Both are later than our period. (J&H may be very late) Also, even though we have a few "baddies" (i. e.: Sykes), they are Mr. Dickens baddies. Jack the Ripper is also a really unpleasant fellow and, unfortunately, very, very real. J&H is Stevenson, besides being too late (or almost so.)

Dr Jeckle/Mr. Hyde (first published 1886)
Jack the Ripper (Aug. 1888 - Feb 1891)

Peter Overstreet promised that he would be putting info from his "Cruel Britannia" workshop online at some point. He may consider himself poked to do so, in his copious spare time!

Depending on what year we are playing in our heads (it's always sometime in the 1840's for me), we may remember Burke and Hare, the way some people remember Ted Bundy or the Manson family.

5 years ago, there was a Jack the Ripper investigation, but it is, indeed, too late for the period most of us are playing. I enjoyed telling the Scotland Yard inspectors when I had last seen Liz Stride and Annie Chapman, and also that her last customer had been Mr. Fezziwig. We played a lot of near-misses and close calls and SAYING we'd had a close call. I also did a particularly horrifying backstage scream, followed by one of the suspects, Mr. Monks, running out.

There is a mystery tour about the Fair, in which I had the privelege to play a near-victim a few years back, which involves the Spring-Heel Jack Case.

The really seedy characters seem to be from Oliver Twist; Bill Sikes, Fagin and their cronies. Some of them are just misunderstood, some of them are victims of circumstance, but some of them are just plain nasty and evil and seed.

Some years ago, some friends and I were going to attend as the Liverpool Widows. Historically, they're a couple of decades later, but we were going to do 1850's or 60's costume anyway. I think I was the only one who finished my gown! But one of these days, I fully intend to follow up on that for a day (just as a visitor), perhaps as a young Margaret Higgins.

www.liv.ac.uk/precinct/Oct2002/6.html

My character (Edgar A. Poe) died in 1849, so I am pushing it a bit.
Don't tell anyone.