George Godley

[3] At the time of the Jack the Ripper murders in 1888 Godley was a Sergeant in London's J Division (Bethnal Green).

The Times of 12 November 1888 reported: "Since the murders in Berner Street, St. Georges, and Mitre Square, Aldgate, on September 30th, Detective Inspectors Reid, Moore and Nairn, and Sergeants Thick, Godley, M'Carthy and Pearce have been constantly engaged, under the direction of Inspector Abberline (Scotland Yard), in prosecuting inquiries, but, unfortunately, up to the present time without any practical result.

Since the two above-mentioned murders no fewer than 1,400 letters relating to the tragedies have been received by the police, and although the greater portion of these gratuitous communications were found to be of a trivial and even ridiculous character, still each one was thoroughly investigated.

"[4] When Godley arrested poisoner George Chapman in 1902 the then retired Inspector Abberline allegedly said "You have caught Jack the Ripper at last" or similar words.

[2] His cousin was Sidney Frank Godley who won the Victoria Cross during World War I.