Beyond the Veil Magazine

Spring-Heeled Jack: Victorian Hoax or Supernatural Entity?

Issue #39: March 1982

In the autumn of 1837, a strange figure began terrorising the outskirts of London. He leaped over hedges and walls with superhuman agility. His eyes glowed like balls of fire. He spat blue and white flames from his mouth. His hands were claws of cold metal.

The newspapers called him Spring-Heeled Jack. One hundred and forty-five years later, he has never been satisfactorily explained.

The Original Attacks

The first reports came from Barnes, south of London. A businessman crossing Barnes Common at night was attacked by a figure that leaped at him from the shadows, struck him with metal claws, and bounded away over a nine-foot wall.

Similar reports followed from other London suburbs. Witnesses described a tall, thin figure in a black cloak, with pointed ears, glowing eyes, and the ability to leap extraordinary heights.

In February 1838, the attacks escalated. Jane Alsop, an eighteen-year-old woman living in Bow, answered a knock at her door. A figure in a dark cloak stood there, claiming to be a policeman.

When Jane brought a candle, the figure threw off his cloak. Beneath it, he wore tight-fitting white clothing and a helmet. His eyes blazed like fire. He spat flames into her face and tore at her with metal claws.

Jane’s screams brought her family. The attacker fled, bounding away with impossible leaps.

Days later, Lucy Scales was attacked near Limehouse. A figure wearing the same description spat fire in her face, leaving her in hysterics.

The Hunt

The Lord Mayor of London declared Spring-Heeled Jack a genuine threat. Vigilante groups patrolled the streets. Rewards were offered for his capture.

The Duke of Wellington, then nearly seventy years old, reportedly went hunting for Jack on horseback, armed with pistols.

But Jack was never caught. The attacks diminished, then ceased, only to resume in other locations and other years.

Continuing Sightings

Spring-Heeled Jack’s appearances continued throughout the Victorian era:

1843: Reports from Northamptonshire described a figure matching Jack’s description terrorising villages.

1845: A figure in black was seen in Yarmouth, leaping over hedges and walls.

1877: Jack appeared at Aldershot Barracks, where he slapped a sentry and bounded away when soldiers opened fire. Some reports claim their bullets passed through him.

1888: In Liverpool, a tall, cloaked figure was seen leaping between buildings. He was spotted multiple times over several months.

1904: Jack was reported in Everton, where witnesses saw him leap from rooftop to rooftop before disappearing.

Reports have continued into the twentieth century, though they have become less frequent. Sightings in South Herefordshire during the 1970s described a figure matching the classic descriptions.

Theories

What was Spring-Heeled Jack?

A Human Prankster: Some historians believe Jack was Henry de La Poer Beresford, the Marquess of Waterford, a notorious hellraiser known for eccentric pranks. However, the Marquess had alibis for some attacks, and the phenomena continued long after his death in 1859.

A Gang of Criminals: The variety and geographic spread of sightings suggests multiple individuals might have adopted the Spring-Heeled Jack persona. But how did they achieve the leaping ability witnesses described?

Mass Hysteria: Once the story spread, any unusual sighting might have been attributed to Jack. The newspapers certainly sensationalised the reports. But the consistency of descriptions across decades is remarkable.

Mechanical Devices: Some researchers suggest Jack used spring-loaded boots or other devices to achieve his leaps. Such devices did not exist in 1837, but perhaps an inventor created them secretly.

Extraterrestrial or Supernatural Being: The glowing eyes, fire-breathing, and impossible agility have led some to suggest Jack was not human at all. His apparent immunity to bullets supports this theory.

The Enduring Mystery

Spring-Heeled Jack differs from other Victorian bogeymen in one crucial respect: the evidence. Hundreds of witnesses saw him. The attacks were reported to police and investigated by magistrates. Whatever Jack was, he was not entirely imaginary.

Yet he has never been identified or captured. He appeared and disappeared without explanation. He attacked without apparent motive, then vanished into the night.

Perhaps he was a madman in a clever costume. Perhaps he was a supernatural entity drawn to terrorise the vulnerable. Perhaps he was something else entirely, something we have no framework to understand.

One thing is certain: for 145 years, Spring-Heeled Jack has refused to be explained away. And somewhere, perhaps, he still leaps through the shadows.

Readers with sightings of Spring-Heeled Jack or similar phenomena are invited to contact our research department.