Spring-Heeled Jack

The “penny blood” came into being through a process which began with higher standards of general education and literacy in England at the beginning of the 19th century, and continued with the invention of fast and efficient printing presses and cheap paper production. These combined elements simultaneously created a new, mass market for literature, and fed that market with new, affordable product. The gothic novel, popular amongst a rarefied class of literary readers, duly gave way to sensationalistic, graphic shockers for the masses. The PENNY BLOOD CLASSICS ebook series, which focuses on the “golden age” of the penny bloods, continues with the legendary tale of Spring-Heeled Jack, first reported in 1808, and again in 1837. Spring-Heeled Jack was described by people who claimed to have seen him as having a terrifying and frightful appearance, with diabolical physiognomy, clawed hands, eyes that “resembled red balls of fire”, and the ability to perform astounding leaps. Jack was perfect melodrama material, and in 1840 John Thomas Haines wrote "Spring-Heeled Jack, the Terror of London", a play portraying him as a villain who stalks and attacks innocent women. This volume features "Spring-Heeled Jack: The Terror Of London", an anonymous penny blood published by the Newsagents’ Publishing Company c.1864–1867. The book also includes an extensive introduction on the history of the penny blood.