A Victoria-licensed electrical engineer in Prosper Thomson’s Henley Beach house…?

by ⋅ 79 Comments

What I infer from Prosper Thomson’s 1947 small ads:

  • Thomson sold his second-hand car business around May 1947
  • Thomson had a property in Belair that he sold around July 1947
  • Thomson bought 90a Moseley st (just) before 18 October 1947
  • Also: I see no sign that Thomson stopped renting 7 Main St, Henley Beach

The obvious question here is: who owned the 1939-built property in Alta-Mira crescent, Belair before Prosper Thomson?

This leads me to the most interesting pair of Adelaidean small ads of all, and they weren’t even placed by Thomson:

[25 Aug 1948] ELECT. eng, 50, many years’ exp., foreman, manager, contracts, maintenance, diploma “A” grade, Vic. licence, ex. refs. 7 Main st, Henley.

[27 Aug 1948] ELECT. eng., 50, many years’ exp., foreman, manager, contracts, maintenance, diploma “A” grade, Vic. licence, ex. refs. 7 Main st.. Henley.

Just so you know, according to 1947 (and 1948, and 1949) Sands and McDougall, 7 Main St Henley Beach was owned by “Miss R. Ward”.

Who was this Victoria-licensed electrical engineer living in 7 Main St, Henley Beach? Might he turn out to be the person who connects Prosper Thomson with Carl Webb? Over to you!

I’ve found two things that might possibly be connected. Firstly, this advert from 27 Jan 1948:

ELECTRICIAN seeks situation with accommodation for self and wife. Victorian licence and references. K267. Advertiser.

Secondly, there was an electrician called J. Girven living a few doors away (at 16 Main St, Henley Beach), who had previously (on 4 Jan 1947) placed this ad:

ELECTRICAL wireman wanted. Apply Girven, 16 Main st, Henley Beach. L8638.

Perhaps J. Girven had seen the 27 Jan 1948 ad, and had hired the Victorian electrician?

Now, it may be a bit of a stretch, but the K267 box was also used for an ad on 12 Oct 1948:

STRAYED, tan and white Pekinese pup from 1 Leicester av., Kilburn, Monday, 11th: good reward. K267. Advertiser.

And the same address (1 Leicester av., Kilburn) also came up exactly one other time in 10 Jan 1952:

DOHERTY.—On January 1 (suddenly), James “Len” Doherty, of 1 Leicester av., Kilburn, loved husband of Ivy, and loving father of Kathleen (Mrs. H. Armstrong), Maureen (Mrs. W. Badenoch), Agnes (Mrs. B. Baldock), Brian and Pat. Aged 52 years. Requiescat in pace.

Might this Victorian electrician have been James “Len” Doherty?

Prosper Thomson’s 1947 in Trove…

by ⋅ 3 Comments

I enjoyed Pete Bowes’ most recent “bloodhound” post, but I was pretty sure I’d seen many, many more ads placed by Prosper McTaggart Thomson than he listed there. So I thought I’d have a go at compiling my own list. So… here are all the small ads I found for 1947 (including a single one from 1946).

Note that I assume we can tie all these addresses:

  • 200 Hindley St
  • 7 Main St, Henley Beach
  • “Robinvale”, Altamira Crescent, Belair
  • 90a Moseley St, Glenelg

…and all the various P.O. Boxes to Prosper Thomson. Do you agree?

Dec 1946

[18 Dec] HOUSE, will purchase for cash to £ 1,500, prefer hills district, vacant possession, can trade 1939 Ford V 8 sedan, as new, if reg., NSPR £310 Apply P. M. Thomson, G.P.O., Adelaide.

Jan 1947

[4 Jan] WANTED car, tourer, sedan. or rdst., reasonable order. £50 to £200, by ex-serviceman for business: consider buckboard. Full particulars as condition and price. Will inspect 50 mile radius Adelaide. Thomson, 7 Main st.. Henley Beach, after 1 pm, or Sunday.

[8 Jan] MODERN house, suit couple. Adelaide or hills, will exchange 1939 Ford V8 sedan. as new. NSPR £306. with extras, if required. Thomson, 7 Main st. Henley Bch.

[22 Jan] CAMERA Hertie F.4.5 lens, 5 speed shutter, takes 16 pictures on 127 film, small compact job, carrying case, films, exchange for crystal water set and fruit set. Thomson, 7 Main st., Henley Beach.

[22 Jan] UTILITY Bedford coupe front. 10 h p., 1939. NSPR £210, appearance as new, exchange for 8 to 14 h.p. car. 1938 or later. Thomson. 7 Main st.. Henley Beach.

[25 Jan] WANTED 10 to 14 h.p. car or utility, urgent, pay your price, cash, or take over terms. Home week-end, or inspect anywhere. Thomson. 7 Main st., Henley Beach.

[27 Jan] WANTED 10 to 14 h.p. car or utility, urgent, pay your price, cash or take over terms. Home week-end or inspect anywhere. Thomson, 7 Main St., Henley Beach.

Feb 1947

[1 Feb] MORRIS 10-h.p. 1940 saloon, series M, similar, as now being sold as 1947 models, for £635, previously owned by Melbourne doctor, exceptionally well kept. Just driven overland by me, averaged 38 m.p.gal., performed perfectly, NSPR £288 Exchange for larger sedan and cash diff. Thomson, 7 Main st., Henley Beach.

[12 Feb] WANTED urgently, car, suit city traveller, 8 to 14 h.p. preferred, consider larger car, utility, pay good price. Clinic Distributors. Box 1009J. G.P.O., Adelaide.

[12 Feb] CHEV. wanted. 1941 sedan, consider 1940. or similar car for taxi, pay your price for good job. Thomson. 7 Main st Henley Beach. Inspect anywhere.

[12 Feb] CAMERA. Foth 120, folding, f4.5, double anastigmat lens, 5 speed shutter, extra good, little used. £12/10/- cash. Thomson, 7 Main st, Henley

[15 Feb] WANTED, 1928 to 1932 American sedan, tourer or roadster, pay good price. Thomson, 7 Main st., Henley Beach, week-end.

[15 Feb] MANTEL 5-valve Mickey Mouse, good interstate performance, perfect order, modern plastic cabinet, cost £19/19/-. accept £14 cash. Thomson. 7 Main st, Henley.

[19 Feb] WANTED, 1928 to 1932 sedan tourer or roadster, good order, pay cash or take over terms. Thomson, 200 Hindley St.. Adelaide. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

[22 Feb] CAMERA, Kodak, folding. No. 2A, double lens, as new; sell or exchange for auto. .22 rifle. Thomson. 7 Main st, Henley Beach.

Mar 1947

[1 Mar] MORRIS 10 h.p. saloon. Series M. 1940. same cars now selling as 1947 models for £635. This car has Just been rebored, crankshaft ground, all bearings renewed, brakes relined. king pins replaced, and is definitely equal to new car and represents rare opportunity to acquire most popular sedan . Doing approx. 40 m.p. gal of petrol. We require large sedan or coupe, like Chev., Dodge or similar, suitable country traveller, on exchange basis. NSPR of Morris £298. genuine NSPR deal. See Mr. Thomson. Clinic Distributors. 200 Hindley st, business hours.

[1 Mar] WANTED, house or flat, furn, or unfurn., in hills or Blackwood d’st., business people. Thomson. Box 1009J. G.P.O., Adelaide.

[5 Mar] DODGE 1923 single seater, very good order mechanically, tyres as new, reg. 6 months.,NSPR £110, accept £85, ready drive anywhere. Thomson. 200 Hindley street.

[6 Mar] MORRIS 10 h.p. sedan. 1941, NSPR £309. Just rebored, overhauled, extent. £65. now as new. exchange for 8 to 14 h-p. utility or large car, suitable country traveller. Clinic Distributors. 200 Hindley St.

[8 Mar] WANTED, American tourer, rdstr, or sedan. Whippet. Rugby. Chev, similar. Consider utility. Pay cash. Inspect anywhere. Clinic Distributors, 200 Hindley

[8 Mar] ELECTRIC copper or washing machine. Inspect anywhere, pay cash. Thomson. Box 1009J, G.P.O.

[8 Mar] WANTED, car, any make or model, buckboard would do. £50 to £175 cash. Urgent, by discharged A.I.F. man. Thomson, Box 1009J, G.P.O.

[12 Mar] RIFLE. .22. auto, or repeater, pay cash or exchange Healing cycle, as new. Thomson, 200 Hindley st.

[13 Mar] RIFLE. .22 repeater or auto, in good order. Will inspect. Thomson. Box 1009J. G.P.O.

[14 Mar] GENT’S Healing cycle, cond. as new, tyres new, Eadie coaster new, price £18/18/-, accept £9/10/-. Thomson, 200 Hindley St.

[15 Mar] PARTNER for used car business, active or silent, good returns assured. £500 to £1,000, money under own control. I have city premises and 10 years experience in motor trade, stocks assured. Thomson. Box 1009J, G.P.O.

[15 Mar] RIFLE. .22 repeater or auto. In good order. Will inspect. Thomson. Box 1009J. G.P.O.

[19 Mar] MORRIS 10 h.p. saloon. 1941. extra good mechanically. NSPR £311, exchange tourer or utility. 1936. 8 to 14 b.p. Clinic Distributors 200 Hindley st.

[22 Mar] WANTED Morris 8/40 or similar, or utility, to 10 h.p.: pay your price, cash Thomson, ‘Robinvale,’ Altamira Crescent Belair. near Methodist Church.

[22 Mar] MAN to clean block and gardening. Thomson, Alta Mira Crescent, Belair, 2 doors from Methodist Church.

[26 Mar] WANTED urgently, tourer or roadster, by ex-serviceman, commencing business, utility will do, cash £75 to £150. Will inspect. McTaggart, Box 1009J. G.P.O.

[26 Mar] WANTED. Morris. Standard. Vaux, 8 to 14 h.p, car or prefer utility. Thomson. Alta Mira crescent. Belair. Inspect anywhere.

[29 Mar] WANTED urgently by ex-serviceman about commence business, car or buckboard, £50 to £150. Will call, pay cash. McTaggart, Box 953H. G.P.O. Adelaide.

[29 Mar] WANTED Bedford utility or similar make 8 10 14 h.p, 1937 to 1940; cash to £300. Thomson. Alta Mira cres, Belair. 2 doors from Methodist Church or letter to P.O. Belair.

[29 Mar] RIFLE, automatic. .22. as new; Healing gent’s cycle, unmarked, cost £16/10 accept £16 the lot. Thomson. Alta Mira crescent. Belair. 2 doors from Methodist Church.

Apr 1947

[5 Apr] WANTED, car or buckboard, cash, £50 to£200. Thomson, Alta Mira cres., Belair

[5 Apr] WOMAN for washing, cleaning, no children. Mrs Thomson, Robinvale, Alta Mira Cres., Belair

[5 Apr] STANDARD 10 h.p. 1938 tourer, new 3 tyres, hood, curtains, recently overhauled. NSPR £170. make clean swop for utility, 6 to 14 h.p. Thomson. Alta Mira crescent. Belair. 2 doors past Methodist Church.

[12 Apr] WANTED urgently by ex-serviceman, car, any make or model, reliable utility would do, cash, about £100 to £150. McTaggart. Box 953H. G.P.O., Adelaide.

[12 Apr] FORD A utility, factory built steel body, just reconditioned to extent of £65. new tyres. 6 wheel equip, NSPR £85. exchange outright or take car part payment. Thomson. Alta Mira cres, Belair. 2nd house from Methodist Church.

[19 Apr] WANTED car or buckboard, reas. order, any make suit traveller, cash £75 to £150. McTaggart. Box 953H. G.P.O.

[19 Apr] BEAN tourer, 14 h.p., 1928-30 series, sound mechanically, well shod, good hood, complete tools, instruct, book, rgd.; NSPR £179, accep: £135 cash. Thomson. Alta Mira Cres, Belair, 2nd house past Methodist Church. Sat. only.

[26 Apr] WANTED—Woman to do washing, cleaning, one day a week, no family. Mrs. Thomson, Alta Mira Crescent, Belair.

[26 Apr] MORRIS 8/40 utility, 1940, used privately. as new. NSPR £205. Exchange for car. 1938 or later on NSPR basis. Thomson. Alta Mira Crescent. Belair. 2nd house from Methodist Church.

[30 Apr] WANTED, building, suitable for garage business, city or suburbs. ex-AIF man, good references. Rent in advance. Thomson. Box 953H. G.P.O.

[30 Apr] WANTED urgently, any type or make car, going order, £75 to £150. Buckboard would do. I will inspect anywhere if give full details. Thomson. Box 953H, G.P.O., Adelaide.

May 1947

[7 May] GENTLEMAN, ex -2nd A.I.F., with 1940 Austin car. exper. traveller, collector, had own garage, business 5 years, good refs., any kind employment, perm, or casual, required urgent. Thomson, Box 953H, G.P.O.

[8 May] VACANT possession, all electric, jarrah 4 rooms, large louvred glass sleepout, modern kitchen and bathroom, large block, nicely laid out garden, definitely best position in Belair, 7 miles from G.P.O., 2 minutes Belair rly. Stn., built 1939. Require sedan car, 1938-46 model, suitable taxi, balance cash. Write Box 953H, G.P.O. for appoint.

[10 May] GENTLEMAN, ex-2nd A.I.F., with 1940 Austin car, exper. traveller, collector, had own garage, business 5 years, good refs, any kind employment, perm, or casual, required urgent. Thomson, Box 953H, G.P.O.

[17 May] VACANT pos., all-electric 5-roomed jarrah bungalow, condition as new, 2 minutes Belair rly. stn., 7 miles from city; car taken as part payment if desired. Write Box 953H. for appoint.

[24 May] WANTED urgently, car, any type, reasonable condition, utility would do, £75 to £150, inspect anywhere if full particulars given, spot cash. Thomson. Box 953H. G.P.O, Adelaide.

[28 May] WANTED desperately by ex-A.I.F. man, car, any type, for business, utility will do, can pay cash £75 to £200. Will inspect anywhere city or country, if full particulars given. Thomson. Box 953H, G.P.O., Adelaide.

[28 May] GENTLEMAN. ex-2nd A.I.F.. experienced traveller and collector, recently sold own business, have 1940 Austin car, seeks employment any kind, perm, or casual, good rels., sound financial position. Thomson. Box 953H. G.P.O., Adelaide

[31 May] WANTED, building, suit garage, workshop, city or subs.; pay ingoing or buy plant; urgent. Thomson. Box 953H. G.P.O., Adel.

[31 May] WANTED any make car. reasonable order, utility would do, cash to £150 or take over terms. Inspect anywhere. Full particulars to Thomson, Box 953H. G.P.O., Adelaide.

Jun 1947

[28 Jun] WANTED flat, or anything self-contained, will purchase contents if necessary or take short term basis, req. by 1/8/47 or sooner Thomson, Box 953H, G.P.O.

Jul 1947

[5 Jul] YOUNG man, ex-2nd A.I.F., experienced traveller, also experienced all sections of motor trade, recently disposed of garage business, own car, seeks position. Consider any type employment. Have good references. P. Thomson, Box 953H, G.P.O. Adelaide.

[22 Jul] FORD 10 h.p. sedan, 1937, new car appearance, 35 miles gallon, good tyres NSPR £155, exchange for car suitable taxi, adjust diff. cash. Thomson, Alta-Mira Cres., Belair, 2 doors from Methodist Church.

[26 Jul] FORD 10 h.p. Prefect, 1937-38 mid, 4-door sedan, camp seat, roomy luggage compartment, in new car condition. NSPR £155. exchange for car suitable taxi and pay cash diff. Thomson, “Robinvale,” Alta-Mira cres, Belair. 2 doors from Methodist Church.

Aug 1947

Sep 1947

Oct 1947

[18 Oct] WANTED 1946 or 1947 sedan, by ex-A.I.F. man for taxi, have permit, urgent. Thomson. 90a Moseley st. Glenelg. Phone X 3239.

Nov 1947

Dec 1947

Charles de la Ronciere’s thoughts on Le Flibustier Mysterieux…

by ⋅ 8 Comments

While searching Gallica just now to try to see if Charles de la Ronciere had donated his personal papers to the Bibliotheque Nationale (TL;DR: I didn’t find anything, but maybe something is there), I noticed that it had a digital copy of (what was almost certainly) de la Ronciere’s last book, (1941) “Explorateurs et pionniers français“. I had a quick look: and was both surprised and delighted to find that it included (on pages 26-27) a section discussing his previous book.

Here’s my translation of these two interesting pages, followed by the original French (which doesn’t seem to be anywhere on the Internet). Enjoy!

My (free and easy) translation

The mysterious pirate: story of a hidden treasure in the Seychelles Islands.

“I would like to see a copy of The Clavicles of Solomon, to use its magical characters to help decipher a cryptogram left by a pirate.” This was the request made to the Bibliotheque Nationale by a reader from a distant region of Africa. She explained to me that, on a certain island in the Indian Ocean, in the Seychelles, one could see sculptures and rock engravings emerging from the waves during high tides, or from the ground when large trees fell, which corresponded to the signs in the cryptogram. Thus, a shape in the form of a monster’s eye appeared in this document; this same shape also appeared on M[auritius]. Near there, three bodies had been found, two of them with a gold ring on the left ear, pirate-style; the third was buried as if he had been stoned for having murdered his companions.

– “What language is the cryptogram in? I asked.

– It can be read in French.

– Do you have any idea of the name of the pirate who wrote it?

– None. Could you open an investigation into this?” asked the reader.

And so my investigation began. Was it plausible that a bandit would use a cryptogram? And was it admissible that he used a desert island as a ‘safe deposit box’? No doubt about it. In 1690, on his way to the Indian Ocean, a sea captain called Duquesne-Guitton on Ascension Island left inside a bottle – like a sort of Post Office – a list, in columns, of pounds, shillings and pence for one of his stashes (e.g. gold, 310 pounds, 10 shillings, 6 d): see the New French Dictionary of Father Charles Payot, on page 310, 10th line, 6th word.

It was also the habit of bandits to bury their loot in desert islands. The Golden Scarab by Edgar Poe is merely a fictionalized version, with a skull in a tree as a landmark, of the discovery made, in 1699, of the treasures buried on Gardiner Island by the pirate William Kidd, comprising bars of money, bags of gold and precious stones. Pirates buried their loot ten feet underground so that probes by spears and pertuisanes [?] could not detect it. Gold and precious stones were hidden by the sea; the money and what feared humidity were buried between two calabashes inside the desert island, in a very dry place. Remember this duality of the deposit. It will soon have considerable importance.

The history of French pirates in the Indian Ocean was far from banal!

A Provençal rogue by the name of Misson gained a singular fortune in the Comoros Islands. Wearing a gold-embroidered red coat of the royal princes, and a jewel-encrusted dagger on his belt, he had married the daughter of the Queen of Anjouan, with nails dyed red, eyebrows and eyelashes dyed blue. And with the help of the Anjouanese, he founded a republic of pirates. In the north of Madagascar, there is a deep bay to which a narrow neck gives access. On both sides of the Diégo-Suarez strait arose, under the direction of Misson, the strange city of Libertalia, where all the races formed one people, the Liberi. “Hsis High Excellence the conservative” is the title that Misson gave himself, as he directed its destinies, with the assistance of a Parliament, presided over by the defrocked Neapolitan priest Caraccioli. In this parliament, each group of voters, French, Portuguese, English, Dutch, Negroes or Arabs from the Comoros, appointed a delegate. The ships and sloops of the Libertalian Republic, commanded by the Englishman Thomas Tew, were armed half with blacks, half with whites. In 1705 and 1706, they stoked up trouble for our settlers on Bourbon Island (now known as Reunion). But this Babel of races shared the same the fate as the original Tower of Babel. The ships perished in a typhoon. Then, invading Libertalia at night, the Malagasy massacred the population. The republic of the bandits perished without leaving a trace.

