‘With its sensational storyline and attendant press-generated hysteria, the story of Spring-Heeled Jack perfectly encapsulates the transition from traditional folklore to urban legend.’ (Merlin Coverly- occult London)
What?
A man like creature with long claws, fire vomit, red eyes and an ability to jump unnaturally high. Attacks woman and causes carriage crashes.
Where?
Notting Hill & Peckham,
When?
1837 – 1904
In October 1837, a girl called Mary Stevens was walking to Lavender Hill, where she was working as a servant. On her way through Clapham Common, as she passed Cut-Throat Lane, a strange figure leapt at her from a dark alley. He began to kiss her face while ripping her clothes with his metallic claws, before fleeing the scene. The next day, the same figure caused a carriage to crash before breathing fire, laughing and leaping away over a nine foot-high wall. The legend of Spring Heeled Jack was born.
The Times (22 February 1838 (Scott wood)) would later report on the Jane Alsop case: on the night of 20 February 1838, she answered the door to a man claiming to be a police officer, who told her to bring a light, claiming “we have caught Spring-Heeled Jack here in the lane”. She brought the person a candle, and noticed that he wore a large cloak. She gave him the candle and he tore his cloak off, vomiting blue and white flame from his mouth while his eyes resembled “red balls of fire”. He tore at her with his long claws, but she managed to escape him.
For about ten years, Spring Heeled Jack gripped the Victorian imagination. He was seen all over the city, an official enquiry was set up, and a man who was believed to be the monster was even put on trial. Many believed it was the alter-ego of the mad Marquess of Waterford, who had the money to design such a disguise and the time to prank people with it.
After 40 years of silence, Spring-Heeled Jack reappeared once again, this time in Peckham. After this Jack was only seen a few times more. Once in 1877 in Sheffield, in 1904 in Linconshire and in 1986, 150 years after his first appearance.
To this day we do not know if the legend of Spring-Heeled Jack bares any truth, and maybe we never will. Who knows if it was just a prankster, or really a red eyed devil who spits fire.
Jack was a dark, iron-clawed, fire-breathing figure who would terrify people, often women, walking at night in London before making his getaway by leaping or bouncing over a wall with the aid of his spring-heeled boots.
London's Urban Legends 
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