[4] It has been erroneously stated that her father was Thomas Wheeler who was convicted of and hanged for the murder of Edward Anstee.
However, author Sarah Beth Hopton was unable to find any evidence of connection between the two people, and also found a retraction of the newspaper article in which the misinformation was first printed.
[7] Mary Pearcey had been seen pushing baby Tiggy's perambulator around the streets of North London after dark.
Berry noted her strong composure in the condemned cell, describing her as "the most composed person in the whole [execution] party."
When prompted to make a final statement Pearcey said, "My sentence is a just one, but a good deal of the evidence against me was false".
[12] Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, speculated at the time that the Ripper might have been female, as a woman could have pretended to be a midwife and be seen in public in bloody clothing without arousing suspicion or notice.
F. Tennyson Jesse, the British criminal historian, explained the theory in her study of Pearcey's case: "It was no wonder that, simultaneously with the discovery of the crime, legends should have sprung up around her figure.
"[14] In May 2006, DNA testing of saliva on stamps affixed to letters allegedly sent by Jack the Ripper to London newspapers, and thought by some modern writers to be genuine, appeared to come from a woman.