The problem of the pirate who buried a fortune in the Seychelles Islands remained unsolved.

The small island of Sainte-Marie, just off the coast of Madagascar, was another pirate den. The virtuoso of the genre was a Calaisian, Olivier Le Vasseur, nicknamed La Buse. Among the ships he kidnapped was a Portuguese ship, coming from Goa, loaded with millions, which was bringing back to Portugal the viceroy of India and the archbishop of Goa. Diamonds were in abundance there, so much so that each of the bandits, of whom there were hundreds, received forty-two diamonds for their share. One thug, having received only one magnificent diamond, crushed it to have the same number of jewels as the others. This whole event took place in 1724. La Buse later dared to ask the governor of Bourbon Island (Reunion) for an amnesty, by returning some of the Archbishop of Goa’s sacred vases. His request was denied. Had he not kidnapped a ship from the Compagnie des Indes, to which Bourbon Island belonged? And in 1730 he atoned. Having been captured by a captain of the Compagnie, he was brought to Bourbon, then tried and hanged. Legend has it that when he went up to the gallows, he held out the cryptogram, saying: “To him who finds it.” La Buse, living on Sainte-Marie, no longer had the fruits of his plunders: he had therefore hidden them somewhere. And from 1724 to 1730, he had plenty of time to act. Back then, the Seychelles Islands were deserted: it was only in 1742 that Mahé de La Bourdonnais took possession of them.

Anyway, now listen to the rest of the story. My own investigation had led to my writing a book: “The Mysterious Filibuster: Story of a Hidden Treasure“. My friend Lenotre from the French Academy gave an excellent account of it in Le Temps, which by chance ended up being read in Cameroon by an islander from the Seychelles. The islander then sent his mother to me.

– “Could it have been that the treasure was found on our land? asked Mrs. D[…] She owns Silhouette Island in the Seychelles.

– No, Madam.

– I had, monsieur, another property on M[auritius], in Coëtivy. One day, a ship dropped anchor in the nearby cove…

– Anse des Forbans, I interrupted.

– The next day, it had disappeared. But instead of a sort of big pole-shaped rock, there was a big hole….

– Nine to ten feet deep.

– We could see at the bottom the traces left by two urns.

– Two water gourds, I interrupted again. And the bottom was very dry?

– Very dry.

– Well, madame, it was [probably] a pirate’s hiding place that was emptied, the kind of one that contained objects sensitive to humidity, such as silver or cashmeres, but what do I know?”

But then a conclusion was necessary. The habit of the bandits was to make two separate kinds of hiding places, where the gold and the precious stones would be buried close to the water’s edge: sculptures and rock engravings would be points of reference, although the coast has subsided since then and may well have buried these caches itself. May Madame S[avy] now detect their location, courtesy of the radiological dowsing of Abbot Mermet!

The original text

Le flibustier mystérieux : histoire d’un trésor caché aux îles Seychelles.

« Je voudrais voir les Clavicules de Salomon pour achever de déchiffrer, au moyen de ses caractères magiques, le cryptogramme laissé par un forban. » Telle était la demande formulée à la Bibliothèque Nationale par une lectrice venue d’une région lointaine de l’Afrique. Elle m’expliqua que, dans certaine île de l’Océan Indien, aux Seychelles, on voyait surgir du sein des flots, lors des grandes marées, ou du sol, lors de la chute de grands arbres, des sculptures at des gravures rupestres, qui correspondaient aux indications du cryptogramme. Ainsi, un œil du monstre était spécifié dans ce document ; et il existait dans l’île M… Près de là, on avait trouvé trois corps, deux d’entre eux ornés d’un anneau d’or à l’oreille gauche, selon l’habitude des forbans ; le dernier, enfoui, comme s’il avait été lapidé pour avoir assassiné ses compagnons.

« En quelle langue est le cryptogramme ? demandai-je.

                – Il se lit en français.

                – Avez-vous quelque idée du nom du forban qui l’a écrit ?

                – Aucune. Pourriez-vous ouvrir une enquête là-dessus ? » me demanda la lectrice.

                Et mon enquête commença. Était-il plausible qu’un forban usât d’un cryptogramme ? Et il était admissible qu’il prît pour coffre-fort une île déserte ? Aucun doute là-dessus. Dans le ventre d’une bouteille – qualifiée Bureau de la Poste – à l’île de l’Ascension, un capitaine de vaisseau, Duquesne-Guitton, en route pour l’océan Indien, laissait, en 1690, une liste, en colonnes, de livres sterling, de shillings et de pence à destination d’une de ses conserves. Or, 310 l. 10 s. 6 d. par exemple, devaient se lire ainsi : prenez le Dictionnaire nouveau français de Père Charles Payot, à la page 310, 10e ligne, 6e mot.

                C’était également l’habitude de forbans d’ensevelir leur butin dans des îles désertes. Le Scarabée d’or d’Edgar Poe n’est que l’histoire romancée, avec crâne dans un arbre comme repère, de la découverte faite, en 1699, des trésors enterrés dans l’île Gardiner par le pirate William Kidd, barres d’argent, sacs d’or et de pierreries. Les forbans ensevelissaient leur butin à 10 pieds du sol, afin que la sonde avec les lances et pertuisanes ne pût le déceler. L’or et les pierres précieuses étaient cachés au bord de la mer ; l’argent et ce qui craignait l’humidité étaient inhumés entre deux calebasses à l’intérieur de l’île déserte, dans un endroit très sec. Retenez bien cette dualité du dépôt. Elle aura tout à l’heure une importance considérable.

                L’histoire des forbans français de l’océan Indien n’avait rien de banal.

                Un forban provençal du nom de Misson avait eu, aux îles Comores, une singulière fortune. En habit rouge brodé d’or des princes royaux, le poignard incrusté des pierreries à la ceinture, il avait épousé la fille de la reine d’Anjouan, aux ongles teints en rouge, aux sourcils et aux cils teints de bleu. Et avec l’aide des Anjouanais, il avait fondé une république de forbans. Au nord de Madagascar, il est une baie profonde à laquelle donne accès un étroit goulet. Des deux côtés du goulet de Diégo-Suarez s’éleva, sous la direction de Misson, l’étrange cité de Libertalia, où toutes les races no formaient qu’un peuple, les Liberi. « Su Haute Excellent le conservateur », c’est le titre que se donnait Misson, en dirigeait les destinées, avec le concours d’un Parlement, présidé par le prêtre napolitain défroqué Caraccioli. Au Parlement, chaque décurie d’électeurs, Français, portugais, Anglais, Hollandais, Nègres ou Arabes des Comores, nommait un délégué. Vaisseaux et sloops de la république des Liberi, commandés par l’Anglais Thomas Tew, étaient armés moitié do Noirs, moitié de Blancs. Ils causèrent de l’iniquiétude, en 1705 et 1706, à nos colons de l’île Bourbon, l’île actuelle de la Réunion. Mais cette Babel de races eut le sort de la tour de Babel. Les vaisseaux périrent dans un typhon. Envahissant de nuit Libertalia, les Malgaches en massacrèrent la population, La république des forbans avait vécu sans laisser de traces.

                Le problème du flibustier qui aurait enseveli une fortune aux îles Seychelles, restait entier.

                La petite île Sainte-Marie, sur la côte de Madagascar, était un autre repaire de forbans. Le virtuose du genre tait un Calaisien, Olivier Le Vasseur, surnommé La Buse. Parmi les navires qu’il enleva se trouvait un vaisseau portugais, venant de Goa, chargé à millions, qui ramenait en Portugal de vice-roi de l’Indes et l’archevêque de Goa. Les diamants y étaient à foison, si bien que chacun des forbans, qui étaient des centaines, reçu quarante-deux diamants pour sa part. Une brute, n’en ayant touché qu’un, un diamant magnifique, le broya pour avoir le même nombre de joyaux que les autres. Le fait se passait en 1724. La Buse osa demander au gouverneur de l’île Bourbon (la Réunion) l’amnistie, en restituant quelques vases sacrés de l’archevêque de Goa. Il fut évincé. N’avait-il pas enlevé un navire de la Compagnie des Indes, dont relevait l’île Bourbon. Et en 1730, il expia. Cpturé par un capitaine de la Compagnie, il fut amené à Bourbon, jugé et pendu. Le légende veut qu’en montant au gibet, il aurait tendu le cryptogramme, en disant : « A celui qui trouvera. » la Buse, à Sainte-Marie, n’avait plus le fruit de ses rapines : il les avait donc cachées quelque part. Et de 1724 à 1730, il avait eu tout le temps d’agir. Les îles Seychelles étaient alors désertes. Ce n’est qu’en 1742 que Mahé de La Bourdonnais en prit possession.

                Écoutez la suite. De l’enquête à laquelle je m’étais livré, j’avais tiré un volume : le Flibustier mystérieux : histoire d’un trésor caché. Mon ami Lenotre, de l’Académie française, en fit, dans le Temps, un excellent compte rendu, qui tomba par hasard, au Cameroun, sous les yeux d’un insulaire des Seychelles. L’insulaire me dépêcha sa mère.

                – « Serait-ce chez nous que se trouve le trésor ? me demanda Mme D… Je possède, aux Seychelles, l’île Silhouette.

                – Non, madame.

                – J’avais, monsieur, une autre propriété dans l’île M…, à Coëtivy. Un jour, un navire jeta l’ancre dans l’anse voisine…

                – L’anse des Forbans, interrompis-je.

                – Le lendemain, il avait disparu. Mais à la place d’une sorte de grande perche, il y avait un grand trou….

