the detective agency James was active for.

[Debra Arif]

I'm not sure if Sgt. James shadowing of Le Grand in 1887 (ordered by the Magistrate) would qualify as doing work on the side or as regular police work?

I think it was ordered by his superior wasn't it?

[Maria Birbili]

I think it was ordered by his superior wasn't it?

In the 1891 Old Bailey proceedings Sgt. James says (to Le Grand):
I have been directed by my superior officer to attend the Court when cases you have been in have been heard.
And before that he states:
Mr. Newton, the magistrate, directed me to make special inquiries about him.
So could it be he was asked by both?

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi all. I don't believe the magistrate ordered James specifically. He ordered that a policeman investigate Le Grand, and James' superior would have picked him due to his familiarity with Le Grand, Demay, and their cohorts.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Maria Birbili]

I don't believe the magistrate ordered James specifically. He ordered that a policeman investigate Le Grand, and James' superior would have picked him due to his familiarity with Le Grand, Demay, and their cohorts.

Thanks for this, it makes sense.
Anyone knows how exactly William James got familiar with Le Grand, Demay, and co. in 1886? Debs? Was he simply assigned to the Pasquier case?

[Debra Arif]

Maria, it was 1887.
He probably already knew of Demay as a prostitute as she worked the area his division included.
Newton asked the police to look into Le Grand's background, and James was ordered by his superior officer to pay special attention to Le Grand in future when he appeared in court etc.That's why we have all those cases mentioned that we know nothing of, Ms. Planette stealing a watch, Batchelor being given in to custody for assaulting Le Grand etc. All mentioned by James as past cases he'd attended at the courts, but frustratingly not reported in the newspapers.

[Maria Birbili]

Thanks for explaining, Debs. I know that the Pasquier case went to trial in 1887, but I was under the impression (after what Tom said) that James knew Le Grand and co. already in 1886?

[Debra Arif]

I don't know where the date of 1886 comes from, Maria. You'll have to ask Tom that one.
James knew of Demay, her 'boarding house' in Charlotte Street would have been part of his patch.

[Maria Birbili]

James knew of Demay, her 'boarding house' in Charlotte Street would have been part of his patch.

Thank you Debs, this makes sense.

[Tom_Wescott]

James first saw Le Grand with Demay in 1886, and that's when Demay stated she first 'picked up' Le Grand. She had been living with a man named Demay and knicked his name even though they were not married.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Maria Birbili]

Knew all of this (from the Examiner 2 piece), but wasn't aware on which year exactly.
It sounds kinda cute and innocent (and French) the way she said she “picked him up“. :-)

PS.: The Porquoi name still sounds fake to me. I'm willing to bet her real name was something else.