The press were reporting that this fresh new Edwardian personality had sold the copyright to publish his life in prison for “a large sum of money” – £240 (about £13,694.40 in today’s money).

What the Home Office thought of this venture was bound to be disapproval to say the very least. For many in Devon and Westminster, John Lee, the loose canon, was an unknown quantity and a potential danger to the establishment both in the city and along the English Riviera where the truth of the Emma Keyse murder remains shrouded in an unspoken ‘silence’ to this very day. John Lee was a popular man with the general public and his words could hold serious influence.

As far as cash was concerned, Lee had definitely received an advance to lavish on himself, his ‘poor’ mother and a collection of unsuspecting women.

Any hopes of renewing his relationship with Kate Farmer were dashed as she had married first James Parrish in 1886 and then after a certain scandal a decorator called Pomeroy.

The book is a drippy, sentimental, one-sided account of the innocent John Lee. A man in the wrong place at the wrong time. It sold in its thousands and no doubt the proprietors of Lloyds were rubbing their hands in glee at the sale of this world exclusive.

Here is a copy of the book. Slightly unusual as this version with exactly the same words was published in America. It’s in PDF format – enjoy, although don’t necessarily believe (click the image)!

Reginald Gwynne Templer (left) lived in Teignmouth. He was the eldest of six children born to Reginald William Templer and his wife Emily.

The Templer family built a church at small village on the Stover estate Teigngrace where Reginald’s grandfather was Rector.

At the time of the Emma Keyse’ murder, the link between the Templer family and the Emma’s family was not known to outsiders. It has since been suggested that Reginald Gwynne Templer was in fact a confidante of Emma Keyse and a regular visitor at The Glen.

During the Victorian era the mere suggestion of a discreet liaison between a gentleman and a female servant (Elizabeth Harris – image: top, right)) was out of the question but a blind eye was turned if such a relationship was not in the public domain. It is my long-held view that a relationship between Reginald Gwynne Templer and the cook, Elizabeth Harris did take place. At the time of the murder Elizabeth was pregnant (see the birth certificate).

The cover-up and false evidence that followed is quite remarkable. You only need to read the witness statements I have transcribed for this website.

Read the full research here.

Born 1855, F. G. Boughton’s police career lasted 31 years. Retired February 1913 whilst serving at Ashburton Devon, his penson was 60 16s 8d.

He died Bishops Tawton, near Barnstable, Devon August 1924

“He shewed me his left arm. He said “Isn’t my arm bad” He said “I cut it in hitting the dining room window to let out the smoke.” I said “That was foolish” He said “I was obliged to do it the smoke was so thick I could not find my way back to the door.” At 9 o’clock the same day Lee came to me. I was standing at the door of the back entrance. He was shaking. I said “You are feeling the cold”. He said “So would you if you had been running with only your shirt and trousers on.””

Read the full research here

In the 1920′s picture houses throughout the UK were packed nightly whilst showing the silent film of John Lee’s life. ‘The Man They Couldn’t Hang’ was an over dramatised, over-long kind of documentary displaying Lee’s side of events in his life.

It featured his career in the Royal Navy, his life with Emma Keyse, events ‘below stairs, the murder (of which of course he is not guilty), events at the gallows, his ‘wrongful imprisonment’, the loves of his life and the totally fictitious display of his life after prison.

It doesn’t show his time as a petty thief, his counter threats to various people or the appalling sham that was his real marriage to Jessie Bulled.

Instead the unsuspecting cinema audiences were fed a diet raw facts and a lot fiction.

This is an advert for the film in the Hull Daily Mail – Monday 16 June 1924.

A lot more on the film, including clips, stills and rare footage of those who remember seeing it will be added here very soon – so buy your popcorn now.

At a ‘low-key’ affair the couple tried to play down their wedding. Needless to say the media got wind of the event.

The marriage though was to end in disaster. A few years later he was to leave his penniless bride pregnant with their third child. Lee, turned love-rat, fled Great Britain with another woman claiming falsely to be his real wife. Their destination was a new life in America where he spent the rest of his life with his head down with his other ‘wife’ and the child they had together. Meanwhile, poor Jessie was left destitute and the last we have heard (to-date) was her time in Lambeth Workhouse.

The adored Edwardian celebrity really had a dark side. Dark enough to dump his real wife. But whether this was sufficiently dark enough to murder his mistress at Babbacombe is open to speculation (click the image to read the full news story).