• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Stories
  • Games
    • View All
    • FAQ
  • Encyclopaedia
  • About
  • Support TGIMM
  • Shop
  • Contact

The Ghost In My Machine

Stories of the Strange and Unusual

Encyclopaedia of the Impossible: Spring-Heeled Jack

August 29, 2016 by Lucia

Previously: Mandy the Doll.

Type: PE (Preternatural Entity).

Period/location of origin: 1837, London, UK.

Appearance: Subject’s appearance varies by report; however, frequently cited characteristics include a goatee, pointed ears, horns, and glowing, red eyes. Subject, aka Spring Heeled Jack, is also often said to have talons, rather than fingers (talons may or may not be organic; some reports cite them as being metallic), and is sometimes described as being clad in white oilskin and/or a black cloak. Subject may or may not have the ability to breathe white and blue flames. For all intents and purposes, subject appears to be the quintessential “devil.”

Spring heeled jack

Interestingly, several reports describe as tall, thin, and gentleman-like. Subject’s relationship to the PE known as “the Slender Man,” if any, remains unknown.

Modus operandi: Subject is known for its ability to leap extraordinary heights — perhaps as high as 20 to 30 feet, without a running start. This ability has allowed subject to escape capture time and time again after carrying out its attacks. In terms of targets, subject appears to favor women, grasping at them, tearing at them, and in many cases destroying their clothing. Subject has also shown itself to be intelligent, using subterfuge and disguises to trick targets into drawing near.

[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]

Subject’s goal is unknown, although researchers have hazard… educated guesses based on subject’s preoccupation with tearing targets’ clothing to shreds.

Containment: Unknown.

Additional notes: Earliest known documentation of subject occurred in December of 1837. Articles in London newspapers at the time described the appearance of a “ghost, imp, or devil” similar to “a large white bull” in the village of Barnes, south and west of London, during September of that year; said “ghost, imp, or devil” had carried out a number of attacks, many against women. Media began referring to subject as “Spring-heeled Jack,” “Jack” presumably as an “everyman” sort of name (the moniker was a nickname for the commonly encountered “John”), and “Spring-heeled” for its remarkable physical abilities. Subject was a popular topic for “penny dreadfuls” of the era.

Reports from all over the country soon followed, with the appearance of a “large white bull” gradually giving way to that of a more humanoid creature. Two of the highest profile reports came from two women, Jane Alsop and Lucy Scales, in February of 1838. Alsop’s report is perhaps the more concerning of the two, due to the deviousness of subject in carrying out the attack: Alsop described answering the door to someone claiming to be a police officer who said he had captured subject nearby. Upon being provided with a candle, however, the “police officer” revealed himself to be none other than subject itself. Subject proceeded to physically attack Alsop, who was rescued by her sisters; subject then fled on foot.

Subject’s last confirmed appearance occurred in Liverpool in September of 1904; however, it was not until 1967 that a complete account of this occurrence appeared in print (via the Liverpool Daily Post). Account reads as follows:

“In September, 1904, the Springing terror made his last appearance, this time in William Henry Street, when hundreds of local folk watched in awe as the pathetic creature leaped up and down the length of the Everton Street. After more than 10 minutes of leaps which would embarrass present day Olympic high jumpers (and pole vaulters, too), he was seen to jump clean over the terraced houses from Stitt Street to Haigh Street, and then hop back across the slate roofs to Salisbury Street, after which he was never seen again.”

It has not been determined whether accounts as recent as 2012 herald the return of subject.

Whether subject is truly a monster, or whether subject is simply a man made monstrous by fear remains to be seen. There are compelling arguments for each — and it is always possible that both might be true, as well. The existence of one does not necessarily negate the existence of the other.

Recommendation: Run. Hide. Don’t open the door.

Resources:

Spring-heeled Jack.

Local Legends: Spring-heeled Jack.

The Iron Skeptic – Spring-heeled Jack.

Terrified Banstead Family Confronted By “Dark Figure” On Bypass.

***

Follow The Ghost In My Machine on Twitter @GhostMachine13 and on Facebook @TheGhostInMyMachine. And don’t forget to check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available now from Chronicle Books!

[Photo via Wikimedia Commons]

Filed Under: Encyclopaedia Tagged With: Encyclopaedia of the Impossible, London, PE, Spring-heeled Jack

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Top Stories

‘Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark’ Is Now Available From Chronicle Books!

15 Creepy Phone Numbers To Call That Actually Work (UPDATED For 2023)

The Backrooms, Explained: How To Make Sense Of The Internet’s Favorite Non-Reality

About

The Ghost In My Machine is an internet campfire of sorts. Gather round, because it wants to tell you strange stories, take you on haunted journeys, and make you jump at unexpected noises.

Continue Reading >

Support

Like what you read? Support The Ghost In My Machine!

 

Support

Follow

Facebook Twitter

From the Vault

  • Bloody Mary & Other Games We Shouldn’t Play

    Scare Yourself Silly

  • This Man

    Creepy Things That Seem Real But Aren’t

  • The Dionaea House

    Creepy Things That Seem Real But Aren’t

  • The Noise Coming From Inside Children

    Scare Yourself Silly

  • NoEnd House

    Is It Real?

  • Killswitch

    Creepy Things That Seem Real But Aren’t

  • Suicidemouse.avi

    Is It Real?

  • 200 Phenomena In The City Of Calgary

    Scare Yourself Silly

View All >

Letters from the Beyond

Enter your email to receive blog posts and updates by email

  • Stories
  • Games
  • Encyclopaedia
  • About
  • Support TGIMM
  • Shop
  • Contact

Privacy Policy

We use cookies to give you the best online experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of all the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT