Mary Ann Nichols was the first victim of Jack the Rippers. She was also known as 'Polly Nichols'. The first murdered happened in the Whitechapel district of Victorian London, in the early hours of the morning of the 31st of August 1888. However, Mary Ann Nichols evening started in the early evening hours of the 30th of August 1888.
Before we look at the last hours of Mary Ann Nichols, let's look at Mary Ann Nichols before the notorious Autumn evening on the 31st of August 1888. The Early Life Of Mary Ann Nichols Mary Ann Nichols was born in Dawes Court, Shoe Lane, off Fleet Street in London, on August 26th, 1845. She was born to Edward Walker (her father) and Caroline (her mother), in London. Not much is known about Mary Ann Nichols mother Caroline, but her father Edward worked as a locksmith and blacksmith. The Married Life Of Mary Ann Nichols Mary Nichols married William Nichols on the 16th of January 1864, at St Bride's Parish Church. The marriage was performed by Charles Marshall and witnessed by Sarah Good and Seth George. Mary and William went on to have five children. Their five children were: Percy George Nichols, Henry Alfred Nichols, Edward John Nichols, Alice Ester Nichols and Eliza Sarah Nichols. Although they had many children, their marriage did not last. Eventually, their marriage break up would lead Mary into a life of destitution and prostitution, which would sadly lead to Mary's murder at the hands of Jack the Ripper.
Before the pair split up, they both lived in several different types of accommodation. They stayed with Mary's father for most of their marriage, at 131 Trafalgar Street. After spending around ten years with Mary's father, the couple moved to number 6 D block, Peabody Buildings, Stamford Street, Blackfriars Rd, where they lived for around six years.
This was the couples last accommodation together before they split up. Mary Nichols and William Nichols split up in 1881, some seven years before Mary met her fate at the hands of Jack the Ripper. Mary and William were married for around 24 years, the breakdown of Mary's marriage was particularly hard on her. Sometime after the break up of her marriage, Mary became a prostitute, something that her husband William found out about in 1882. Up until that point, William was paying a living allowance for Mary, but he cancelled the allowance towards Mary when he found out that she was a prostitute. Around the same time that William found out about Mary's prostitution, Mary was living with another man called Thomas Dew. But this couldn't have been for that long, as by April 1882, she lived in the Lambeth Workhouse. The following year in January 1883, she left Lambeth Workhouse to go into Lambeth Infirmary. A few days later, Mary went from Lambeth Infirmary, back to Lambeth Workhouse. Mary spent a brief time living with her father between the end of March and the beginning of May in 1883 before she was again back in Lambeth Workhouse. By the first week of June, she had left the workhouse and lived with Thomas Dew up until the end of 1887. The Last Few Months Of Mary Ann Nichols Life On May the 12th 1888, while she was living was Thomas Dew, Mary took up a position as a domestic servant, for Samuel and Sarah Cowdry. It seemed like a bright beginning for Mary, a new job and a new beginning, sadly, it was not, as Mary stole clothes and money from the couples home. Subsequently, she left her job not that much longer than that. Before she had left her job, she was happy about her new job when she started. We know this from Mary's letter to her father, he which she writes: "I just right to say you will be glad to know that I am settled in my new place, and going all right up to now. My people went out yesterday and have not returned, so I am left in charge. It is a grand place inside, with trees and gardens back and front. All has been newly done up. They are teetotalers and religious so I ought to get on. They are very nice people, and I have not too much to do. I hope you are all right and the boy has work. So good bye for the present. from yours truly, Polly''
Answer soon, please, and let me know how you are."
After leaving her job, Mary moved into a lodging house at 18 Thrawl Street. She stayed in Thrawl Street for a few months, before moving into a lodging house in Flower and Dean Street, the most infamous street in Whitechapel, on the 24 of August 1888. Interestingly, experts believe that Jack the Ripper lived in Flower and Dean Street. This was Mary Ann Nichols last address, a few days later on the 31st of August, she was murdered by Jack the Ripper.
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