Spring-heeled Jack leapt into the collective psyche of English citizens beginning in 1837. He was described as a tall, thin devil-like gentleman with wings, cold hands with sharp metallic claws, fiery red eyes and sometimes breathed blue and white flames. He sprang from darkness, attacked his victims then with superhuman power he vaulted over tall barriers to escape capture. Some reports claimed that his victims were physically harmed. Most were left terrified.
Reports of sightings and assaults stopped after 1904. Even so, Spring-heeled Jack became the subject of numerous fictional publications including the Penny Dreadful that grew the urban legend, which remains powerful to this day.
How does a kernel of truth morph into a massively popular urban legend?
Breaking News Meets Urban Legend
Spring-heeled Jack was the subject of news reports across England. Richard Dorson first used the term “urban legend” in print in 1968 to describe stories that now spread largely through social media and the Internet. Although the term is relatively new, the concept is a sub-category of folklore that began as oral stories typically told as “heard from friends of friends”.
Spring-heeled Jack might be considered an early urban legend in that accounts circulated as true, initially by word of mouth and then by print media.
Following are a few early newspaper accounts that sparked the legend of Spring-heeled Jack.
February 25, 1838–Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal
Lambeth Street—Many among the public have hitherto been incredulous as to the truth of various representations made to the Lord Mayor of the gambols of “Spring-heeled Jack,” the suburban ghost. The following particulars will remove all doubt on the subject:–
On Wednesday, Mr. Alsop, a gentleman of considerable property, residing at Bear-bind cottage, in Bear-bind land, a very lonely spot between the villages of Bow and Old Ford, accompanied by his three daughters, waited upon Mr. Hardwick, and gave the following particulars of an outrage committed on one of the latter,
Miss Jane Alsop, a young lady, 18 years of age, state, that at about a quarter to ninie o’clock on the preceeding night she heard a violent ringing at the gate in front of the house, and on going to the door to see what was the matter she saw a man standing outside…
The person was a policeman declaring that they had caught Spring-heeled Jack. The young woman returned into the house to get a candle for the policeman.
“The instant she had done so, he threw off his cloak.
She saw that he presented a “most hideous and frightful appearance and vomited forth a quantity of blue and white flame from his mouth, and his eyes resembled red balls of fire. From the hasty glance, which her fright enabled her to get at his person, she observed that he wore a large helmet, and his dress, which appeared to fit him very tight, seemed to her to resemble white oil-skin.
Without uttering a sentence he darted at her, and catching her partly by her dress, and the back part of her neck, placed her head under one of his arms and commenced tearing her gown with his claws, which she was certain were of some metallic substance.
She screamed out as loud as she could for assistance, and by considerable exertion got away from him, and ran towards the house to get in.”
Spring-heeled Jack follower her and tore her neck and arms with his claws, as well as a quantity of hair from her head. She was rescued from his grasp by one of his sisters who was also terrified by the assailant’s appearance. Their father believed it was a group of assailants rather than one. He offered a reward for their capture and said that “no pains should be spared to bring its miscreant perpetrator to justice.” (Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal)
March 4, 1838—The Examiner
“Spring-Heeled Jack.”—Two persons, named Payne and Millbankd, have undergone lengthened examinations during the past week, at the Lambeth street Office, on suspicion of being the miscreants who committed the disgraceful outrage on Miss Alsop at Old Ford, related in our paper last week. The evidence did not suffice, however, to affix more than a strong suspcion, and the case was held over for further inquiry.” (Examiner)
March 7, 1838—The Morning Post
The Ghost, Alias “Spring-Heeled Jack”—Again.
This encounter involved two sisters walking down a dark street. One was attacked. When their brother responded to their screams, he heard this account from one of the sisters.
“She described the person to be of tall, thin, and gentlemanly appearance, enveloped in a large cloak, and carried in front of his persona a small lamp, or bull’s eye, similar to those in the possession of the police.”
“…he puffed a quantity of flame from his mouth into the face of her sister, who instantly dropped…”
“Mr. Scales remarked that it was not a little singular that one of his siters had been reading in a newspaper, a few minutes before they left his house, the account under the head of this office of Spring-heeled Jack…”
The officer left the following receipt:
“This is to certify that, on Wednesday, the 28th I visited Luch Scales, of Week’s place, Limehouse, who was suffering from hysterics and great agitation, in all probability the result of fright. Charles Pritchel, Surgeon”
April 11, 1841–The Examiner
“Spring-Heeled Jack”—Again.—A writer, who is evidently fond of exaggeration, states—During the past week much alarm has pervaded the neighborhood of King’s road, Camden Town, and caused as much terror in the minds of the female portion of the inhabitants as did the pranks and gambols of “Spring-heeled Jack,” on his first appearance about three years since. Indeed they are afraid to leave their houses after nightfall
The cause of all this fear on the part of the females is a tall man, or brute, enveloped in a large blude cloak, with glasses of dark color over his eyes, which gave him a most awful appearance. As soon as night comes on he patrols the above road, but on the appearance of any male, he darts into a door-way, and hides until his distruber has passed! Here he will remain until he sees a female, when he suddenly jumps from his hiding place and assaults his helpless victim in the most shameful manner.”
(Note: Despite this reporter’s opinion, not all females were helpless in the 1800s or any other century. Check our related article on women using umbrellas and hatpins for defense.)
November 16, 1872–Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal
The Exploits of the New Peckham Ghost.
The more timid portion of the inhabitants of Honor Oak, Lordship Lane, Dulwich, Streatham and Peckham, have for the past month been annoyed and alarmed by the vagaries of some brainless fool, who, apparently, has been endeavoring to revive the terror caused many years ago by “Spring-heeled Jack.”