                – De neuf à dix pieds de profondeur.

                – On voyait au fond la trace laissées par deux urnes.

                – Deux calebasses, interrompis-je encore. Et l’endroit était très sec ?

                – Très sec.

                – Eh bien, madame, c’est une cachette de forban qui a été vidée, celle qui contenait des objets craignent l’humidité, argent, cachemires, que sais-je ? »

                Mais alors s’imposait une conclusion, L’habitude des forbans étant de faire deux cachettes, l’or et les pierreries seraient biens ensevelis au bord de la mer : sculptures et gravures rupestres seraient bien des points de repère, encore que la côte se soit affaissée depuis lors et les ait souvent elles-mêmes ensevelies. Puisse madame S… déceler le gîte, grâce a la radiesthésie de l’abbé Mermet !

On the trail of Dorothy Robertson…

by ⋅ 1,003 Comments

Here’s a guest post by Cipher Mysteries commenter Pat, who has been hot on the trail of Dorothy Jean Robertson in Trove. There are, of course, many different Dorothy Robertsons out there, but Pat thinks these refer to the Dorothy Jean Robertson who married Carl Webb (the Somerton Man).

So… here we go!

Yet Another Treasure Trove

A while ago I posted some Trove links of a Dorothy Robertson student at Mildura Central school. What follows is the evidence that she is our Dorothy. (I have capitalised the important names)

17 AUGUST 1927 (SUNRAYISIA DAILY, MILDURA) – GIRL GUIDES

GIRL GUIDES
An enrolment of Brownies of the First Mildura Pack (Church of England) took place at St. Margaret’s Parish hall last, Saturday week, Rev. Canon Horner opening the proceedings with prayer. Miss McWilliams 1 District Commissioner performed the enrolment ceremony, and Miss Gcocissor. (Drov.11 Ov.-ii and the First Meri.eii! Brownies were present.
Mirs Jr.hr.s’.on (Brown Owll and Mirs . Currey ‘Tav.-uy Qv;lk wove emrcVie-tl before- tho children. Tho children linishfu with fairy rings and grand r.alutc. The following children were carolled: Esther Nichols, Doreen Sarah, Eetiv litimmertGn, Irene Ijciich. Doreen Leach, Morle Dowlin, Enid Norman, Wilntit Halpin. Joan Halpia. Vaida Woods, Trixie Robertson and DOROTHY ROBERTSON.

10 DEC 1932 (SUNRAYISIA DAILY, MILDURA) – MILDURA CENTRAL

During the year, swimming certificates were gained as follow:—Senior swimming: Irvine Corbould, Allan Eagle, John Magnusson. Junior swimming, boys: Graeme Baker, Max Baker, John Carson, Ronald Carter, Irvine Corbould, Alan Blackwood, Robert Davidson, Allan Eagle, Harry Heme, Roy Hunter, John Magnusson, Ray Magnusson, Joseph McGinty, Douglas Noyce, Charles Scarff, Robert Styles, Ronald Stephens, George Risbey, Max Wilson, Keith Wood, Rowland Woodhead. Girls: Ivy Fleming, Ilma Jones, Mary Malloch, Lorna Thomson, Thelma Thornton, DOROTHY ROBERTSON.

15 DEC 1934 (SUNRAYISIA DAILY, MILDURA) – MILDURA CENTRAL

Grade 8 have satisfactorily completed the year’s work. At the merit certificate examination they were very successful, gaining 13 merits out of a possible 14, and one pupil still pending in mental arithmetic.

The following pupils were successful: Girls: Heather Carter, Mavis Feuton, DOROTHY ROBERTSON, Sylvia Surgey, Gladys Thomson. Boys: Kenneth Adamson, Edward Heaner, Ronald Simmonds, Edward Surgey, Colin Williams, John Young, Keith Dunn, Robert Chamberlain. A penny concert in aid of Junior Red Cross will be held on Monday afternoon.

21 DEC 1934 (SUNRAYISIA DAILY, MILDURA) – CENTRAL SCHOOL YEAR ENDS

SWIMMING CERTIFICATES
At the conclusion of the penny concert Mrs. Segnit, president of the Mothers’ Club, presented to the boys and girls the Merit Certificates obtained at the recent examination, and also the certificates for Education Department tests in swimming efficiency. Merit certificates.—Girls: Mavis Fenton. Heather Carter, Sylvia Surgey, DOROTHY ROBERTSON, Gladys Thomson.

4 JAN 1939 (SUNRAYISIA DAILY, MILDURA) – SOCIAL JOTTINGS

Miss DOROTHY ROBERTSON, of Melbourne, is the guest of Mrs. F. Hall, of Orange Avenue.

[Mrs. F. Hall is Florence Olivia Hall (nee Stratford), sister of Alice Robertson (nee Stratford), both daughters of Louisa Wilhelmina Stratford (nee Reither). Florence Olivia’s husband Ernest Clarence Hall died in 1917, hence Mrs. F. Hall.]

31 MARCH 1936 – FAMILY NOTICES

Births, Marriages, and Deaths
IN MEMORIAM.
STRATFORD — In loving memory of our dear mother, Louisa W. Stratford, who passed away on March 31, 1935. Sadly missed.
—Inserted by her loving family.
STRATFORD — ln sad and loving memory of our darling grandma, who passed away on March 31, 1935. Dearly loved and sadly missed.
—Inserted by her loving grandchildren. Trix. Pat and Dig. Hall

[Trix (Floris Jean), Pat (Patricia Doreen) and Dig (Clarence Charles) were the children of Florence Olivia Hall (nee Stratford) and Ernest Clarence Hall]

12 OCTOBER 1938 (SUNRAYISIA DAILY, MILDURA) – ENGAGEMENT

Engagement
The engagement is announced of Patricia Doreen, youngest daughter of Mrs. F. O. Hall, of Orange Avenue, and the late Mr. E. C. Hall, of St. Arnaud, to John Squire, youngest son of Mr. S. Johnson and the late Mrs. Johnson, of Ballarat.

4 JANUARY 1939 (SUNRAYSIA DAILY, MILDURA) NEW YEAR’S EVE DANCES

SERGEANTS’ MESS DANCE

Miss D. ROBERTSON
(Melbourne), white georgette

22 MARCH 1939 (SUNRAYSIA DAILY, MILDURA) – WOMEN’S AIMS & INTERESTS

The St. Patrick’s dance at Casa Loma was very enjoyable. I met MISS ROBERTSON there, who looked striking with the Romany tan make-up. She may be interviewed at Ramsay’s chemist’s shop, and will put you on the right track for making the most of your personal appearance.

19 APRIL 1939 (SUNRAYSIA DAILY, MILDURA) – DOUBLE WEDDING

Johnson—Hall
There was a floral setting in St. Margaret’s Church of England for the marriage of Patricia Dawn, youngest daughter of Mrs. F. O. Hall, of Orange Avenue, and the late Mr. E. E. Hall, of St. Arnaud, to John Squire, youngest son of Mr. S. Johnson and the late Mrs. Johnson, of Raglan Street, Ballarat.
Canon Horner officiated, and Mrs. A. G. Horner, who presided at the organ, played the “Bridal March” as the bride entered the church with her brother, Mr. Clarence Hall, who gave her away. During the signing of the register, MRS. J. C. ROBERTSON, of Melbourne (aunt of the bride), sang “Mate o’ Mine.”
The gown of French crepe, embroidered in silver, worn by the bride, moulded her slim figure and merged into a semi-train. The draped bodice was caught on the shoulders with silver knots, the long sleeves forming points over the hands. Over a filmy cloud of tulle billowed her exquisitely embroidered veil, which was hold by a halo of orange blossoms. She wore white satin and silver shoes, and carried a bouquet of carnations, gladioli, azaleas, and fern, tied with satin ribbon.
The bridesmades. Miss Trixie Hall (sister of the bride) and Miss Jean Dixon, carried bouquets of charm dahlias and carnations, the toning being reproduced in their frocks in two shades of cyclamen and mauve chiffon, making a delightful foil to the bride’s toilette. Picture hats in the same tonings and silver kid shoes completed their ensembles.
The best man was Mr. Alex. Grant, of Melbourne, and the groomsman Mr. Alex. Johnson, of Ballarat (brother of the bridegroom).
At the reception at the Grand Hotel the bride’s mother received the guests in a smart frock of vintage wool georgette, with gold accessories, and hat en suite. She carried a bouquet of autumn-tinted dahlias and maidenhair fern. Canon Homer presided. The usual toasts were musically honored, and many telegrams read. The honeymoon was spent at Lorne, the bride travelling in an imported frock of teal blue woollen, with small toque of prune felt, and prune accessories. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, who will make their home in Ballarat, were the recipients of many gifts.

{Mrs. J. C. Robertson, nee Alice Stratford)

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/268806209

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/268787718

13 APRIL 1940 (THE AGE, MELBOURNE) – ADVERTISING [this may or may not be her]

MISSING FRIENDS
MISS DOROTHY ROBERTSON, please call at 23 Union-st, Brunswick; Important news

15 MAY 1940 (SUNRAYISIA DAILY, MILDURA) – SOCIAL NOTES

Mrs. F. O. Hall, or Madden Avenue, left, this week for BALLARAT, where she will be the guest of Mr. and Mrs. J. Johnson.

8 DECEMBER 1920 (SUNRAYISIA DAILY, MILDURA) – BERRI IMPROVEMENTS

RAMSAY’S CHEMIST

Rumour says that the corner of Wilson Street and Vaughan Terrace will shortly be occupied by two handsome rows of shops. This block has lately changed hands.
Mr. A. M. RAMSAY, CHEMIST, will have possession of his double fronted shop in Vaughan Terrace by Christmas, and is considering extensions.

