Francis Thompson

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Francis Thompson (1859-1907) was born in Preston Lancashire and was 28 at the time of the murders. He was a poet whose most famous work ‘The Hound of Heaven’ described the pursuit of a human soul by God. His work was praised by famous poets like Browning, Yeats and Chesterton. Several of his poems deal with violent themes: one describes a woman being knifed to death as an act of human sacrifice, whilst another concerns a knight who roams the wilderness murdering women and slicing open their bodies.
His eyes were a dark grey with a shade of blue, full of intelligence and light. His hair was very dark brown, so dark as to appear almost black at first sight. His complextion was sallow rather than pale. He was of medium height, but very slight frame, which made him taller. His cheeks were sunken giving prominence to a little grey beard that was pointed at the end. His clothing was frayed and he often wore a greatcoat.

In 1877 Thompson failed in his attempt to enter the priesthood. In 1878 he started training as a surgeon at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. The study of anatomy was a major part of the course. In 1879 he fell ill with a lung infection that remained with him till the end of his life. He was medicated with opium, and became addicted to it. At this time, he started reading "Confessions of an Opium Eater" by Thomas de Quincey. Thompson became a big fan of de Quincey's writings, which included the book "Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts": this was an instructive piece upon how a poet could commit murder.

By 1880, Thompson had been disowned by his mother, who considered him a disgraceful drug addict. When she died that year, his mental and physical decline accelerated. He failed his exams in 1882 and suffered a mental breakdown. By 1885 Thompson had failed his exams for the third time and had fallen out with his father, who was planning to remarry.

Between 1885-1888 Thompson spent the majority of his time as a homeless vagrant living in the Docklands south of Whitechapel. He used prostitutes and tried his hand at a number of occupations. As well as a surgeon and a priest Thompson tried his hand at being a soldier but was dismissed for failing in drill. He also worked in a factory making medical equipment, where he obtained not only a leather apron, but also a medical knife which he claimed to use as a razor.

In early 1889 Francis Thompson, increasingly ill, was suddenly sent by his family to a Franciscan monastery where women were not allowed to enter. He was then disowned by his father and his two sisters (who burnt the letters he sent to them). When he died in 1907, none of his relatives attended his funeral.