This ghostly visitor firs made its appearance near honor Oak Church, and has the reputatin for performing wonderful feats in vaulting over walls and fences. Tho9se who have seen this mysterious figure describes it as that of a tall man upwards of six feet ghigh, dressed in the conventional white, and making his approach with outstretched arms.”
The reporter continues to describe a scene in which “Spring-heeled Jack lunges at a man instead of women and children. Despite the man’s size, he was terrified.
“Here was an opportunity for the carrier to have distinguished himself; but instead of giving the miscreant a good thrashing, as one would naturally have anticipated, he became so terrified that he immediately lashed his horses into a gallop, thus in his fright breaking the law, which says that a stage wagon shall only travel at four miles an hour.”
November 21, 1904–Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal
“An Everton Ghost Story.
Considerable commotion was caused yesterday in William Henry street, Everton, on a rumor that a sort of “spring-heeled Jack” was pursuing his antics in that neighborhood. The story, as it was passed from mouth to mouth, reached sensational dimensions. It referred chiefly to the annoyance of the inmates of a certain house by moans of various muscles being thrown about in a mysterious manner and without any visible agency. The annoyance is said to have geen so great that the tenants left the house today. But the police have been unable to find any ground for the suggestion that a ghost was at work and believe some foolish person has been playing pranks.” (Cambridge Chronicle)
Newspaper Reports Morphed Into Popular Literature
Despite scant evidence, Spring-heeled Jack hysteria swept across London and spread through England. London was a growing urban center rife with the problems brought by overcrowding and poverty, including crime. Spring-heeled Jack became the boogey man on whom assaults of all kinds were blamed.
Not surprisingly, he offered rich material for authors, playwrights and other artists. As early as the 1840s he became the center of Victorian gothic horror in plays and the graphic novels called penny dreadfuls.
Throughout the 19th century, literacy rates were rising. Advances in technology produced affordable newspapers that made reporters like Nellie Bly and political cartoonists like Art Young house hold names. Magazines and early comic books were hugely popular beginning in the 1830s. Geared primarily to boys and young men they featured short cliffhanger installments for a penny.
The serialized stories delved into gory crimes and detectives who solved them. By the 1870s, more than a million copies were sold weekly.
In their book Spring-Heeled Jack The Terror of London Richard Scott, Colin Choat and Roy Glashan write:
“This would in turn shape the subsequent public perception of Jack, and generations later … it became quite hard to separate the historical and fictional Jack within the cultural memory.” (Spring-Heeled Jack The Terror of London)
When Spring-Heeled Jack was at the height of his popularity, penny dreadfuls were delving into darkly gothic tales of murderers, highwaymen, supernatural figures and strange beings like vampires.
Spring-heeled Jack was in good company.
Who Was That Masked Man?
The line between fact and fiction was blurred as Spring-heeled Jack leapt into popular culture. Since sightings took place in waves over more than six decades, it’s likely that many people imitated him. Sightings ranged from true crimes to harmless pranks.
The Epsom and Ewell History Explorer offers an interesting idea that some of the sightings that included powerful leaps and other dramatic physical actions might have been:
“an early form of Parkour (also known as Street or Free Running)… likely to have been carried out by youths who, seeking a ‘lark’, imitated Jack to spook nervous individuals. (Epsom and Ewell History Explorer)
Author and historian Jon Mackley presents numerous possible suspects over the years. One of the most likely was Henry de la Poer Beresford, the “Mad” Marquis of Waterford who was known for his extravagant lifestyle and antisocial behavior.
“It is true that the earliest complaints suggest that the perpetrator is from the “higher ranks of life” and Jack’s antics are considered similar to those of the Marquis. However, even very early on, there was considered very little evidence for this and the Marquis was dismissed as a suspect…”
A string of complaints made to the lord mayor of London in January 1838 concerning a leaping man who was terrorizing areas of London.
“He was seen in different guises as a “ghost, a bear and a devil”, sometimes in armor, but always terrifying. Although there were plenty of such claims, when they were investigated, there was no one who could honestly claim to have witnessed these first-hand.” (Jon Mackley)
This was also when detailed newspaper reports of the assault on Lucy Scales were printed. Two suspects were questioned, but charges against them were dropped due to lack of proof.
Between 1877 and 1878 another wave of alleged assaults occurred at the military barracks in Aldershot and later Colchester.
“Once again, no one was charged, although it was believed that this was a subaltern officer who was caught and disciplined, but his details were never released.” (Jon Mackley)
In 1878, the Illustrated Police News reported that a man had been terrorizing a Lincoln neighborhood and leaping on a Roman Arch. Then in 1904, there was also the report of a man leaping across the roofs of a house in Liverpool.
“Given that the Illustrated Police News has been accused of being sensationalist in its reporting, and this is the only publication that covered the story, one may assume that there is little veracity in the account.” (Jon Mackley)
Mass hysteria might account for some of the early reports and waves of copycats for others. And thus, an urban legend was born and propagated.
Did The Legend Give Rise To Comic Book Favorites?
How did a villain transform into the dark hero of comic books? According to Comic Book Historians
“….Spring-Heeled Jack was a one-penny pre-cursor to Batman who was created in 1939. However the similarity runs deeper than just the cover of the book…” (ComicBookHistorians)
Spring-heeled Jack utilized outrageous techniques to instill fear in the superstitious hearts of his enemies.
Whether or not Spring-heeled Jack inspired Batman is not the issue. Anti-heroes appear in the earliest cultures throughout literature. The massive popularity of these dark characters is the deeper issue is what they demonstrate:
“…this type of anti-hero is valuable in pulp culture and doesn’t have its genesis in comic books. This type of character, whatever it is called, grabs the reader’s imagination.” (ComicBookHistorians)
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