4 SEPTEMBER 1929 (SUNRAYISIA DAILY, MILDURA)

SAMPLE TINS OF PHOSPHATINE FOOD FREE TO MOTHERS
The following Chemists will be glad to hand you a sample tin of Phosphatine for your Baby:—MILDURA: A. J. Jenkins, H. P. Blackett, P. T. Stone W. It. Weir, A. RAMSEY, J. H. Smith. RED CLIFFS: J. M. Couve, E. J. Dean MERBEIN: G. H. Kendall, S. H. L. Harris. FAILlERES’ PHOSPHATINE Wholesale Agents: Joubert & Joubert Pty. Ltd., Melbourne

5 APRIL 1933 (SUNRAYISIA DAILY, MILDURA) – ADVERTISING

HOT Water Bags.—Moulded rubber, just arrived. Barnet Glass or Dunlop. Price 3/ each.—RAMSEY, CHEMIST, Eighth Street.

Lockyer vs Lockyer Divorce Files (continued)…

by ⋅ 321 Comments

[The following is a guest post from Cipher Mysteries commenter Behrooz: all I’ve done is reformat it slightly into WordPress/HTML markup. Enjoy! — NickP]

I have the good news that, following some clarifications just received yesterday, I am now allowed to share publicly the contents and quotations from the contents of the Lockyer vs. Lockyer divorce files that have been shared with me. The limitation is still in progress on sharing the actual files, per reasons that seem to be purely procedural, so nothing to be concerned about. Hopefully, if decision is made to share the actual files, I will.

Below I will share the basic summary of the contents, quoting where necessary. I will not be offering my own interpretations here (yet), but you will find page 17 of PDF-1 to be the most significant, as brief as it is. It can be interpreted in different ways, but I have concluded, based on a subtle point I will reveal later, that it means Dorothy Jean Lockyer had died by Nov. 3, 1955. Let us see who can first figure out what that subtle point I am referring to may be!

I would like to take this opportunity, for the sake of transparency of how this finding came about, and for the public record, to acknowledge the kind assistance of the Honorable Chief Justice Chris Kourakis of South Australia and his office by way of the Honorable Acting Chief Justice of South Australia Mark Livesey and his office, and also the patient assistance throughout many months of Mr. Todd Wierenga, Deputy Registrar, for their trust in making possible, in my view, the solution to a longstanding puzzle about the Somerton Man case recently, as far as the whereabouts of Dorothy Jean Robertson is concerned. My interpretation of the contents of the files are only mine, though, and none of the above listed should be regarded necessarily as having offered or holding similar interpretations.

I wish to remind all on this site and those readings, that we should never forget the significant contributions the above Justices and their offices, as well as those of the State of Victoria regarding the Webb vs. Webb divorce files have made in clarifying important aspects of recent developments in the Somerton Man case. They are entitled to our gratitude and appreciation, and recognition of their assistance in helping research on the Somerton Man case to progress on solid evidential grounds rather than in continued speculations.

I will first share the summaries of the files, and then the main letters exchanged that made the sharing of the files possible. It took a long while before the files were actually found (and finally paid for), but there were also lots of back and forth since the original letters shared, mainly due to my trying to encourage the contents to be publicly available to all. I am happy and grateful that sharing the contents for further research and discussion became possible.

Lockyer vs. Lockyer Divorce File(s) contents.

Note: I have been assured the files whose contents are summarized below constitute the entirety of what is available for the case, and that no separate affidavit had been filed, as it can also be readily inferred from the contents of the files themselves (paragraph 4, and no references at all to any affidavit therein).

PDF-1: 19 Pages (page numbers below refer to the pages of the PDF-1)

Page 1: Cover page: South Australia in the Supreme Court No. 474 of 1955: Between Geoffrey Arthur Lockyer, Plaintiff, and Dorothy Jean Lockyer, Defendant: Stamped April 13, 1955: KNOX & HARGRAVE, Ware Chambers, 112 King William Street, Adelaide, Solicitors for the plaintiff.

Page 2: “… To Dorothy Jean Lockyer of Bute in the State of South Australia.” She is commanded to appear in 8 days from the date off the notice re. suit action by “Geoffrey Arthur Lockyer of Bute”

Pages 3-4: “Statement of Claim”: [This particular form is not filled out and dated at the end, since it was supposed to be the statement to be used to serve to Dorothy Jean Lockyer. However, the same form was indeed served and signed in another place, see pages 7-8-9-10 and then again in PDF-2, which will be introduced later below]

1. “The plaintiff was lawfully married to the defendant (then Dorothy Jean Webb a divorced person) on the 22nd of December 1952 at the Methodist Parsonage Kadina in the State of South Australia”

2. Both domiciled in SA. Plaintiff originally domiciled in WA, but now in SA.

3. No children living and under 18.

4. No previous proceedings re. their marriage.

5. “The material fact upon which the plaintiff relies is that the defendant has been guilty of habitual cruelty to the plaintiff for a period of one year and upwards.”

6. Plaintiff claims an order of divorce from “the defendant Dorothy Jean Lockyer.”

7. “The plaintiff does not claim damages or costs.”

8. The plaintiff’s Solicitors are … (see above)

Page 5: Cover page: “Appearance.” Stamped April 26, 1955, from “L.T. Gun, Tattersalls Chambers, 14 Grenfell Street, Adelaide, Solicitor for the Defendant”

Page 6: “Enter an appearance for the abovenamed Defendant Dorothy Jean Lockyer to the Writ of Summons in this action, Dated this 26th day of April 1955. Signed by the solicitor listed on page 5.

Page 7: Cover page, “Writ” date (somewhat illegible) 20?? June, 1955. By Knox & Hargrave.

Page 8-9-10: These three pages are exactly the same as Pages 2-3-4 above, except that now it is signed and dated: “This writ was served by me at Bute on the defendant Dorothy Jean Lockyer on Thursday, the 14th, day of April 1955, Indorsed the 14th day of April 1955,” Signed (illegible, signed something like ER Pilkins, but not reliable reading), Address 304 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA.

Page 11: Cover page: Lockyer vs. Lockyer: “Associate’s Certificate,” dated, 30 August 1955, by Knox & Hargrave

Page 12: “Tuesday the 2nd day of August 1955 Mr. Justice Ross, I certify that this action was heard before the Honourable on 2.8.55 and occupied the time of the Court as follows: 2:19 – 2:55, and I further certify that his Honour did this day find the allegations in paras 1, 2, 5 of the claim (including domicile) proved and did pronounce an Order Nisi for divorce in favor of the Plaintiff. Order shortening period for 0/A (? Illegible, perhaps 0/17) to 3 months. Name (illegible in signature, something like Butler Vicon?) Associate. Undefended. Counsel for the Plaintiff We. E. Forster.

Page 13: “Order Nisi for Dissolution of Marriage,” Stamp date faded (but see next page), from Knox & Hargrave

Page 14: “… Before the Honourable Mr. Justice Ross, Tuesday, the 2nd day of August 1955. This action was heard on the 2nd day of August 1955. Mr. W.E. S. Forster being Counsel for plaintiff the defendant Having entered appearance but not further defending the action, The Court was satisfied that the parties to the marriage were domiciled in the State of South Australia and that the defendant had been guilty of habitual cruelty to the plaintiff for one year and upwards as alleged in paragraph 5 of the Statement of Claim AND THE COURT ORDERED: 1. That the marriage between the plaintiff and the defendant Dorothy Jean Lockyer which was celebrated at the Methodist Parsonage at Kadina in the said State on the 22nd … be dissolved after the expiration of three calendar months from the date of this order upon application being made in that behalf and upon a Master or the Court being satisfied that the order should be made absolute.”

Page 15: Continued from Page 13, “This order nisi does not enable either party to the marriage to remarry. This order was filed by Knox & Hargrave …”

Page 16: “Request for Order Absolute” Stamped 3, Nov. 1955, from Knox & Hargrave …

Page 17: “I, Geoffrey Arthur Lockyer, the abovenamed plaintiff hereby request that an Order Absolute shall be issued in this action. To the best of my knowledge information and belief this action has not abated by reason of the death of the above-named defendant.” Dated the 3 day of November 1955 (signed by Lockyer), stamp dated 3, Nov. 1955.

Page 18: Cover page, “ORDER ABSOLUTE” for Dissolution of Marriage, stamp dates 4, Nov. 1955, from Knox & Hargrave … [This page is exactly the one already made public here]

Page 19: [This page is exactly the one already made public here so there is no point of retyping it here.]

PDF-2: 4 pages: [These pages are exactly the pages 7-8-9-10 above. They must be the exact pages served to Dorothy Jean Lockyer. So, nothing new in this pdf.]

——

Letters exchanged regarding the above (dates, later to earlier)

From: Mohammad Tamdgidi

Subject: Re: A Request Regarding the Somerton Man Case

Date: August 1, 2023 at 1:39:12 AM EDT

To: “CAA:PM Supreme Court Livesey J’s Chambers (CAA)”Cc: “*******.********@supcourt.vic.gov.au” , “CAA:PM Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Chambers (CAA)” , “Wierenga, Todd (CAA)”

Dear Ms. Kaylie Inglis and Deputy Registrar, Mr. Todd Wierenga,

I thank you for your reply and notification, and also sincerely appreciate the Acting Chief Justice, Justice Mark Livesey, for kindly agreeing to grant me access to the requested files on behalf of Chief Justice Chris Kourakis’s office.

I will be glad to pay the fees, so would like to hereby kindly request from Deputy Registrar, Mr. Todd Wierenga, to contact me via my same email address in order to organize the inspection and/or access to the material following my payment of the fees.

Being unfamiliar with the fee category and the amount after visiting the linked site you provided, I will just await further details from Mr. Wierenga so that I can fill out any forms needed and process the fee payment.

I appreciate again your reply and would like to thank Ms. Sharokine Haddad (copied) again for her assistance in this matter.

Looking forward,

Mohammad H. (Behrooz) Tamdgidi, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Sociology (ret.)

