Mary Jane Kelly was the last victim of the Victorian serial killer, Jack the Ripper. The four women murdered before her were: Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes.
In the month before Mary Jane Kelly was murdered, there were no ripper murders. Throughout October 1888 in Whitechapel, Jack the Ripper did not murder anyone, that we know of. There could be several reasons for this. He could have been ill, or he could have been out of town, or not in the country during that month. Another reason why he might not have murdered that month was that of what happened on the night of the Double Event. The Double Event happened in the early morning hours of the 30th of September. It was when Jack had killed two women, in a little under two hours that night. It's not the events themselves that might have made Jack the Ripper stop for a few weeks, it was probably that he was nearly caught that night: twice. If he wasn't mentally unwell, as some theories suggest he was mentally unwell, then, he would have been fully aware that he was close to being caught that night. Therefore, if this was his thinking, it must also have been his thinking that he would lay low and not attract attention to himself. If he wrote the Dear Boss letter in the month of October, then he was getting more confident, more confident that he wasn't about to get caught. There were many letters sent to the police in the month of October 1888, claiming to be from Jack the Ripper. However, most of these are thought to be hoaxes. The Dear Boss letter stands out, however, as it was sent to the police with a human kidney.
Sending a human kidney alongside a letter to the police goes further than just a hoax. The Dear Boss letter was sent just a few weeks before the murder of Mary Jane Kelly.
Who Was Mary Jane Kelly? Mary Jane Kelly was born on 1863, in Ireland. Compared with the other victims of Jack the Ripper, there isn't much known about Mary Kelly's life, or origins. Part of that is due to their being little to no evidence about her, and part of that is due to her being young, she was only around 25 when she died. We do know that she moved from Ireland to Wales when she was young; still a child. Mary's father was called John Kelly, though, it's unclear what her mother was called. She several brothers and one sister. Mary married a man called Davies, at the age of 16 in 1879. The marriage only lasted around two or three years. She could have had a child with Davies, though, it is uncertain. The marriage didn't last long because Davies was killed in an explosion. Moving to London It is thought Mary moved to London in 1884. Before hand, she was living in Cardiff. Some of her time in Cardiff was spent working as a prostitute, and some of her time was spent being ill while in an infirmary. There's is no indication that she moved from Cardiff to London with anyone else. By the time she got to London, she was working in a brothel. Other than this, there's nothing we really know about her. In the next blog, we are going to look at the last hours and murder of Mary Jane Kelly.
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Catherine's last hours were eventful, if not also tragic. The last hours of Catherine Eddowes life were from the early evening hours of the 29th of September 1888, up until the early morning hours of the 30th of September 1888.
Before we get to the early evening hours of the 29th of September and the early morning hours of the 30th of September, let us take a look at what happened during the day of the 29th of September in Catherine Eddowes life. The 29th Of September 1888 Her first hour that morning seems to have preceded the events of what was to happen later that night for Catherine Eddowes: getting into trouble. At 8 AM that morning, Catherine Eddowes has turned away from the Casual Ward, for getting herself into trouble. She was seen by Kelly at that hour. Shortly afterwards, Catherine went back to her lodging house, at Cooney's Lodging House. Kelly, on the other hand, went off to pawn a pair of boots he owned, to the pawnbroker, Jones in Church Street. She received money for the boots at the pawnbroker and went on to buy breakfast that morning; tea, sugar and some food. Both Catherine and Kelly were spotted having breakfast in the kitchen area of the lodging house, at around 10 AM that morning, up until 11 AM that morning. Eddowes was broke again by mid-afternoon and needed more money. She went to visit her daughter in Bermondsey, to borrow some money from her daughter. It's apparent that Catherine and her daughter didn't see much of each other. The testimony that Kelly gave at Catherine's inquest indicated this, as he said, ''I never knew if she had went to her daughter's at all,'' I only wish she had, for we lived together for some time and never had a quarrel.''
It's possible, if not probable that Catherine never visited her daughter that day, even though she said that that was where she was going that afternoon.
