lee steer Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 This article is written by simon a member of project-reveal. Please can you add any good facts to this article? Like more stories of PHJ, or were you can find more carvings of this figure. ect.. We know of the one on The old queens head pub, in sheffield. Spring Heeled Jack The stories and myths surrounding Spring Heeled Jack (SHJ) seem to go back as far as the early 19th century with its first official media report in a letter to the Sheffield Times dating 1808 “Years ago a famous Ghost walked and played many pranks in this historic neighbourhood, he was nicknamed the Park Ghost or Spring Heeled Jack” described as being able to leap enormous heights and frighten random passers-by, “he was a human ghost as he ceased to appear when a certain number of men went with guns and sticks to test his skin.” Spring Heeled Jack has had many different descriptions over the period of the legend, having bat like wings or a cape, glowing red eyes or pop-eyed, devil-like, wearing tight white oilskin clothing or dressed as a nobleman, breathing blue and white flames and having claws. There are many more descriptions of which many lead me to believe there were many hoaxes and indeed many hoaxes were caught. In 1845 a Worcester man named Thomas Lowland was sentenced to 3 years hard labour for impersonating SHJ and terrorising the local neighbourhood, again there are many more. However there are many stories that are extra-ordinary, many centred around London and its boroughs. Some involving the police and a British army barracks, even the lord mayor of London was informed of disturbances in the Peckam area. Again in Attercliffe, which resides in Sheffield, during the late 70’s another sighting of SHJ where local witness’s complained of a red eyed prowler who grabbed women and punched men (although there has been speculation that this was a local man who was know to be a trouble causer). However the story goes on to say that other witness’s saw SHJ bounding between rooftops and walking down the sides of walls, apparently the local police were brought to the scene and pursued the creature nearly trapping him, but vanished into thin air and disappeared from the area. I have yet to see a police report or newspaper article relating to this. SHJ can also be seen in a carving on The Queens Pub next to the Sheffield bus interchange. As to the latter part of the disappearing routine it seems to be a regular piece to the stories, whenever the odds are against SHJ and however impervious he seems to be, he vanishes or retreats for a while sometimes to return again. There are many creatures with similar attributes to SHJ too all around the world, The Grendel of Beowulf, The Mothman and many more besides. A good source for SHJ is Mike Dash who writes for Fortean. Lastly I would like to point out that the name Jack has been used in many folklore tales, rhymes and nicknames for criminals. Jack the Ripper, the pagan association of Jack-Lore, Jack-in-the-green, Jack Frost originally the Norse Jokul son of the god of wind but renamed when brought to England. The nursery rhyme “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick” dating to around 1798 (first publication of the rhyme) just before the first sightings of SHJ. I myself have a keen fascination with the legend and have found a link with SHJ in North Yorkshire and once investigated you can be sure we will post it on this site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain Talker Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Which "Queens Pub" is next to the interchange? The nearest pub called "the Queens" is the Queen's Hotel about a mile and a half away, on Scotland street? The Old Queens Head" is a pub situated on Pond Hill, if that's the one the author you quote means? There was a "Nightwatch, 'Mystery' " episode on TV, a few weeks ago which mentioned two or three incidents of SHJ appearing in the Sheffield area; a road in Darnall (-ish), the General Cemetery area, and at the Cholera Monument Gardens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee steer Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 Theres one at the old queens head pub, in sheff, next to the interchange yes. theres a carving of the man, on the side wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retep Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Try Google book search, http://books.google.com/books?as_brr=3&q=%22spring+heeled+jack%22&btnG=Search+Books Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgksheff Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I would like to see you expand upon the similarities between Grendel and SHJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgksheff Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Try Google book search, Wikipedia will give you most of what is known: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Heeled_Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chopperoli Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I read somewhere that he was seen in Frog Walk next to the General Cemetery a long time ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchresearch Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I've got a book with something about him in it. There's also a pretty good sketch of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain Talker Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I've got a book with something about him in it. There's also a pretty good sketch of him. :wink: can't understand why they never caught him, then! hehe :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netheredge Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I love these kind of tales... If anyone hass any more info please pm me as like these stories shared further.. thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.