JACK'S LIFE

Walking past the cemetery, with its high hedges guarding the sleep of the dead, I looked ahead into the distance. It was a fresh spring morning. The trees were starting to bloom and I could see squirrels running along the branches, playing with each other. I had come to visit a family grave, my great-great-grandfather Jack Black-Montague. More of a family tradition than one done out of emotion but I always enjoyed laying flowers at the grave as my ancient grandfather had led such an interesting life, or so the legend says, a story that has been passed down the generations.

As my great-great-grandfather had lived in the 1880's, my mind's eye wandered back to that time, a different century I had read about in history class but could only imagine today.

During a quiet, spring afternoon, a horse-drawn hearse walks slowly down the dirt path, towards the entrance to the cemetery. People on either side follow, dressed in blacks, dark blues and browns, out of deep respect for the deceased. This person, now being laid to rest, must have been well-liked, perhaps even loved. He must have done something extraordinary to have made his name so well known in London, in the 1880's.

Turning into the cemetery, the horses stop at a prepared grave. Very few knew the true story of this dead man's life, very few seemed to care now. The people gather round as the minister reads from the Bible, as at last the soul in the coffin is laid to its eternal rest. Or is it?

There is a name on the marbled black head-stone:

“Here lieth Jack Black-Montague --- a devoted doctor who saved many lives”.

But unknown to the crowd, Jack had taken lives too.

CHAPTER TWO MOTHER

No-one knew the true life history of Jack, except Jack himself. His mother and father had died some years previously, an untold story which Jack kept hidden within the pages of his diaries.

Jack loved his father, always keeping the honor of his father's name right up until he died. Jack died peacefully in his sleep. His mother he hated with a vengeance unmatched by anyone since.

Nell Black was Jack's mother's name. She was born in one of the Poor Houses in London, where she grew up. It was a rough place, very dirty, where every single person was hungry. This Poor House was full of perverts and even at the very young age of ten, Nell was no virgin.

When Nell was fourteen, because she was said to be old enough to care for herself, she was thrown out of the Poor House. Walking the streets, Nell did the same as so many other women of the time, looking for a penny for her supper and trying to find a roof under which to spend the freezing cold London nights.

Jack's mother was well-developed for her age. At fifteen, Nell's soft, white, well-rounded bosom made middle-age women jealous. Her long, ginger hair, curly down to her waist, was always a talking point with the gentlemen and Nell knew how to use her dark brown, almost black, eyes.

It was around this time that Nell met Jacqueline DuPont. A Parisian Courtesan, Jacqueline thought she knew every trick in the book and Nell soon became her protégé, learning to style her own hair beautifully. At eighteen, Jacqueline had been bought over to England by a wealthy, married gentleman and had been “dumped” in London, completely forgotten about. A rather thin woman, actually looking much younger than her real age of twenty-two, Jacqueline called her straight, shoulder-length black hair a “curse” when compared to Nell's beautiful ginger curls.

The two girls looked out for each other, sometimes working as a pair for the extra money it gave them. With the extra money, the two young women started to rent a room in which they could share,

Staying indoors, in the warm, at night. Working as a two-some had its rewards but also its horrors. Before one such occasion, Nell pulled out, begging Jacqueline not to go:

“Something's not right, please don't go!” begged Jack's mother to her friend.

But Jacqueline thought she knew everything:

“I'll be fine, don't worry, I'll meet you at the Ten Bells pub and we'll have a nice breakfast. You're just too young and nervous.” And with that, Jacqueline walked off towards the park, where they'd arranged to meet the “gentleman” in question.

Nell was young, but having grown up in the Poor House, she knew when something was wrong and she was not happy, not sleeping at all that night.

Jacqueline met the “gentleman” at the appointed time and place, and, in his carriage, took the young woman on what seemed quite a long journey. Stopping some-where outside of London, Jacqueline was helped out of the carriage and found herself in a woodland type area. It was pitch black but Jacqueline was aware of four other men standing and waiting for them.

“I'll make sure I'll ask for extra money if I've got to do all of them!” thought the young woman, totally unaware of her fate.

Leading Jacqueline away from the carriage, the men quickly freed her of her clothes and started “using” the young woman. Jacqueline let them carry on, this was not the first time she had been with a crowd of men and when the last man had finished with her, Jacqueline demanded more money. Whether it was the way she had said it or the fact that the young woman was still naked, lying on the grass, Jacqueline quickly realized her mistake. One of the men took out a knife and tore up her clothes, whilst the other men started to get rough with her. Jacqueline soon realized that she did not know every trick in the book.