Although Catherine did get more money that day, we know this because she was found drunk by PC Louis Robinson, at 29 Aldgate High Street, among a crowd of people. Either Catherine had got money from her daughter that afternoon, or, she got money from soliciting trade. The latter seems more probable. Time In The Cell Catherine was arrested by PC Louis Robinson when she was found at 29 Aldgate High Street. At first, he asked if anyone knew her, no one did. As no one knew her, and she was too drunk to stand, she was escorted to Bishopsgate Police Station by PC Louis Robinson and PC George Simmons. The situation at 29 Aldgate High Street went on for around half an hour until the police could pick up Catherine and take her to the police station, as she was too drunk to stand up herself. At Catherine's inquest, PC George Simmons said, 'On the 29th at 8.30 I was on duty in Aldgate High Street, I saw a crowd of persons outside No. 29 - I saw there a woman whom I have since recognised as the Deceased lying on the footway drunk. I asked if there was one that knew her or knew where she lived but I got no answer.' The pair arrived with Catherine Eddowes at Bishopsgate Police Station at 8.45 PM on the night of the 30th of September 1888. 8:45 PM: Bishopsgate Police Station Sergeant James Byfield notes Eddowes arrival at the station. Supported by PCs Robinson and Simmons, Eddowes was asked her name and she replied "Nothing." At 8:50 PM PC Robinson looked in on her in her cell. She was asleep and smelled of drink. At 9:45 PM The Gaoler, City PC 968 George Hutt, took charge of the prisoners. He visited the cell every half hour during the night upon the directive of Sergeant Byfield. By 9:45 PM that night, the city PCs who were on duty, left Bishopsgate Station. When they left Bishopsgate Station, they went behind their Beat Sergeants. Among them was PC James Harvey and PC Edward Watkins. By around 10:00 PM that night, City PC 881 Edward Watkins went on his first patrol. He patrolled around Duke Street, then through to Heneage Lane, then through to Bury Street, Creechurch Lane and then into Leadenhall Street. Once he finished his patrol in Leadenhall Street, he went into Mitre Street, which led him into Mitre Square. Mitre Square is the place where Catherine Eddowes mutilated body would be found a few hours later. There was nothing suspicious at the time when PC Edward Watkins was patrolling Mitre Square, at around 10 PM that night. Watkins carried on his patrol of the Whitechapel streets when he finished checking Mitre Square. After Mitre Square, he went into King Street, then St James Place, and then into Duke Street. After Duke Street, he continued a new patrol of the same streets. At around the same time that PC Watkins was patrolling the Whitechapel streets, another officer was also patrolling the Whitechapel streets at the same time. At around 10 PM, PC James Harvey started his patrol in Bevis Marks, onto Duke Street and Little Duke Street. After patrolling Little Duke Street, he carried on into Houndsditch, and then back to Dukes Street, and then to Church Passage. From there, he went into Aldgate and then to Mitre Street. Again, PC Harvey saw nothing suspicious around the Mitre Square area at that time. From Mitre Street, he patrolled back at Houndsditch, to Little Duke Street again, and then back to Houndsditch. From Houndsditch he went to Goring Street and then back to Bevis Marks. Catherine Eddowes Is Released From The Police Station Nothing odd or out of the ordinary happened in Whitechapel in the late evening hours of the 29th of September 1888. At around 12.15 AM on the 30th of September 1888, Catherine Eddowes was heard singing in her cell. By 12.30 AM she appeared to have been sober and asked when she would be getting released. Just 25 minutes later, at 12.55 AM, Catherine is released from the police station, as she was sober. Catherine left the police station at around 1 AM. Before she left, she spoke to PC Hutt. Their conversation was as follows: "What time is it?" she asks Hutt. "Too late for you to get anything to drink." he replies. "I shall get a damn fine hiding when I get home." She tells him. Hutt replies, " And serve you right, you had no right to get drunk." Hutt pushes open the swinging door of that station. "This way missus," he says, "please pull it to." "All right'" Catherine replies, "Goodnight, old cock." Those were the last words we know of Catherine Eddowes before she was murdered by Jack the Ripper. At the same time Catherine Eddowes was leaving the police station, another victim of Jack the Ripper's, Elizabeth Stride, was found murdered in Dutfields Yard. Between the time she left the police station at 1 AM and the time she found murdered at 1.45 AM in Mitre Square, somewhere during that time, she met her killer; Jack the Ripper. It isn't exactly clear when she met Jack the Ripper, although, it's possible that it was at 1.35 AM. At that time, three men, Joseph Levy, Harry Harris and Joseph Lawende, were outside the Imperial Club in 16-17 Duke Street. They spotted a woman talking to a man at the corner of Duke Street and Church Passage. The woman they spotted is thought to have been Catherine Eddowes. If it was, the man she was speaking with, was the last man she was seen with. If this was Catherine Eddowes, then it is highly likely that the man she was seen with, was Jack the Ripper. What was this man like? The men described him as young, about 30, he dressed like a sailor, had a moustache and had a red handkerchief around his neck. He was tall and was of medium build. Catherine was found dead ten minutes later in Mitre Square, at 1.45 AM on the morning of the 30th of September 1888.
