They seek him here, they seek him there...

After searching for several days, I finally received a little breakthrough last night. I found a newspaper report for the death of John Gabe the builder [and I think architect] from Merthyr Tydfil who lived in Thomas Street near St. Tydfil's Workhouse/Infirmary.

Funeral reports can provide so much information about who people are, and sometimes, where they are living. I discovered that this John Gabe is definitely the father of Doctor John Bernard Gabe who left Merthyr for Swansea. John Gabe who passed away, is the brother of Rees Gabe the publican, so that makes him Doctor John Rees Gabe's uncle. [Dr. John Rees Gabe was one of the physicians who was first on the scene of the Mary Jane Kelly murder at Miller's Court.]

So I scanned the report for any further information, wondering if Doctor John Rees Gabe would have attended his uncle's funeral even though he was living in London at the time. And he did! The report mentions a Dr Gabe from London who was in the third carriage of the funeral procession. Also mentioned is Joseph Gabe from Cefn [not to be confused with the other Joseph Gabe from Llandeilo]. Joseph Gabe was listed on the 1881 Census as being Rees Gabe's son. I had suspected that maybe he was John Rees himself [as John Rees wasn't listed as they were about the same age.] As I've discovered that twins were born in 1853, I now wonder if John Rees and Joseph were twins.

To make it easier to read I've copied the transcript from the newspaper article here:

FUNERAL OF MR. JOHN CABE. On Monday afternoon the remains of the late Mr. John Gabe, builder, of Thomas-street, were conveyed to Cefn Cemetery. A large number of gentlemen of the town assembled at the house, and displayed the esteem in which they held the departed by walking before the procession. There were several private carriages and mourning coaches. The first was occupied by Dr. Gabe, from Morriston, son; Mr. Rees Gabe, Cefn; Mr. Joseph Gabe, Llandeilo, brothers; Mr. Percy Gabe, Barry, grandson. Second coach Mr. Bernard Colman, grandson; Mr. Frank Woodman, Mr. Heny Davies, son in law; and the Rev. Sinclair Evans. Third carriage Dr. Gabe, London; Mr. Rees Gabe, Treharris; Mr. Joseph Gabe, Cefn; Mr. Harry Gabe, Ystalyfera; Mr. Wm. James Thomas, Merthyr. The Rev. John Thomas, Zoar, officiated at the house and also at the chapel, along with the Rev. J. G. James, Market Square. The Rev. Jacob Jones, conducted the service at the graveside. The undertaker was Mr. Richard Lloyd, Georgetown. The widow, Mrs. John Gabe, and the family have received a vast number of letters of sympathy from various sources, for which they are extremely grateful. PULPIT REFERENCE. On Sunday morning, at Market-Square Chapel, the Rev. J. G. James referred to the death of Mr. John Gabe, and said Today it is our sad duty to be obliged to take note of the death of two more old Merthyr residents who have passed away during the past week, thus destroying by degrees those links that bind us to the Merthyr of the past with all its blessed and happy associations. The first is Mr. John Gabe, who for so many years bore an honoured name in our midst, a man of marked personality, he did good honest work in the town, and was associated for many years with the work of Welsh Congregationalism leaving behind him a family true to the interests of Nonconformity. Our prayers ought to ascend for his venerable partner who has been associated with his life for 58 years.

Extracted from Merthyr Times and Dowlais Times and Aberdare Echo: 19th March, 1897

The Mystery of Doctor Gabe from Merthyr

Doctor Gabe, who is reputed to be one of the first doctors on the scene of the final Jack the Ripper murder of Mary Jane Kelly, is one of the persons mentioned, apart from Mary herself, who I find most intriguing of all in the case. Not just because he was born and bred in my home town of Merthyr Tydfil, but because of his movements during that period of time.

Gabe, was reported as living in Merthyr Tydfil, where his father was reputed to be the landlord, Rees Gabe. Now this is where the confusion and mystery begins...there appears to be a Doctor John Bernard Gabe listed as being Rees Gabe's son of Merthyr. John Bernard Gabe did exist as I've found a newspaper clipping of his death, complete with a photograph, [see above].

