Philip Sugden (historian)
| Philip Sugden | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 27, 1947 Hull, England |
| Died | April 26, 2014 (aged 67) |
| Nationality | English |
| Fields | history |
| Institutions |
University of Hull Chenet School |
| Alma mater | Hull College of Commerce; University of Hull |
| Known for | Jack the Ripper and other studies in the history of crime |
Philip Sugden (January 27, 1947 – found dead April 26, 2014) was an English historian, best known for his comprehensive study of Jack the Ripper case, including the books The Complete History of Jack the Ripper, first published in 1994, and The Life and Times of Jack the Ripper (1996). He was one of the few professional historians who worked on the case.
Philip Sugden was born on January 27, 1947 in Moorhouse Road, Kingston-upon-Hull, England, the younger of twin boys. Both boys, John and Philip, became internationally acclaimed historians. Their father, John Henry Sugden (1914–1996), was a painter and decorator, whose seasonal trade made him vulnerable to spells of unemployment and short hours; their mother, Lily (née Cuthbertson, 1914–1981), eventually took part-time factory work to keep the boys at school. A sister, Sylvia (1937–1954), died in adolescence, but the brothers were constant companions, sharing interests and projects in what became a lifelong partnership. Living just inside the western boundary of the city, they grew up close to the countryside, and enjoying many open spaces; both became great devotees of the natural world. But their greatest inspiration came from literature. Avid readers, they particularly enjoyed the great stories of history, and from an early age began writing about their interests. The Sugden brothers attended Wold Road Primary School and Ainthorpe High School, where they were encouraged by an innovatory headmaster, Harold F. Brown, and two inspirational teachers, Stanley R. ('Taffy') Thomas and Joan Wright, who recognized their potential. Although conscientious, the boys remained more interested in their own projects than routine schoolwork. At the age of fifteen they both attempted to produce historical novels for publication. John finished his book, but failed to find a publisher. Philip abandoned his companion piece, and both had to satisfy themselves with furnishing primitive features for the school magazine. They left school at the age of 16 and for four years worked as administrators in local industry. Philip was employed by Humber Joiners in Stepney Lane, Hull, and in the offices of the Hull Corporation Parks Department in Ferensway before completing his A-level G. C. E. courses at the Hull College of Commerce. His preference to read for a degree in Zoology was frustrated by weaknesses in his formal science, but he graduated from the University of Hull with the departmental prize in History in 1972. He immediately started working on his Ph.D. under the supervision of Kenneth R. Andrews, but the dissertation on early Stuart maritime expansion remained unfinished, partly because of Sugden's meticulous nature and repeated rewriting, and partly because his grant ran out. In 1976, he took a position at Chenet School in Cannock, where he taught History, English and Economics. But although a very successful teacher, his first love remained research and writing, and he had become absorbed in the history of crime in the Georgian era. A detailed study of the London underworld of Jack Sheppard, a celebrated criminal of the early eighteenth-century, became a lifelong preoccupation.
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