Catherine Eddowes was Jack the Ripper's fourth victim. There three victims before her were; Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman and Elizabeth Stride. Elizabeth Stride was murdered on the same night as Catherine Eddowes, just an hour before hand, in the early hours of the 30th of September. Their two murders on that night is known as 'The Double Event.'
Who Was Catherine Eddowes? Catherine Eddowes was born on the 14th of April 1842. She was born in Staffordshire in England, to George Eddowes and Catherine Evans. George Eddowes and Catherine Eddowes had a total of 11 children, this includes Catherine Eddowes. Unlike the other victims of Jack the Ripper, Catherine Eddowes earliest years are well documented. She was educated at St. John's Charity School, which was located at Potter's Field, Tooley Street. Catherine was educated at St. John's Charity School until her mother died in 1855. When her mother died, most of her brothers and sisters entered the Bermondsey Workhouse and Industrial School. Later Catherine Eddowes continued her education and finished her education when she moved in with her aunt, at Bison Street, Wolverhampton. Eddowes continued her education at Dowgate Charity School, between 1861-1863. After that, Catherine left her aunts home to go and live with Thomas Conway. Catherine Eddowes and Thomas Conway were never married, there is no record of them being married. They lived together in London and had three children together. They had two sons, George (born in 1868) and a second son (born in 1873). They also had a daughter together Annie (who was born in 1865). The couple split in 1881, around seven years before Catherine's death.
The Beginning Of A Downward Spiral
Catherine Eddowes drinking may have been a contributing factor in her relationships break down. She began to drink heavy just a year before the couple split, in 1880. It was the beginning of a downwards spiral for Catherine. By the time her relationship ended, she ended up living in 55 Flower and Dean Street. Flower and Dean Street was one of the most notorious places in London, it was crime ridden and destitute. It's even been indicated that this is where Jack the Ripper lived. Today, Flower and Dean Street is called Lolesworth Close. The original Flower and Dean Street was destroyed during World War II, in the blitz. Happier Times For Catherine It wasn't all bad for Catherine Eddowes in the final years of her life. There were some happy times too. And even conflicting evidence about the nature of her drinking habits. For example, the deputy, Fredrick Wilkinson, at Catherine's lodging house said of Catherine that she was ''not often in drink and was a very jolly woman.'' Eliza Gold said the same thing about Eddowes. During the summers, Catherine Eddowes alongside two others, Kelly and Birrell, went hop picking each summer season. Hop picking was when people in the East End of London went out into the countryside to pick berries for money. In 1888, Catherine Eddowes spent her summer months hop picking in Kent. They returned to London when summer and the harvest season ended. September the 29th and 30th 1888 The last two days of Catherine Eddowes life, the 29th of September and the 30th of September, are the two most documented days in her life. In the next blog, we will look at this, in the final hours of Catherine Eddowes life and her murder by Jack the Ripper. On the night of The Double Event.
The height of the Ripper scare was The Double Event, which occurred in the early morning hours of the 30th of September 1888. The Double Event is the name given to the events surrounding two women who were murdered in the Whitechapel area on the 30th of September 1888.
The two women who were murdered by Jack the Ripper that night were Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes. Both women were murdered by Jack the Ripper just an hour apart and within a close proximity. What Happened That Morning? Elizabeth Stride was the first of the two women to be murdered that morning. Throughout the late evening of the 29th of September 1888, she was spotted by several witnesses, at different times, by different men, who reported that they had seen her on the streets of Whitechapel. The last account of Elizabeth being seen was at around 12.45 AM, just outside where her dead body was found inside Dutsfield Yard. She was found by cart driver Louis Deimschutz, who was turning into the yard at 1 AM, his horse wouldn't move further into the yard because of the body (and possibly because the ripper was still in the yard), Deimschutz got off his cart and went to explore what was holding the horse back. It was the body of Elizabeth Stride. Ironically, the second victim of the night was released from prison around the same time that Elizabeth Stride's body was discovered at 1 AM. Catherine Eddowes wasn't really being realised to freedom, she was being released to her death, unknowingly by police officers, and herself. The Second Murder That Night The second murder which occurred on the night on the 30th of September 1888, was that of Catherine Eddowes. Catherine Eddowes was the second victim of Jack the Ripper on the night of The Double Event. Her murder did not take place that long after the murder of Elizabeth Stride.