In the article in the newspaper called 'The Cambrian -10th July 1908',  it says that John Bernard's father was Rees Gabe, but it appears to say John Bernard previously resided in Cefn [there is a Lord Raglan pub which is still operational in Cefn Coed, Merthyr Tydfil.. I have found mention of 3 such pubs, one in Glebeland Street, Cefn Coed and Dowlais] But which one was it really? I've also found an article in a Welsh newspaper where Rees Gabe from the Lord Raglan Glebeland Street, had bales of hay stolen and had taken someone on in court for the offence.

Not only is the pub an enigma, so is Doctor Gabe as there is a Doctor John Bernard Gabe mentioned and more often Doctor John Rees Gabe in connection with the case of Jack the Ripper. Now, John Rees makes complete sense as being the son of Rees Gabe as names were often handed down to sons. Yet, on the Census there is only a boy called John and a boy called Joseph that could be brothers who were doctors. There are three other brothers, William age 13, Benjamin 7,  and 1-year-old Henry.

Joseph's age fits best the year John Rees Gabe was born which was said to be around 1852 [he might have been almost 9 when the census was taken so could have been born in 1852.] So was that name changed at some point from Joseph to John?

Also curious is the fact that John Bernard isn't on that census, though the newspaper report says Rees Gabe was his father. If he was 55 years of age in 1908 when he died, then he was born circa 1853. So was he Joseph? Was there only one year between John Bernard and John Rees? It doesn't make sense. Of course the one called John on the census there was 6 at the time, which would have made his birth year around 1855, that doesn't tie in with any dates either.

 1861 Census return for the "Lord Raglan", Merthyr Tydfil
Rees Gabe (Head), 38, born Llangathen, Carmarthenshire. Innkeeper
Anne (Wife), 35, born Llangathen, Carmarthenshire. Innkeeper
Mary Anne (Daur), 11, born Merthyr. Scholar
William (Son), 13, born Merthyr. Scholar
Joseph (Son), 8, born Merthyr. Scholar
Benjamin (Son), 7, born Merthyr. Scholar
John (Son), 6, born Merthyr. Scholar
Elizabeth (Daur), 6, born Merthyr. Scholar
Henry (Son), 1, born Merthyr
Anne Williams (Servant), born Carmarthen Town. House Servant
Mary A Williams (Servant), 15, born Pontypool, Monmouthshire. House Servant

I've also discovered a Doctor J. Gabe who worked as a medical officer at St, Tydfil's infirmary/workhouse in Merthyr Tydfil. A newspaper article mentions him one night working with 'his brother'. So did Rees Gabe the publican have two sons who were doctors? One called John Bernard and one called Joseph Rees [who later changed his name to John Rees when he arrived in London?]

The Doctor J. Gabe who worked as a Medical Officer at the workhouse/infirmary seemed to be a colourful character who got involved in certain inquiries held by the hospital board where he came under suspicion of various misdeeds. One was about giving a ward sister a lot of grief, who seemed to dislike him intensely! He was often spoken of as having an extremely bad temper by staff at the infirmary.

To add to his mystery, several Ripperologists have mentioned that Mary Jane Kelly, was at one time living in Merthyr Tydfil herself. Mary was said to have married young to a man with the surname 'Davies', but sadly her husband got killed in a pit disaster. [This information is derived from an account by Joseph Barnett, her London lover, who told police this information after her death]. There is a 16-year-old 'Mary Jane Davies' listed as residing at the Brunswick Hotel in Thomas Street, not that far away from St. Tydfil's Infirmary.

Mary, although described as 'Irish' is known to have spoken the Welsh language. Her father was said to have worked at the ironworks [again this information came from Joseph Barnett].

Merthyr had three large ironworks at the time: Cyfarthfa, Dowlais and Plymouth, and there were many coal pits in the area which would tie in with the fact her husband had been a collier.