UMass Boston

Editor, Human Architecture

Research Director at OKCIR:

Omar Khayyam Center

for Integrative Research in Utopia,

Mysticism, and Science (Utopystics)

——

From: “CAA:PM Supreme Court Livesey J’s Chambers (CAA)”

Subject: FW: A Request Regarding the Somerton Man Case

Date: August 1, 2023 at 12:53:32 AM EDT

To: Mohammad Tamdgidi

Cc: *******.********@supcourt.vic.gov.au” , “CAA:PM Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Chambers (CAA)” , “Wierenga, Todd (CAA)” , “CAA:PM Supreme Court Livesey J’s Chambers (CAA)”

Dear Sir

I refer to your email to the Chief Justice dated 28 July 2023.

As the Chief Justice is currently overseas, this response was directed to the Acting Chief Justice, Justice Mark Livesey, who is the President of the Court of Appeal.

The Acting Chief Justice grants you permission to access the file upon payment of the relevant fees.

I invite you to contact the Deputy Registrar, Mr Todd Wierenga, who is copied into this email, to organise inspection and/or access to the material.

Information on applicable fees can be found on the Courts Administration Authority website CAA Home – CAA (courts.sa.gov.au).

Kind regards

Kaylie Inglis

Judicial Assistant to the Hon Justice Livesey

Court of Appeal

Supreme Court of South Australia

1 Gouger Street, Adelaide SA 5000

E: *******.********@courts.sa.gov.au

P: +61 8 8204 0400

Chambers: *******.********@courts.sa.gov.au

——

From: Mohammad Tamdgidi

Sent: Friday, 28 July 2023 3:54 PM

To: CAA:PM Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Chambers (CAA)

Cc: *******.********@supcourt.vic.gov.au

Subject: A Request Regarding the Somerton Man Case

Friday, July 28, 2023

The Honorable Chris Kourakis, Chief Justice of South Australia

Courts Administration Authority of South Australia

The Honorable Chief Justice Chris Kourakis,

My name is Mohammad H. Tamdgidi, Ph.D. I am a sociologist residing in the United States, having been previously an associate professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and being presently an independent scholar, author, and director of OKCIR: Omar Khayyam Center for Integrative Research.

I have recently been conducting research on the Somerton Man case in Australia, having authored “Tamám Shud: How the Somerton Man’s Last Dance for a Lasting Life Was Decoded — Omar Khayyam Center Research Report” (Okcir Press, 2021, see …etc and an updated blog report recently, titled: “Doubting the New Somerton Man Findings: Do 0.01% Error Chances Actually Matter in Science?”.

As you are aware, significant progress has been made recently (subject still to official evaluation) regarding the possible identification of the Somerton Man as Carl (Charles or Charlie) Webb, who had been in later years of his life married to Dorothy Jean (Robertson) Webb. In Oct. 2022, I contacted the offices of the Honorable Chief Justice Ferguson of Victoria, regarding the possibility of release to the public of all the divorce files related to the filing of Dorothy Jean Webb in 1952. Prior to that only second-hand knowledge had been made available about her divorce application. However, Chief Justice Ferguson and her offices with the kind assistance of Ms. Sharokine Haddad, Deputy Registrar, who is copied to this email, graciously released to me (for public release, which was done) all of the Webb vs. Webb divorce application files, significantly aiding research on what transpired in the last years of Carl Webb’s life. I immediately posted them at my research center website and shared them with other researchers at the time. For your information, the files are available here https://www.okcir.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Webb-v-Webb-divorce-file_.pdf and here https://www.okcir.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Dorothy-Webb-Affidavit.pdf.

Recently I contacted the offices of Chief Justice Ferguson again, regarding a new development in the case, involving a divorce file application filed by Mr. Geoffrey Arthur Lockyer against Mrs. Dorothy Jean (Robertson) Lockyer, just a few years following her divorce application against Carl Webb. In this second divorce file, to the brief extent already available publicly here https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/GFMQ-H4B/dorothy-jean-robertson-1920-1990 she is herself accused of “habitual cruelty” as grounds for divorce, copies of which I attach to this letter. I was again kindly helped by the Chief Justice Ferguson’s office by being directed to a site to file for release of the files. I did apply, however, it resulted in failure due to the fact that I was filing the request in the wrong state, and should have instead filed it in South Australia, where the divorce application had been filed. Also it has become known to me that the divorce application Lockyer vs. Lockyer, closed in 1955, falls in the 100 year restriction period following closure as observed by the courts in South Australia for release of public records.

By way of this emailed letter, I am appealing to your office to kindly consider the possibility of authorizing the release for research purposes—in the interest of fairness to all divorce parties, their descendants, researchers, and an international interested public at large—all the filed papers and documents related to the divorce application concluded in 1955 by Mr. Geoffrey Arthur Lockyer against Mrs. Dorothy Jean (Robertson) Lockyer in South Australia.

Although the basic conclusion of the application’s closure has been released to the public, the knowledge of the details of the case can offer a more balanced view of the broader Somerton Man case, and the relation of Dorothy Jean Robertson with Carl Webb, since behavioral issues that affected the divorce application on her part could be also relevant to what transpired in her subsequent marriage to and divorce from Geoffrey Arthur Lockyer.

As shown in the cover page of the application attached, I think the case file number is 474 of 1955, South Australia’s Supreme Court, Geoffrey Arthur Lockyer (Plaintiff) and Dorothy Jean Lockyer (Defendant). The decision was granted, apparently without Dorothy Jean (Robertson) Lockyer’s contesting the charges of her “habitual cruelty” on Thursday, Nov. 3, 1955. They had been married on Dec. 22, 1952, and there are records indicating that they had had a stillborn child in 1951, whose hospital records have also been publicly released. The problem that is outstanding is that the details of the divorce has not been released, so I am requesting your offices to kindly consider releasing the rest of the file to the public now, rather than delaying such a possibility due to the 100 year rule. Dorothy Jean Robertson (b. 1920) is not known to have had any children, and her whereabout subsequent to her divorce from Lockyer is unknown. Her family have reported that she died sometime in the 1990s (see https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/GFMQ-H4B/dorothy-jean-robertson-1920-1990). Lockyer (b. 1918) died in 1976 (https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LVZS-5QC/geoffrey-arthur-lockyer-1918-1976). They had a stillborn child in 1951, and no other children.

The reason for this urgency is that, given the new findings reported in the Somerton Man case, and the release of helpful information about his troubled marriage to Dorothy Jean Robertson, judgments are being made about both Carl Webb’s and Dorothy Jean Robertson’s character and behavior in married life. It would be rather impractical and unreasonable for the public, both in Australia and worldwide interested in the case, to await another 30+ years to know more about what transpired in Dorothy Jean Robertson’s marriage to Geoffrey Arthur Lockyer, especially of what the charges of “habitual cruelty” on her part actually consisted. Knowledge of the details can provide a more balanced and even ground in fairness for judging Carl Webb’s life and death as well.

A problem that has gripped research in the Somerton Man case has been the lack of balanced accessibility of information in a fair way to all those concerned and researching the case. Some have had more access than others, and have proceeded to make and share often rushed judgments about the Somerton Man and the case, without offering the same information to others in a transparent way so that all can objectively draw their own conclusions. Your kind consideration and assistance in releasing the material to the public, whether by way of responding to my request or independently, will greatly aid research in the case. I cannot thank enough Chief Justice Ferguson’s offices for their release of the earlier divorce case files, significantly aiding researches and broader public in Australia and worldwide in understanding what transpired back then. I only wish to bring to your attention that your kind consideration of taking a similar action in this second closely related divorce case can also significantly advance research on this matter.

As a sociologist advancing the sociological imagination, which suggests social life can best be understood by way of exploring how personal troubles and public issues interrelate, I became interested in the Somerton Man case recently because it offers important lessons for understanding our lives in a social context. Personally, I also became interested because I thought I could help others find their lost relatives in this case. My wife … happens to be an infant adoptee from Greece, her birth and orphanage name having been … , who tried to find her birth mother when she grew up and in fact succeeded in finding … living in a mountain village decades ago, when I also had a chance also to meet her kind person. The finding greatly inspired and still inspires me. I was attracted to the Somerton Man case, because I thought perhaps I could also contribute to others finding their relatives surrounding the case.

It seems that much progress has been made in the Somerton Man case recently, though I also prefer to await official reports and evaluations about the recent findings. However, unfortunately, rush to judgments may lead to a one-sided evaluation of the Somerton Man’s character, since the accusations Dorothy Jean (Robertson) Webb made in her divorce application against him could not be countered given he had died in 1948. It would be unfair that after seven decades and his body’s exhumation, he is put back to rest without having made a balanced and fair judgment about his life and death. In her filing, Dorothy Jean Robertson said nothing at all, nothing, about the losses he had endured in his family at the time due to his parents’ death due to old age or his brother and nephew’s death in WWII, a lack of empathy that failed to adequately explain why his mental and physical health were deteriorating so rapidly amid a failing marriage, leading to suicide attempts. The lack of empathy of even mentioning such losses was telling perhaps also of the dynamics of their relationship during the failed marriage. She was accusing Carl Webb of behavioral cruelty for all practical purpose, yet she herself became accused of the same in a second marriage/divorce not long after her first divorce filing. Habits are not formed overnight. It would be unfair to Carl Webb (or even to her given the charges made against her), already being judged based on Robertson’s one-sided divorce filing, for the details of the second divorce filed against her by Lockyer are not released for another 30+ years.