Catherine Eddowes was found murder around 45 minutes after the body of Elizabeth Stride that night.
How Did The Events Unfold For Catherine Eddowes? The events for Catherine Eddowes started to unfold that night, on the 29th of September 1888, when she was arrested for being drunk and disorderly. She was kept in jail until she was sobered up, police let her free around 1 AM on the 30th of September 1888. At roughly the same time, the first victim of Jack the Ripper was found in Dutsfield Yard. Although police knew that Jack the Ripper was at large, they didn't know that he had struck again that night, hence why Catherine Eddowes was left to walk home alone in the darkness. Also, we have to remember that at the time, there wasn't a great deal of technology, people couldn't really be contacted instantly, therefore, it made it more problematic to catch Jack the Ripper that night, and stop him from murdering Catherine Eddowes. Catherine Eddowes was murdered sometime between 1.35 AM and 1.45 AM, in Mitre Square. The last time that she was seen alive was at 1.35 AM by three men; Joseph Levy, Harry Harris and Joseph Lawende, they saw her at Church Passage, which was just outside Mitre Square. However, Chief Inspector Donald Swanson doubted that this woman was Catherine Eddowes. At 1.45 AM, Catherine Eddowes mutilated body was found in the corner of Mitre Square. Jack the Ripper Gives Us A Clue...Or Two? On the night of The Double Event, Jack the Ripper left us possibly two clues, which could give us information about his identity. It was the only night that Jack the Ripper gave us any clues to his identity or any evidence which he left. The first clue is disputed in whether or not it was actually written by Jack the Ripper or not. Some argue that it was not written by Jack the Ripper because it was there too long. Others argue that is was written by Jack the Ripper, and gives us a clue to his identity. Who is right? Perhaps the clue is in what happened. What happened was that the written message on the wall, presumably left by Jack the Ripper, was ordered to be washed off before the early morning commute, where people could see it. This order was given because there was a fear that the message would spark anti-semitic riots. The message was written on a wall, it became known as the Goulston Street graffito. It was found in the early hours of the morning of the 30th of September 1888, just before sunrise. The graffito said ''The Juwes are the men who shall not be blamed for nothing.'' It's unclear what exactly the message meant. Alongside this, the police found the only piece of physical evidence which was left behind by the killer (if we disregard the writing on the wall). That piece of evidence was a stained cloth, which had Catherine Eddowes blood all over it. It is thought that Jack the Ripper stood in the doorway to wipe his knife (and possibly write the graffito), then disappeared into the night. Concluding Thoughts The Double Event is perhaps the most insightful event in the Jack the Ripper case. It is insightful because it gives us several clues and indications about Jack the Ripper.
Elizabeth Stride was the third victim of Jack the Ripper; she was murdered in the early morning hours of the 30th of September 1888. The murder of Elizabeth Stride, was the first of two murders on the 30th of September 1888; the second woman murdered that night was Catherine Eddowes.
The night or early morning hours of Catherine Eddowe's and Elizabeth Stride's death is known as 'The Double Event.' Why is it known as 'The Double Event?' The night is known as The Double Event because there was not just one woman murdered by Jack the Ripper that night; there were two women murdered by Jack the Ripper. Elizabeth Stride was the first woman to be murdered that night, the second woman who was murdered that night was Catherine Eddowes, who was murdered just a short time after Elizabeth Stride was murdered. Why Was There Two Murders That Night? There were two murders that night, because it is thought that Jack the Ripper was disturbed during his first murder that night. The man who found Elizabeth Stride's body believed that the killer, Jack the Ripper, was still in the yard when he found Stride's body. Therefore, it is believed that Jack the Ripper wasn't finished with Stride and there is evidence to suggest this. Unlike the other victims of Jack the Ripper beforehand, Stride only had her throat cut, there was no mutilations to her body, like their was with Jack the Ripper's first two victims, Mary Ann Nichols and Annie Chapman. Therefore, it is thought that he was 'unhappy' with the killing of Elizabeth Stride that night, because he never got the chance to mutilate the body of Elizabeth Stride, which is why he went on to kill another woman that night: Catherine Eddowes. Jack the Ripper was infamous for his mutilations. He mutilated his first two victims, Mary Ann Nichols and Annie Chapman. Later he went on to mutilate his last two victims, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly. However, he did not mutilate Elizabeth Stride, who was his third victim. It was a Louis Diemschutz, a horse cart driver, who discovered the body of Elizabeth Stride. He was turning into Dutfield's Yard at around 1 AM on the morning of the 30th of September 1888. His horse stopped at the entrance to the yard. As the horse refused to go any further, Louis Diemschutz stepped off of the horse and cart and went forward into the yard. It is there he found the body of Elizabeth Stride. Though, as it was pitch black, and he couldn't see anything, he had to light a match. The match didn't light for very quickly, within a few seconds it blew