In 1969 a film was made of Jack’s story. See https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065209/

Jack’s corpse was initially buried in St.Martins in the fields but was later disinterred and re-buried in, I believe, Highgate Cemetary.

Perhaps George Cruikshank’s drawings could be the storyboard for a thrilling adventure film or the latest offering from Netflix?

Today’s fascinating GA blog and Charlotte’s question above inspired me to spend Sunday afternoon seeking more answers to Jack’s devil- may-care existence and why he never went on the run after his pains to escape.

The link gives Jack’s own alleged detailed blow by blow account of his final escape, after which he remained ‘on the doorstep’ in his old drinking haunts, ignoring his mother’s plea to flee the kingdom.

He did not appear to want to get away or escape.
He hid nearby at Tottenham Court for 3 nights until he’d shed his irons.
He returned to his ‘local’ where he openly drank himself silly amongst his notorious pals and was easily apprehended for the final time.

We read he’d had a very emotional infancy and childhood with the death of his father, sibling and a later guardian.
And also his mother was at one time in Bedlam lunatic asylum.

During his successful 5 year disciplined carpentry apprenticeship he was described as an “orderly boy” rather than wayward or of unsound mind.

Meeting (Edgware) Edgeworth Bess aka lady of the night Elizabeth Lyon, he blamed as his turning point. She had introduced him to a lifestyle he had never before had knowledge of.

Yet other reports claim during his work as a skilled carpenter, his ambition was to gain work in Mayfair houses in order to rob them. Hard to deduce whether he already had a fearless propensity for crime before he made his careless choice of debauched drinking establishments.

Reports show little trace of the buxom Elizabeth Lyon following Jack’s execution, apart from not appearing overly grief stricken.
Her character by these accounts was not charismatic, cited as evil, treacherous and sometimes beating Jack who was a handsome if not diminutive 5 ‘4″

His execution spot at the Tyeburn tree is now Speaker’s Corner at Marble Arch.

Thank you so much for this blog GA. lt has led me to an enormous cache of history l may have departed never knowing.

All l can personally deduce is that Jack had absolutely no fear of death and that he just lived for the notoriety of his escapes and the buzz of constantly “nicking stuff.”