Therefore, I respectfully ask your honorable office to consider this request for public disclosure of the complete divorce filings of Geoffrey Arthur Lockyer against Dorothy Jean (Robertson) Lockyer, granted in 1955. If doing this, as a one-time action, requires someone to pay for fees, I would be glad to pay any reasonable fees to do so, as directed. I already paid a fee for this matter recently, but unfortunately it was directed to the wrong state in Australia. I attach a copy of the application I filed and the letter I received as a result of that filing. I would be glad to pay any fees again, if necessary. In that case, I would honor any decision regarding the extent of the release, whether it would be only to me for research purposes, or to make it accessible freely to the public, as I did with the Webb vs. Webb divorce files, kindly released by the offices of the Chief Justice Ferguson. I am copying Ms. Haddad to this email, so that she learns also of the result of my recent inquiry. I thank her again for her kind assistance previously in directing me to others to apply for the files, and for letting me know that I could make a request again regarding this matter, if and when needed. It was my mistake in filing the recent request in the wrong state—an error that is due to my unfamiliarity with Australia, and not a result of any error on others’ part.

The Honorable Chief Justice Chris Kourakis,

Given the limited information available, timely public access to the actual records is important for proper and truthful research and understanding of what transpired in this long unsolved case in Australia, and in the interest of fairness to both parties of the divorce Geoffrey Arthur Lockyer and Dorothy Jean (Robertson) Lockyer, and by implication the life and death of Carl (Charles) Webb (likely) aka the Somerton Man, all their descendants (dead or living), and independent researchers.

I greatly appreciate your time in reading this letter and in your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Mohammad H. (Behrooz) Tamdgidi, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Sociology (ret.)

UMass Boston

Editor, Human Architecture

Research Director at OKCIR:

Omar Khayyam Center

for Integrative Research in Utopia,

Mysticism, and Science (Utopystics)

Home

Ships called “Indus”, 1783-1798…

by ⋅ 5 Comments

Given the solid dating of Jean-Marie Justin Nageon de l’Estang’s birth to 1776, I decided to revisit the issue of whether the “richesses de l’Indus” refers to an actual ship. We’ve already seen a brig called “Indus” captured by the French in 1782 (though full of rice rather than treasure). Additionally, Jean-Marie Justin’s reported death date of 1798 would appear to give us a latest possible date. So let’s look for ships called “Indus“, 1783-1798…

Indus (1792-1792) – Calcutta

According to Hackman (2001) [which I can’t currently buy a copy of, bah], this Indus was a ‘country ship’ (i.e. only allowed to sail the Indian Ocean as far as the Cape of Good Hope). It was built in Calcutta in 1792, and lost in the same year.

According to Lloyd’s List No. 2417 (10th July 1792) p.1, “The Indus, a country ship from Bengal, loaded with rice, is supposed to be lost“. So even though we have two similar lost ships called Indus, both were reportedly stuffed with rice rather than treasure. (That joke’s not going to get old for a good while yet, sorry.)

Indus (1789-1794) – Amsterdam

This Indus was built in Amsterdam for the Amsterdam Chamber of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Nederlandsche Geoctroyeerde Oostindische Compagnie, helpfully abbreviated as “VOC”) and launched in 1789. It was rated at 1150 tons.

In the VOC archives, we can see various sailors and carpenters (such as Samuel Steenveld, Pieter Lohee, Samuel Erhard Frenckler, and Johan Friedrich Schmidt) on this Indus, leaving Amsterdam on 27 Aug 1790, arriving at the Cape of Good Hope on 05 Jan 1791, leaving there on 01 Feb 1790, arriving in Batavia on 20 May 1791.

The end of this Indus was when it burnt and sank in Batavia Roads in 1794. Frenckler is marked as “deceased” on 15 Sep 1794, and Lohee as “missing” on 23 Sep 1794, so I think it’s fairly likely that this Indus caught fire on 15 Sep 1794.

Industan (1796), Captain Lewis – Philadelphia

I first posted about this ship back in 2016: Auguste Toussaint mentioned it in his (1967) “La route des Iles: contribution à l’histoire maritime des Mascareignes”.

  • (p.306) 4th March 1796, the ‘navire’ “Industan” (Captain Louis) arrived from Philadelphia.
  • (p.262) 22nd August 1796, the American ‘vaisseau’ “Industan” (Captain Lewis) arrived from Pondicherry.

Annoyingly, newspapers.com only returns useful results if you search for “Indoftan” (rather than “Indostan”). The earliest mention there of “the Indiaman Indoftan” is from 9 May 1794 (with Captain Mackintofh, *sigh*). On 11 June 1796, the Captain of the brig Rose reports having seen the Indostan at Ile de France a couple of months earlier. The Indostan later arrived at Newport (Rhode Island) on 14 Jan 1797, having taken 96 days to get back from Ile de France, “and 55 days to the coast”. So this all seems to tie up nicely with Toussaint.

As I noted in 2016, we can see Captain Jacob Lewis’ ship selling its goods from March 1797 to May 1797, so this doesn’t really seem likely to be the “Indus” we’re looking for:

In 1805, we can see the Indostan, 22 guns, Capt. Lewis, still going strong as part of Ogden’s fleet, so it doesn’t seem to have been lost along the way. Incidentally, the USA received a stiff letter from France in 1805 complaining that:

Considering that it is notorious that the America of 32 guns, the Connecticut of 22, the Indostan of 14, and several other American vessels of that description, are not only engaged in that execrable commerce, but actually transport the arms and ammunition of Dessalines’ army from one port to another, thereby becoming the auxiliaries of the black rebels against France.

I’m guessing that this was the same Indostan, but it’s hard to be 100% sure.

Indostan privateer (-1797)

The Philadelphia Inquirer of 07 Oct 1797 p.3 included a colourful extract from the logbook of the brig Alexander, which had been boarded by the Mayflower privateer on 12 Sep 1797:

The captain of the privateer informed Captain Whelan [of the Alexander] that the Indostan privateer of 15 guns was run ashore in the gulf of Bahamia and totally lost ; crew and officers saved. The sloop of war that chased the privateer was from Cape Francois, and had on board Santhonax, who made his escape from the Cape. Santhonax arrived at the Havanna the 5th September and saluted the ships and town with 21 guns. It was reported he had brought with him one million of dollars. The cause of his retreat from the Cape was not made public ; but it was thought he made his escape from Toussaint.

The snow Cleopatra, captain Christie, picked up part, or the whole of the Indostan’s crew. The Cleopatra was from Cape Francois bound to the Havanna.

Note that the same page has an extract from Lloyd’s List of August 4-11, noting that the other Indostan (Captain Lewis) had arrived at Hamburg from Philadelphia: so this would seem to be an entirely different ship.

The Philadelphia Inquirer of 20 Nov 1797 p.3 mentions that “The Nassau (late Indostan), Merchant, of this port, was ready to sail for Batavia, under Danish colours“. This name then seems to have changed back to Indostan by the next year: The North American of 13 Sep 1798 p.1 mentions: “Died at Batavia, 20th April, capt. Merchant of the ship Indostan of Philadelphia“. A diary of a ship’s lad (Charles Francis Waldo) has been preserved in Salem: in 1802, he sailed from Boston in the ship “Indus” for Canton and Batavia. This was mentioned in “The Ships and Sailors of Old Salem“, pp. 327-329: perhaps this was the same Indostan, it’s hard to say.

Any progress here, Nick?

Pfffft, not really, it has to be said. I don’t really buy into either of the 1782 or 1792 Indus prize ships, both full of rice rather than treasure; the Dutch Indus seems to have caught fire in the safe Dutch port of Batavia; I don’t see how it could have been Captain Jacob Lewis’ Indostan; and the privateer Indostan was in the wrong ocean completely.

I’m now wondering whether all the ‘action’ might have taken place after 1800. Is there any primary evidence that Jean-Marie Justin Nageon de l’Estang died on 09 May 1798? There’s an entry claiming this on ancestry.com (mentioned here), but my subscription has run out so cannot check it. 🙁

Jean Marie Justin Nageon de l’Estang, revisited…

by ⋅ 6 Comments

A comment today by Anthony Lallaizon to Cipher Mysteries seems to have thrown the Bernardin Nageon de l’Estang timeline up in the air (if not completely out of the window). This definitely required a post of its own! What Anthony found yields a definitive birthdate for Jean Marie Justin Nageon de l’Estang.

Jean Marie Justin who?

The reason this is so interesting is that the Last Will and Testament (reportedly of Bernardin Nageon de l’Estang) describes the writer having hidden some treasure (specifically “richesses de l’Indus“) in an underground cave following a shipwreck in a creek (presumably on Mauritius): but the beneficiary – clearly identified as the author’s nephew – is named (depending on which version you trust) as one of:

  • Jean Marius Nageon de l’Estang
  • Jean Marin Justin Nageon de l’Estang
  • Jean-Marius-Justin Najeon de l’Etang

There have long been unverified genealogical reports that this person was the son of André Ambroise Nageon de l’Estang, giving a speculative birth date of 1770 (and a death date of 1798). The problem was that there was always a suspicion that this might have been fabricated by treasure hunters trying to “prove” a specific theory (normally to get investors to put money into some treasure hunting venture).

The other issue was that this kind of dating ran counter to the long-proposed notion that the author of the Last Testament and Will was Andre Bernardin Nageon de l’Estang. Basically, because Andre Bernardin died in 1750, he could not have left anything to a nephew born 20+ years after his death.

Hence, these baptism details would seem to be a Very Big Deal Indeed.

The Baptism Record

The record is entry number 4 on page 2 of this baptism ledger. The margin identifies the baby’s name:

Baptême de Jean Marie Justin Nageon

The main body looks like this:

As you can see, the record has some paper over the right hand edge, making it hard to read the end of the lines, but the vast majority of it is fairly easy to transcribe:

Le quatre janvier mil Sept cent Soixante et dix sept [xxxxxxxxx]
Marie Justin né le huit aoust de l’année derniere fils de [Mr Andre xxxxxx]
De Lestang et de D[emoise]lle Mathurine Louise Pitel son epouse [xxxxxxxxx]
Mr Jean Pierre au frais notaire royal eu cette ville [xxxxxxxxx]
D[emoise]lle Marie Thomas Genie epouse de Mr Gerard qua [xxxxxxxxx]
le père de lenfant

I haven’t had much luck enhancing the obscured sections, but perhaps other people will find cleverer ways to do this.