out. But in that brief period, he discovered the body of Elizabeth Stride. At first, he thought Elizabeth Stride's dead body was something else blocking the yard entrance, however, when he lit his match, he saw Elizabeth's dead body lying in the yard. Jack the Ripper Hiding in Dutfield's Yard Upon finding that there was a body in the yard, Louis Diemschutz went off to find a police officer, along with two other men that morning. Stride's body was still warm when Diemschutz just found her, indicating that she was just killed - and she was just murdered. Louis Diemschutz thought that the killer was still in the yard when he entered it. We will probably never know for certain if that was true or not, it's very likely that Diemschutz was right and that Jack the Ripper was just under his nose - lurking beneath the shadows of the dark yard. What we can be certain of, was that it was the first indication that Jack the Ripper was out of control that night. The second indication that he was out of control that night comes from the fact that he went on to kill another woman that night; Catherine Eddowes. He was obviously out of control, because the police were already aware that the killer was active that night. There were also patrols to catch the killer, both by the police and by members of the public. His attempt to murder once that night was risky enough for him, much more risky than the previous two murders, because of the heightened attention on capturing the killer, but going on to kill again that night, was even more riskier. Jack also killed earlier that night, than at any other night. All of his killings were done in the early morning hours, like Stride's. The murder of Stride took place just before 1AM on the 30th of September 1888. The Last Hours Of Elizabeth Stride The events leading up to that night for Stride started at 6.30 PM on the 29th of September 1888. She was drinking early that night; possibly, she was drinking early that afternoon. At 6.30 PM Elizabeth Tanner, the woman who Elizabeth Stride had just finished working for, had seen Stride drinking in the Queen's Head Public House, Tanner joined Elizabeth for a drink at that time. Once both of them had finished drinking in the Queen's Head Public House, sometime between 6.30 PM and 7 PM that night, both of them headed back to the lodging house at 32 Flower and Dean Street. Between 7 PM and 8 PM, Elizabeth is seen leaving 32 Flower and Dean Street by Catherine Lane and Charles Preston. Her night began out on the street at this hour. By 11 PM, Stride was spotted by John Gardner and J. Best when they were going into the Bricklayer's Arms Public House, near Commercial Road and Berner Street. She was seen with a man with a moustache, with sandy coloured eye lashes and who was small. The man was wearing a coat, a billycock hat and a morning suit. This was around two hours before her murder. The man who was with Elizabeth Stride stood with her outside the entrance of the pub with the man for a while. Before John Gardner and J. Best finally went into the pub, they joked to Elizabeth that ''That's Leather Apron getting around you.'' Leather Apron is another name associated with Jack the Ripper, and which is sometimes used to refer to Jack. The two men had said that ''He and the woman went off like a shot soon after eleven,'' towards Berner Street. In other words, Elizabeth Stride went off with this man towards Berner Street soon after 11 PM. Around 45 minutes later, Stride was seen again on Berner Street, this time she was seen with another man, near the International Working Men's Educational Club. The man that Stride was with at 11.45 AM, was not the same man that she was seen with earlier, outside of the Bricklayer's Arms Public House. She was seen talking to this man outside of 63 Berner Street, with the man, he was wearing a short black coat and a sailors hat. The man who sees the pair is William Marshall who was standing outside 64 Berner Street, he overhears the man saying to Stride, ''You would say anything but your prayers.'' Just over a half an hour later, at 12.35 AM on the 30th of September 1888, Stride is seen again with another man, by PC William Smith. We know this is a different man than the one which was seen with Stride thirty minutes before hand, because of the description of the man. He was said to have been wearing a deerstalker hat, along with a dark coat, he was young and in his late 20s. At around 12.45 AM, just ten minutes later, a man called Israel Schwartz seen Stride being attacked by a man just outside of the entrance of Dutfield's Yard, just outside of the area that her body was found just 15 minutes later at 1 AM by Louis Diemschutz. A Home Office file reported that: "Israel Schwartz of 22 Helen Street, Backchurch Lane, stated that at this hour, turning into Berner Street from Commercial Road, and having gotten as far as the gateway where the murder was committed, he saw a man stop and speak to a woman, who was standing in the gateway. He tried to pull the woman into the street, but he turned her round and threw her down on the footway and the woman screamed three times, but not very loudly. On crossing to the opposite side of the street, he saw a second man lighting his pipe. The man who threw the woman down called out, apparently to the man on the opposite side of the road, "Lipski", and then Schwartz walked away, but finding that he was followed by the second man, he ran as far as the railway arch, but the man did not follow so far. Schwartz cannot say whether the two men were together or known to each other. Upon being taken to the mortuary Schwartz identified the body as that of the woman he had seen." The term 'Lipski' was an anti-Semitic reference. The eye witness testimony of Israel Schwartz has been debated, with some seeing his statement as accurate, while others arguing that his eye witness statement was questionable. If Israel Schwartz was being authentic in his testimony, about seeing an attack on a woman outside the yard, then it's possible, if not most likely, that the man he saw attacking the woman (Stirde), was most likely Jack the Ripper. Making him one of the most important witnesses in the Ripper case. Elizabeth Stride the 30th of September 1888
