Jack Whicher

Jack Whicher
Born
Johnathan Whicher

1 October 1814
Camberwell, London, United Kingdom
Died29 June 1881
Lavender Hill, London, United Kingdom
Resting placeCamberwell Old Cemetery
OccupationDetective
Known forNotable police detective
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Harding, Charlotte Piper

Detective Inspector Jonathan Whicher (1 October 1814 – 29 June 1881) was an English police detective. He was one of the original eight members of London's newly formed Detective Branch, which was established at Scotland Yard in 1842. During his career, Whicher earned a reputation among the finest in Europe.

In 1860, he was involved in investigating the Constance Kent murder case, which was the subject of Kate Summerscale's 2008 book The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, as well as the film of the same name. He was one of the inspirations for Charles Dickens’s Inspector Bucket, Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse, Wilkie Collins's Sergeant Cuff and R. D. Wingfield's Jack Frost, among other fictional detectives.