In our last blog, we looked at Jack the Ripper's first victim: Mary Ann Nichols. In this blog, we will look at the last hours of Mary Ann Nichols.
Who was Mary Ann Nichols? Mary Ann Nichols was the first victim of the notorious Victorian serial killer, Jack the Ripper. She was murdered by Jack the Ripper in the early hours of the 31st of August 1888. Her last hours are the most documented and well known of her life. The events which unfolded began in the evening of the 30th of August 1888, and into the early morning hours of the 31st of August 1888, where she was found murdered in Bucks Row. The 30th Of August 1888 On the night of the 30th of August 188, there were two dock fires which spiraled out of control. These two dock fires occurred in the Whitechapel Docks. They painted the sky blood red that night through the severity of the fires. The severity of the fires was caused by a large amount of alcohol that was in the docks buildings. The alcohol was responsible for the fire burning so long, it was still burning in the early hours of the morning of the 31st of August 1888. The large amount of alcohol contained in the docks which were on fire, caused the fire to get out of control very quickly. It resulted in the sky turning blood red sky, leaving the Whitechapel skies with an eerie blood red colour. That, alongside the the thunder and lighting that night, and you would think that it was a scene set up for a horror film. It was an atmosphere which belonged to the setting that night, horror-like, eerie and unsettling.
#11PM August 30th, 1888
Mary Ann Nichols is seen walking down Whitechapel Road #12.30AM August 31st, 1888 Mary Ann Nichols is seen leaving the Frying Pan Pub. She was also seen at Brick Lane or Thrawl Street, before returning to her lodging house at 18 Thrawl Street. #1.20AM or #1.40AM August 31st 1888 Because Mary did not have her doss money (in other words, because she did not have money for a bed that night), she was told to leave the kitchen of her lodgings. Around this time, she was sitting inside her lodgings kitchen, eating. Before leaving the kitchen and lodging house, Mary said to the manager of the house 'Never mind, I'll soon get me doss money. See what a jolly bonnet I've got on now.'' #2.30AM August 31st, 1888 This is the last recorded time we have when someone had seen Mary Ann Nichols alive. The last person to see Mary alive was her friend, Emily Holland. Emily Holland met Mary Ann Nichols outside a grocers, in Whitechapel Road and Osborn Street. Emily was returning from the fire at the two docks. Both of the fires were raging well into the night, whilst she was making her way home, she met Mary Ann Nichols. Emily said that Mary, at the time upon meeting her, was ''very drunk and staggered against a wall.'' At 2.30am, Emily remembers the nearby church tower striking 2.30am, which is why we know the time when she spoke to Mary. According to Emily, they both spoke for around 10 minutes. Where Mary had informed Emily that she had got the doss money she needed for a bed that night. Mary said to Emily, 'I've had me doss money three times today and spent it.'' Presumably, Mary had spent her doss money on alcohol. We can assume this because of Mary's drunken state and there is no indication that she spent the money on anything else. As the two parted ways, Mary said to Emily, ''It won't be long before I am back.'' Emily lived in the same lodging house as Emily at the time. Mary's intention after leaving Emily must have been to continue to make money through prostitution, that night. The next 45 minutes were the last of Mary's life. Somewhere between departing Emily Holland at 2.30/40am, until 3.40am, Mary Ann Nichols met and was killed by Jack the Ripper. #3.15AM 31st of August 1888 A working policeman, PC John Thain was walking down Bucks Row (where Mary Ann Nichols was found dead), passed the street and witnessed nothing unusual or out of the ordinary. At the same time, Sgt. Kerby (another on-duty police officer), was walking down Bucks Row and saw nothing unusual. #3.40/45AM 31st of August 1888 Mary Ann Nichols body was found by Charles Cross. Charles Cross was on his way to work at that time. That may seem early or suspicious, but in the Victorian era, it was common for people to set out to work at this time. Therefore, there was nothing unusual about someone like Charles Cross going to work at this hour. However, considering that Charles Cross was at the scene of the crime, it has led some to ask, 'Was Charles Cross Jack the Ripper?' Another man was walking by just after Charles Cross had found the body of Mary Ann Nichols. His name was Robert Paul. Cross shouted over to Paul, ''Come and look over here, there's a woman.'' Paul came over and replied to Cross, ''I think she's breathing...but it is little if it is.'' The men reported that she was still warm when they found her. This was confirmed a short time later by Dr Llewellyn. Dr Llewellyn was called to the scene by police, Llewellyn lived nearby. When he came onto the scene and examined the body, he said that Mary had died ''but a few minutes'' ago. If Charles Cross wasn't Jack the Ripper, then Charles Cross must have just missed Jack the Ripper. Perhaps the horse and cart that Cross was travelling on, gave the Ripper a chance to get away. If the Ripper was at the scene of the crime just before Cross had discovered the body, then, most likely the ripper heard the horse and cart coming and it gave him a chance to get away. Mary Ann Nichols was the first victim of Jack the Rippers, but she was not the last. Her murder was the start of the Autumn of Terror. Mary Ann Nichols died on the 31st of August 1888
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