Supt William Melville

[Eileen Luscombe]

A flimsy JTR police link or
Auctioneer trick to raise level of interest?

Someone was certainly keen to pay over the estimate.

http://www.lockdales.com/staritems.html

Auction #140, 19-20 November 2016, Lot 653:
Medals and ephemera to Superintendent William Melville, the original "M" of MI5.
Melville's career reads like a Victorian crime novel; contending with the Jack the Ripper case, anarchists, terrorists, and plots against the crowned heads of Europe. Sold with a hand-typed autobiographical branch memo and his personal testimonial.
Estimate £1000-£1200
Hammer Price: £4400

[Anna Morris]

A flimsy JTR police link or
Auctioneer trick to raise level of interest?

Someone was certainly keen to pay over the estimate.

http://www.lockdales.com/staritems.html

Auction #140, 19-20 November 2016, Lot 653:
Medals and ephemera to Superintendent William Melville, the original "M" of MI5.
Melville's career reads like a Victorian crime novel; contending with the Jack the Ripper case, anarchists, terrorists, and plots against the crowned heads of Europe. Sold with a hand-typed autobiographical branch memo and his personal testimonial.
Estimate £1000-£1200
Hammer Price: £4400

It looks like there were a number of items in the lot? I don't think the price is high if it was a number of items. There are several levels of cross collectible here; police, military, JtR, history, the man.

[Paul]

Melville's link with the Jack the Ripper case is his association with Tumblety's flight from the UK. There are also intiguing statement by his son on a New Zealand radio broadcast. Details may be on this site,

[Robert Linford]

Here's a thread :


http://www.jtrforums.com/showthread.php?t=3284

[Howard Brown]

Thank you EL !
Thanks for finding the link Bob.....