The next morning, washer-women went down to the River Thames to wash clothes in its filthy waters. One of them screamed and as the others looked up from their gossiping, the naked body of a young woman floated by, she had terrible stabbing marks all over her body. Word soon spread and by the time Nell got to the river, the police were fishing the body out. Jack's mother was horrified to find that the dead young woman was her friend, Jacqueline.

“She won't need her money now!” said a voice from behind Nell, who, turning around terrified, saw a “gentleman” walking away.

This scarred Nell’s' mind terribly and after this horror, Jack's mother could no longer think as a normal person. Still managing to keep the rented room, Nell began to sell oranges at the theatres, which always went hand in hand with:

“Can I entertain you Sir?”

And this is how Nell met Jack's father.

CHAPTER THREE FATHER

A lord of the realm, Jack's father had a life very different from Nell's poor miserable existence. Lord Montague was the only son of the Montague family, distant cousins to the Royal Family. The Lord had been born into a wealthy life and knew only of the luxuries of the upper-class. He'd had tutors who schooled him at school and was an established horse-rider from a very young age. At the age of twelve, Jack's father could speak French and Italian fluently.

The Montague family were always trying to marry off the Lord to enable an heir to the family name. But the Lord was a confirmed bachelor and would not lose his freedom. There are other ways of getting an heir!

Lord Montague was raised as a gentleman and knew the graces of high society. Being around 5 foot 8 inches tall with coal black hair, Jack's father always cut a handsome figure. The ladies loved him and loved going to the theatre with Lord Montague.

Like any other man, the old Lord had his vices. He smoked expensive cigars, drank champagne and brandy and enjoyed women. At first, the Lord used to flirt a lot, but then he started leading on some of the ladies of high society. Allowing themselves to be bedded by the Lord, with the promise of marriage, some of these distinguished ladies lives were ruined. None of them became pregnant and the Lord always managed to pack them off abroad to other countries. Although he enjoyed himself, Lord Montague only wanted an heir which is why he bedded the ladies. Jack's father never loved any one of them.

One evening the old Lord went to the theatre alone. He was bored with the high-minded ladies and wanted to forget his responsibilities for a while.

CHAPTER FOUR A GOOD START

Nell was a pretty seventeen year old when she met Lord Montague at the theatre. As he was near fifty years of age, Nell didn't pay particular attention to the Lord, even when he bought an orange from her. Fancying a bit of scruff, Lord Montague took Nell home with him for entertainment. Nell thought she was on to a good thing:

“I'll eat well tonight,” she thought and flirted with the old Lord.

Looking out of the carriage window, Nell had never seen such a large mansion. Having been built in the 1600's, the Elizabethan family home had five floors and was seated within country-side of hundreds of acres. Walking through the large, wooden front door, Nell giggled as the maid curtseyed when she took Nell's coat. It was obvious Nell was no lady but the maid treated her the same as if she were one of the high-born ladies the Lord had often entertained.

Walking through the large mansion into the Evening Room, Nell's mouth fell open. She did not even know that such luxuries existed. The deep blue velvet curtains, of the Evening Room, touched the floor and the high candelabra lit the room beautifully. It had ten candles! Two walls were mirrors and the old fire-place, with its roaring fire, hid the fact that there was snow outside. Nell was in heaven and the old Lord laughed at her expressions of wonderment. It was clear that Nell had come from a very different background.

The next morning, Nell woke up naked in an enormous bed. Lord Montague had risen early and gone out horse-riding. For the next two hours, Nell looked for her clothes and tried to think of ways she could keep this luxury. When the maid came into the bed-room with a new set of clothes for Nell, it was soon discovered that the old Lord wanted to keep Nell, providing her with a suite of rooms for her with the choicest of foods and the finest of clothes and jewels. Having nothing of any worth, Nell didn't bother sending for her own belongings:

“I won't need them now!” thought Nell, who didn't care why the old Lord was providing for her, she just wanted to enjoy the luxury while she could. However, the servants knew the reason why and the maid, who attended Nell, felt sorry for her.

“Maybe I can get an heir off this little thing,” thought Lord Montague, he knew how to use people.

Over the next two years, Nell was genuinely happy. Believing the old Lord really loved her, Jack's mother indulged in the attention given to her. She loved going to the theatre with Lord Montague, pretending to be his niece, speaking in a soft French accent, learnt from her beloved friend Jacqueline. The nights spent together, in the large bed, were often and Nell always noticed how gentle Lord Montague was with her.

For a while, Jack's mother and father lived a very happy life.

CHAPTER FIVE THE HEIR

At nineteen years of age, Nell fell pregnant with Lord Montague’s child.

“At last!” thought the old Lord but didn't celebrate until the baby was born.

On a warm September evening, Nell gave birth to a healthy baby boy and Lord Montague cracked open the champagne.