How Does This Affect The Nageon de l’Estang Timeline?

The letter refers (again, depending on which version you rely upon) to Jean Marie Justin being:

  • officier de la réserve
  • officier de la République

It is also dated (in Paul Fleuriau-Chateau’s version) as “l’an III de la République”, which ran from 22 September 1794 to 22 September 1795. These two data points were always hard to reconcile with Andre Bernardin Nageon de l’Estang’s decease in 1750: which is indeed why Daniel Krieg felt confident to reject the ‘conventional wisdom’ that Andre Bernardin Nageon de l’Estang was the writer.

Now that we have a definite birth date for Jean Marie Justin Nageon de l’Estang (8 August 1776, as opposed to the previously suggested 8 August 1770), these details all seem to gel that much better. For Jean Marie Justin to be an “officier” of anything, he could not feasibly be younger than (I guess) sixteen. This implies that that the earliest feasible date for the letter was likely 1792, and probably a couple of years later. So I have to say that “l’an III de la République” does seem pretty spot on. “20 floréal an III” would be 9th May 1795. Regardless, I’ve seen it claimed that Jean Marie Justin died in 1798, which would seem to be a likely latest date for this letter too.

The Nageon de l’Estang family tree looks (mainly from here) like this:

From this, we can say for certain (I think) that neither Andre Bernardin nor Andre Ambroise was the testament writer. In which case the only reasonable conclusion is that it was an unrecorded son of Andre Bernardin, who has somehow remained absent from the historical records.

More to follow as I think this through!

Was Bernardin’s “Indus” built in Bombay Dockyard?

by ⋅ 7 Comments

In his (much-examined, much-copied, and probably much-misunderstood) Last Will and Testament, Andre Bernardin Nageon de l’Estang (1715-1750) claimed to have retrieved “richesses de l’Indus” and hidden it in some kind of cave (presumably in Mauritius, where he lived and died). Consequently, many treasure hunters have trawled historical archives for ships called “Indus” with dates that match Bernardin’s life-time: but with no success to date. Other (slightly later) Indian Ocean ships were similarly called “Indus“, so it is at least plausible that it was indeed the name of a ship.

And so I wondered: if an “Indus” had been built in the Indian Ocean not too long before 1750, where would it have been built? I knew that Daniel Krieg’s favourite Indus (captured by the French in 1782) had been built in Bombay Dockyard, so that was where I began my search…

The Bombay Dockyard

The book I found was really rather splendid: “The Bombay Dockyard and the Wadia Master Builders” (1955) tells the story of how a multi-generation family of master boat-builders – starting with Lowjee Nusserwanjee Wadia (1710-1774) – proved pivotal to the development and success of Bombay Dockyard.

This book includes all kinds of wonderful notes, such as on p.99: “The reason why the majority of the ships between the years 1748 and 1772 were of 499 tons was because all ships of 500 tons and more had to carry a chaplain. To avoid this additional charge the ships were rated at 499 tons.“

The first mention of Lowjee [it says on p.124] appeared in Surat Diary No. 620 (dated 29th July 1735): “Lowjee a shipbuilder of this place (Surat) informed them (Surat Council) about some twenty-eight Englishment who had run away […]”. Lowjee then travelled (with ten other carpenters) from Surat to Bombay on the Cowan: he arrived in late March 1736.

The first sizeable boat built at the Bombay Dockyard (p.131) was “a ship of about 200 tons”, ordered by the Madras Government in March 1738. This was the Princess Augusta: a sloop was also constructed for Bengal, with both finished in April 1739 (p.132). More boats were built or repaired:

  • 12 Aug 1740: “Restoration” launched
  • May 1741: “Neptune Prize” repaired
  • Jul 1741: sloop “Porto Bello” launched for the Bengal government
  • 21 Aug 1742: ship “Success” was launched
  • Jul 1743: brigantine “Brilliant” launched

April 1742 (p.135), the Court of Directors decided too much money was being spent on boats, and so stopped boat construction. Prior to that “reduction”, the Bombay Marine consisted of “one ship of 44 guns, four of 28, four of 18, six bomb-ketches and twenty large gallivats”.

In 1744 (p.136), the Bombay Marine had “2 ships of 28 guns, one grab of 20 guns, five ketches carrying 8 to 14 guns, and 8 gallivats”.

1748: three sloops (“Grampus”, “Bonnetto”, “Dolphin”) were built for the Bengal Pilot Service.

Might Bernardin’s (alleged) Indus have been one of these? It’s possible, though it doesn’t appear under that name on the list of ships built at Bombay (p.329 onwards). Here’s the list from the 1740s:

We can see a later Indus being built here (in 1776), that I’m sure Daniel Krieg will recognise:

And another in 1821:

And another in 1851:

But nothing earlier.

I shall continue looking…

Darrell Huff, Voynich theories, and “How to Lie [to yourself] with Statistics”…

by ⋅ 50 Comments

Darrell Huff’s (1954) “How to Lie With Statistics” is a twentieth century classic that’s well worth reading (I have a well-thumbed copy on my bookshelf that I bought back in the 1980s). It’s basically a breezy introduction to statistics, that concentrates largely on how people get things wrong in order to get across the general idea of how you might (possibly, hopefully) try to get things right in your own work.

A journalist rather than an academic statistician, Huff’s book ended up selling more than 1.5 million copies. You can hear echoes of his reversed-expectations presentation in numerous other book titles, such as Bill Hartston’s “How to Cheat at Chess”.

Sadly, The Truth Is Much, Much Worse

When later I did statistics modules at University, the awful truth slowly dawned on me: even though tools (such as Excel) make it easy to perform statistical procedures, stats really isn’t just a matter of “running the numbers”, cranking out an answer, and drawing some persuasive-looking graphs.

Even just conceiving a statistical experiment (e.g. something that’s based on good data, and that stands a chance of yielding meaningful results) is extraordinarily hard. Designing statistical experiments (e.g. understanding the sampling biases that are inevitably embedded in the data, and then working out how to work around them) is also hugely tricky. Executing them is no mean feat either: and then – finally – interpreting them is fraught with difficulty.

In general, my own experience of statistical experiments is that at least half are fatally misconceived; of the remainder, half are horribly misdesigned; of the remainder of that, at least half are sadly misexecuted; and of the remainder of that, at last half of the results are tragically misinterpreted. Note that the overall success rate (<5%) is for people who broadly know what they’re doing, never mind idiots playing with Excel.

A Story About Stats

Back when I was doing my MBA, one of the final marked pieces was for the statistics module. When I took a look at the data, it quickly became clear that while most of the columns were real, one in particular had been faked up. And so I wrote up my answer saying – in a meta kind of way – that because that (fake) column was basically synthetic, you couldn’t draw reliable conclusions from it. And so the best you could do in practice was to draw conclusions from the other non-synthetic columns.

I failed the module.

So, I made an appointment with the lecturer who marked it, who also happened to be the Dean of the Business School.

  • I said: Why did you fail this piece?
  • He said: Because you didn’t get the right answer.
  • I said: But the column for the ‘right’ answer is fake.
  • He said: I don’t think so.
  • I said: Well, look at this [and showed him exactly how it had been faked]
  • He said: Oh… OK. I didn’t know that. But… it doesn’t matter.
  • I said: errrm… sorry?
  • He said: you’ve got a Distinction anyway, so there’s no point me changing this mark

And so I still failed the statistics module.

The Voynich Manuscript and Stats

If you think Voynich Manuscript researchers who run statistical tests on Voynichese are somehow immune to these fundamental hazards, I don’t really think you’re paying enough attention.

Until you accept that the core problems inherent in Voynichese transcriptions – there are many, and they run deep – will inevitably permeate all your analyses, you really are just running the numbers for fun.

The main things that bother me (though doubtless there are others that I can’t think of right now):

  • Transcription assumptions
  • Transcription error rates
  • Running tests on the whole Voynich Manuscript, rather than on sections (e.g. Q13, Q20, Herbal-A)
  • How Voynichese should be parsed into tokens (this has bugged me for 20 years!)
  • Copying errors and Voynichese “weirdoes”
  • The bifolios being out of order
  • Whether there is a uniform ‘system’ underlying both Currier A and Currier B
  • The problems with top-line text
  • The problems with line-initial letters
  • The problems with line-final letters
  • etc

With so many parallel things to consider, I honestly think it should be no surprise that most attempts at Voynich analysis fail to achieve anything of value.

Voynich Theories

I have no doubt that researchers do their best to be rational and sensible, but many Voynich theories – or, perhaps more accurately, Voynich ‘approaches’ – are built upon a fundamentally flawed statistical ‘take’, e.g. that Voynichese is just a simple (but highly obscure) text.

Unpopularly, this seems to be true of just about all ‘Baxian’ Voynich linguistic analyses. Statistically, nothing supports the basic assumption of a ‘flat’ (but obscure) language. In fact, Voynichese is full of confounding, arbitrary, difficult, unlanguagelike behaviours (see the incomplete list above), all of which you have to compensate for to get your data to a point where you even begin to have something remotely language-like to work with. But hardly anybody ever does that, because it’s too tricky, and they’re not genuinely invested enough to do the ‘hard yards’.

It’s also true of Gordon Rugg’s table ‘take’; and of just about all simple ciphers; and – also unpopularly – of hoax theories (why should meaningless text be so confounded?) And so forth.

The sad reality is that most researchers seem to approach Voynichese with a pre-existing emotional answer in mind, which they then true to justify using imperfect statistical experiments. More broadly, this is how a lot of flawed statistical studies also work, particularly in economics.

In fact, statistics has become a tool that a lot of people use to try to support the lies they tell themselves, as well as the lies their paymasters want to be told. This is every bit as true of Big Oil and alt.right politics as of Voynichology. Perhaps it’s time for an even more ironic 21st century update to Darrell Huff’s book – “How To Lie To Yourself With Statistics”?