Elizabeth Stride was the third victim of Jack the Ripper's. She was murdered on the night which is known as the'Double Event', on the 30th of September 1888. The Double Event was a night whenJack the Ripper murdered two women, the first woman murdered that night was Elizabeth Stride and the second woman murdered that night was Catherine Eddowes
Both women were murdered in the same hour. It is thought that Jack the Ripper was disturbed just after he murdered Elizabeth Stride and probably just before he was going to mutilate her. Because of this disruption, it is thought that Jack may have been unhappy and frustrated at not being able to finish off his 'work', in other words, he was probably unhappy that it couldn't mutilate Elizabeth Stride, in the same way, that he had mutilated poor Annie Chapman and Mary Ann Nichols just weeks beforehand. It was for this reason, that he probably risked murdering another woman that night - Catherine Eddowes. Unfortunately, Catherine Eddowes happened to be crossing paths with Jack the Ripper that September morning, in 1888. Something which sealed her fate; becoming the fourth victim of Jack the Ripper's. The Double Event not only saw Jack the Ripper murder two women, he seemed to have been out of control that night (more than usual). With the murder of Stride, the police were alerted to the killer being active in the area, when he went on to kills Eddowes, such a short time afterwards. He was clearly out of control that night. Not only that, he left the only piece of physical evidence behind that night - a piece of blood-stained cloth - which was probably used to wipe the blood of Catherine Eddowes off of him. Alongside a message, which was probably written by him that night, 'The Juwes are the men that shall not be named for nothing', it read on the wall, above where the piece of cloth was found on the ground. The cloth and writing on the wall are significant today because they remain the only traces of Jack the Ripper in the whole case. If Jack the Ripper was caught, instead of just evading capture after the murder of Elizabeth Stride, then these pieces of evidence wouldn't exist. Even if they did, they probably wouldn't retain the significance they do today. The Double Event was more eventful than any of the other night, had Louis Diemschutz entered Dutfield's Yard (where Elizabeth Stride was found) just a few minutes, or even seconds earlier than he did that night, on the 30th of September 1888, then Jack the Ripper probably would have been caught.
Who was Elizabeth Stride?
Elizabeth Stride was born on the 27th of November in 1843, in Gothenburg, Sweden, she was born to Gustaf Ericsson, who was her father, and Beatta Carlsdotter who was her mother. Elizabeth Stride lived some of her adult life in Sweden before moving to London, England. It is thought that Elizabeth first started prostitution while living in Sweden; she was registered as a prostitute by the Swedish police in March 1865. Stride then moved to London around a year later, on the 10th of July 1866. Much of what we know about Elizabeth Stride's early life, is thanks to a man called Charles Preston. Charles Preston knew Elizabeth Stride. He told the inquest of Stride's murder that she had come to England with another man and that she was born in Sweden. Preston was living in the same lodging house as Stride and identified her body at the mortuary after she was murder by Jack the Ripper. Life In London And Marriage A few years after settling in London, Elizabeth Stride married John Thomas Stride, on the 7th of March 1869. The pair married in St Giles, by Rev William Powell and witnesses by N. Taylor Stride and Daniel H Wyatt; at the registration of the marriage, Elizabeth Stride gave her address as 67 Gower Street. The marriage between them lasted around seven years. During their marriage, they owned a coffee shop in Poplar, which was a district in East London. Owning a coffee shop suggests that the couple was well off, perhaps middle-class at the time of owning the coffee shop, However, they lost their coffee shop in 1875, when it was taken over by John Dale. Elizabeth Stride's life started on a downwards spiral on separating from her husband. It's unclear exactly when Elizabeth and her husband separated. But her husband died on the 24th of October 1884, due to heart disease - which would have meant that by the time of the Autumn of Terror, she would have been without a husband supporting her. And therefore, most likely to have been in the same position that she was in during the time of the Ripper murders. The marriage between them seems to have fallen apart sometime between 1875 and 1881. From the 28th of December 1881 to the 4th of January 1882, Elizabeth was ill with bronchitis and treated at the Whitechapel Infirmary. When released from the Whitechapel Infirmary, Stride moved into the Whitechapel Workhouse. She didn't stay in Whitechapel Infirmary for long. Throughout 1882, Elizabeth Stride was a resident of the lodging house of 32 Flower and Dean Street, though, she was an in-out resident of the lodging of 32 Flower and Dean Street.