Lord Montague’s heir was christened “Jack Black-Montague” --- Jack after Nell’s' murdered friend Jaqueline, although she was very careful not to tell the old Lord, saying it was her father's name:

“God knows who he was!” thought Nell.

Thus started Jack's privileged life.

Life was very pleasant for Jack when with his father, who showed his adorations for the little boy by writing Jack into his will as the only heir. From the age of five, Jack had a private tutor and by the age of ten, could speak French fluently. He loved horse-riding and was looking forward to school --- Oxford!

Jack's life could not have been more different from Nell's own childhood and you would think Nell would be happy for her son. He had food, comforts and clothes Nell did not even know existed when she was her son's age. However, ever since “the child” had been born, as Nell would call her son, she became increasingly jealous of all the attention his father lavished on Jack.

Lord Montague refused to marry Nell, instead “pretending” to his friends and family that he had married in secret. Nell believed that the old Lord would marry her. Lord Montague had no intention of losing his freedom. Still providing well for the mother of his heir, Lord Montague lost interest in Nell almost as soon as Jack had been born. Nell could not understand why and never worked out that the old Lord just wanted a son off of her. Nell was terrified of losing this life of comfort and 'went the wrong way'. She became a very difficult woman to live with.

It was amongst all of this that little Jack lived through his childhood. Looking very similar to his father, it was hard to find any of Nell in him. A quiet character with a sensitive mind, Jack soon 'felt' that something was deeply wrong with his mother.

At the tender age of eight, Lord Montague sat his son down and explained to Jack how Nell and the old Lord had met and the very different backgrounds. This, perhaps, was not a very wise thing to do but Lord Montague wanted his son to know the truth:

“From his father, me!” the old Lord said to Nell when she protested.

Out of sheer spite, Nell told the little boy where his name came from and terrified Jack into never telling his father.

“Worse will happen to you if you ever tell your father!” lied Nell. Her mind was finally starting to lose its senses.

So Jack started to grow up a very confused and sad little boy. When with his father, Jack was always happy because Lord Montague loved his son. When with his mother, Jack had nightmares and started to hate her for the irritable way she “put up with the child”.

CHAPTER SIX IS THIS THE REASON?

At the age of twelve, Jack started to study for Oxford, looking forward to learning more about life outside of the big mansion. Hoping to get ahead, on the 9th of November, a Friday, in the afternoon, Jack sat down in his father's library and started reading his new books.

This day changed Jack's life and just how much, the pages of history itself relate!

Becoming aware of loud voices coming from Lord Montague’s study, Jack went over to the door and listened silently. His mother and father were having a terrible argument and Jack felt sad for his father. His mother was screaming some terrible lies at the old Lord.

Hearing his father cry out, Jack ran into the study and what he saw next, changed Jack's view towards women for the rest of his life.

Nell was stabbing Lord Montague again and again until she realized Jack's father was dead. Her mind had snapped and she had lost her temper. Nell was covered in Lord Montague’s blood!

Running over to his father, Jack had no idea what to do:

“If only I was a doctor!” thought Jack wanting to save his father's life and then realizing his loving father was dead. Looking into his mother's eyes with such hatred, Nell stepped back, terrified of her son.

The rest of the days and weeks past in a haze for poor, young Jack. Nell had been taken to a mental institute in a straight-jacket, Jack never seeing his mother again. Or so he said!

The funeral for Lord Montague was a torment for Jack, who was swallowed in grief. After the reading of the late Lord's will, Jack knew exactly how he wanted to spend his life and went to Oxford to become that doctor.

CHAPTER SEVEN THE DOCTOR

Years passed and Jack finally qualified as a Doctor. Setting up his practice in Whitechapel – London, Dr.Black (as he became known to his patients) proved to be a very popular and kind doctor. Trying to put the past behind him, Jack “settled” into a quiet life.

This was soon disturbed! Six months into his Doctor's Practice, Jack was informed that his mother had been murdered. Nell's throat had been slit and her body stabbed until she died. The police left Jack to his mourning for his mother. Jack smiled when the door closed. He knew his mother was dead before the police arrived.

Vengeance at last for his beloved father!

However, this did not quell the hatred in Jack's heart. History writes within its pages the terrible events of 1880, when several women were murdered. The last and most horrific murder being a woman with the same color hair as Nell, being on the same day that Lord Montague had been murdered some years earlier.

CHAPTER EIGHT THE PRESENT

Turning into the cemetery, my mind returned to the present. The spring morning was just warming up and the birds were talking quietly to each other. Walking towards a very old grave, I read the head-stone:

“Here Lieth Jack Black-Montague”.

Of course, we'll never know the truth but was this the true story of my great-great-grandfather ---

“Jack The Ripper”?!

THE END