These are the facts I could find out about John Bernard Gabe from a 1908 Welsh newspaper:

 

• He'd had a serious illness which had overtaken him eighteen months beforehand, but he had still attended his duties and died the eve before his birthday
• He'd never fully recovered from that illness
• He'd been ill for two to three days before his death
• He'd been out motoring with friends the week before his death in North Wales
• He died from congestion to the bowels
• He was living in Morriston Swansea at the time
• He was a native of Cefn, Merthyr, being the ONLY surviving son of the late Mr. John Gabe.
• He died aged 55 years of age
• He received his education at London and Cork Universities and become fully qualified at Glasgow University.
• He came to Morriston while a young man, as assistant to the late Dr. Henry Davies, whom he afterwards, succeeded.
• At the point of his death he was in partnership with Dr. Morgan.
• He was patron of the Loyal J. B. Lodge [Order of Shepherds]
• He left behind a widow [unnamed] and five chidren sons: Howel, Leslie and Vincent and two daughters Beryl and Thaisa?
• His son Howel was completing his studies to follow his father into the medical profession.
• The deceased was a brother-in-law of the Rev. T. Sinclair Evans, Swansea

I think this information proves that John Bernard Gabe is not the same person as John Rees Gabe as some people seem to think. John Rees Gabe ended up in Mecklmeurst Square in London. It says in the article that John Bernard was the only surviving son of Rees Gabe which would imply the other Doctor [John Rees] Gabe was dead, but that isn't so, as the article was printed in 1908 yet, John Rees didn't die until 1920. So perhaps they weren't even brothers but related.

Though, I strongly believe that both were brothers, but the one who attended the Miller's Court murder of Mary Jane Kelly was 'Joseph' Gabe, who for some reason changed his name when he turned up in London. Don't forget he'd been involved in several high profile inquiries that had hit the newspapers, maybe he didn't want people to know when he moved away. He settled in London with his family at 16 Mecklenburgh Square St. Pancras.

Now the other curious thing about this is that if say, this John Rees Gabe, was nothing to do with John Bernard Gabe [though one heck of a coincidence both are listed as doctors!] then why is there evidence of a John Rees Gabe from Merthyr being with a Rachel M. Gabe. Rachel M. Gabe can be found on the census showing Rees Gabe as her father.

The 1881 Census shows a 27-year-old John B. Gabe as being a General Practioner, LSA, etc born in Merthyr Tydfil but by then married to a woman called 'Annie' and living in Llangefelach Road, Clase. Going by the other names mentioned [including his mother-in-law] then his 22-year-old wife Annie, was originally a Rosser by birth. The couple are childless so far in this census. See source here:

https://kpoulin1.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/dr-john-b-gabe/

1891 Census return for 16 Mecklenburgh Sq, St Pancras

John R Gabe (Head), 39, born Merthyr Tydfil. Registered Medical Practitioner
Marion LS (Wife), 35, born St Helens, Lancashire
Caroline M (Daur), 10, born London, Spitalfields. Scholar
Winifred A (Daur), 7, born London, Spitalfields. Scholar
Ivor S (Son), 5, born London, St Pancras
Rachel M (Visitor), 23, born Merthyr Tydfil [John's sister]
Frederick G Foniham (Visitor), 37, born St Helens, Lancashire. Woollen Agent
Ellen F Cobb (Servant), 28, born Plymouth. Domestic Servant

The only thing I can think of that makes any sense is that Joseph [John Rees] and John Bernard were brothers from Merthyr, who trained to become doctors. John Bernard moved to the Swansea area where he married and lived the rest of his life as a successful well-respected doctor. Joseph went to London where he also worked as a Medical Officer as he did at St Tydfil's Workhouse, but he changed his name! Now why do that? Was it because he came under suspicion for any wrong doings at the Workhouse? Was he either Joseph Gabe or John Rees Gabe or even John Jones Gabe [see later explanation for this.]

I've also found mention of the Doctor Gabe at Merthyr returning from Cardiff several times where there was also an Infirmary. Mary Kelly was said to have entered an Infirmary and moved to London afterwards.

Did both Doctor John [Joseph?] Gabe and Mary Jane Kelly know one another before they both set off for London? Did he change his name? If so, why do that? And why was Doctor John Rees Gabe one of the first doctors on the scene when he was known to be a gynaecologist? Why was there an obstetrician there too? In fact, I've read reports that state in all, six doctors were present at the scene.

There are more questions than answers, that's for sure....

And now this afternoon, I just found evidence that the Doctor J. Gabe working at St Tydfil's was still there on the Board of Guardians in 1881/1882 when John Bernard was registered on the census living in the Swansea, it seems this must surely be John Rees Gabe, except in certain articles the name is referred to as J. J. Gabe and I even found him referred to as John Jones Gabe. It seems unlikely to me there would have been 3 doctors with the name John Gabe working in Merthyr. At that time there were only about 15 Gabes registered in the area.

Curious!