Life In Whitechapel: Stride's Last Years
In 1885 Elizabeth Stride started a relationship with Michael Kidney; she started living with Michael Kidney in 1885. It seems that to be that he was absent for most of their relationship. Stride and Kidney lived at 35 Devonshire Street during this time. Stride and Kidney were said to have had a turbulent relationship, one was Elizabeth Stride was a heavy drinker, like previous Jack the Ripper victims before her, Mary Ann Nichols and Annie Chapman, who were also heavy drinkers. It's possible that Elizabeth Stride's heavy drinking contributed to her turbulent relationship with Kidney. Elizabeth's heavy drinking probably was partly the reason why her relationship with kidney seemed to be turbulent, the other part was the behaviour of Kidney himself. Kidney was up for charges in April of 1887 at Thames Magistrate Court, on charges of assaulting Elizabeth. Elizabeth did not attend the court hearing. The following year, over a year later, on the 30th of September 1888, Elizabeth Stride was murdered by Jack the Ripper. Elizabeth Stride, the 30th of September 1888
OAnnie Chapman was the second victim of the notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper. The first victim of Jack the Ripper was Mary Ann Nichols, who was murdered by the killer on the 31st of August 1888. Annie Chapman was murdered by Jack the Ripper just one week after the murder of Mary Ann Nichols.
The murder of Annie Chapman took place in the early hours of the morning of the 8th of September 1888. The last hours of Annie Chapman's life came on the evening of the 7th of September, which was a Friday, through to the early hours of the 8th of September, on the Saturday. From the events of the evening of the 7th of September 1888, it is apparent that Annie was a broken woman and in desperate need of money that evening. The events of Annie Chapman's last hours somewhat mirrors the events of Mary Ann Nichols last hours. Both women had no money to pay for a bed on the night of their deaths at their lodging houses and both women sought money through prostitution on the night of their deaths, to pay for their bed. Sadly, both of their need for money on the night of their murder, cost them their life at the hands of the Victorian serial killer, Jack the Ripper.
Annie sought to acquire money on the 7th of September from around 5 PM, we know this because of her encounter with Amelia Palmer, who met Annie Chapman in Dorset Street, at that time. Annie informed Amelia Palmer that she was ill and that she had no money for a bed that night. Annie said to Amelia ''I must pull myself together and go out and get some money or I shall have no lodgings.''
From the rest of the evening, up until 11 PM, her moments are undocumented. But, most likely she was soliciting trade in the hours. By 11.30 PM that night, she returned to her lodging house and was in the kitchen up until 12.10 AM. Annie was drinking with another lodger that night, Fredrick Stevens. Fredrick Stevens and Annie Chapman were joined by another lodger at 12.12 AM, William Stevens. Stevens said that he seen Annie taking a broken box of medication out of her pocket. This could have been to medicate Annie's illness. Soon after Stevens joined them, Annie left the kitchen and left the lodging house for a brief period of time. She returned to the lodging house a short time afterwards, at 1.35 AM. From then, Annie was eating some food when the night watchman of the lodging house, John Evans came into the kitchen. Evans was there to collect Annie's money for her bed, it was money she didn't have. Soon afterwards, Annie went upstairs to see the manager of the lodging house Donovan, Annie said to Donovan ''I haven't sufficient money for my bed'' to which she continued ''but don't let it [worry you]. I shall not be long before I am in.'' To which Donovan replied to her that ''You can find money for your beer and you can't find money for your bed.'' From this, we can assume that Annie had been drinking that night, or/and that Annie was a heavy drinker. We also know that she was out earlier for most of that night, trying to earn money for a bed. She most likely earned money for a bed that night, but the money most likely went on alcohol. A few moments after that encounter, Annie asks for them to keep a bed for the night for her. She soon left the lodging house and went out into the dangerous streets of Whitechapel. There was a killer on the lose, Jack the Ripper. Around three hours later, at 4.35 AM a resident of 29 Hanbury Street called John Richardson, where Annie Chapman was later found went out into the yard. He sat down on the steps in the yard to remove some leather from his shoes. He reportedly said that he never seen anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. He wasn't that far from where Annie's body was found, just over an hour later. Either she wasn't dead at this time, or he didn't see her. At the time when John Richardson went out into the yard, Annie was most likely still alive, given that there are two separate witness statements to indicate this. The first witness statement was from Elizabeth Long and the second witness statement was from Albert Cadosch. Though, their witness statements can seem conflicting. Elizabeth Long indicated that she had seen (or she thought she had seen) Annie Chapman talking with a man outside 29 Hanbury Street. As Mrs Long passed them both, she said that she did not see the mans face, but did hear some of the conversation that both of them were having. What Mrs Long heard was the man saying 'Will you?' and the woman replying 'Yes.' Long claimed that the time was half five, as she remembered the clock striking on the half hour. Could this have been Annie Chapman speaking with Jack the Ripper? However, at around the same time, Albert Cadosch claimed that he heard something (Annie Chapman), fall against the fence. Cadosch was on the other side of the fence but he thought nothing of the noise he had heard. Before the fall on the fence, Cadosch said he heard a man and woman talking, which most likely was Annie and Jack the Ripper. The only words he claims to have heard was the woman saying ''No!'', then the thud on the fence.
Perhaps Elizabeth Long was wrong about the time she thought it was, it could have been the clock striking at a slightly earlier time at 5.15am. If Mrs Long was wrong about the time, then it would explain things. It would mean that Mrs Long, possibly seen Annie with Jack the Ripper at 5.15am on the morning of the 8th of September 1888. Then, some fifteen minutes later, Albert heard the thud against the fence at 5.30am that morning, unknown to Albert, this was Jack the Ripper murdering Annie Chapman.
Just a half an hour later, at 6am, the murdered body of Annie Chapman was found by a carman called John Davis. John Davis was walking into his back yard, where he found Annie lying on the ground, dead. Annie Chapman died on the 8th of September 1888
Mary Ann Nichols was the first victim of Jack the Ripper, she was murdered on the 31st of August 1888 and found dead outside Bucks Row. The second victim of Jack the Ripper was Annie Chapman, who was murdered just over a week after the murder of Mary Ann Nichols.
Let's take a look at who Annie Chapman was. Who was Annie Chapman? Annie Chapman was born on September 1841, she was given the full name of Annie Eliza Smith. The second name that she is now known for, Chapman, came from her husband through marriage. Her parents were George Smith and Ruth Chapman. Not much is known about the early life about Annie Chapman. What we do know is that Annie was born just six months after her parents were married. Her parents were married on the 22nd of February 1842. Her parents, George Smith and Ruth Chapman, also had three other children, who were Annie's siblings. The three other children were (1) Emily Latia who was born in 1844, (2) Georgina (1858), (3) Miriam Ruth (1858) and a son called Fountain Smith (1861). This is all we know of Annie Chapman's earlier life, her childhood. We do not know much else about her or her childhood. Most of what we do know about Annie, comes from her adult life. Annie Chapman's Married Life Annie Chapman married John Chapman on the 1st of May 1869. The marriage certificate lists their place of residence as 29 Montpelier Place, Brompton. She married John Chapman when she was 28 years old. Annie Chapman and John Chapman lived with Annie's mother, at 29 Montpelier Place, Brompton. Annie's mother lived there until the time of her death, in 1893, which was several years after Annie Chapman was murdered by Jack the Ripper. She outlived her daughter Annie, who died in the early morning hours of the 8th of September 1888. Before Annie died, she lived in several other places, both during her marriage to John Chapman and after her marriage broke up. Montpelier Place, Brompton was the first place that he couple lived, but, it was not the only place that they lived. They also lived in several other places. These other places included 1 Brook Mews in Bayswater, they moved into Bayswater in 1870, they also moved into 17 South Bruton Mews, Berkley Square in 1873. Then, lastly in 1881, Annie and John moved to Windsor, where John took on a new job as a coachman.
In some ways, this was the beginning of a new life for Annie Chapman and George Chapman, however, in other ways, it was the beginning of the end for their relationship and marriage.
Just a few years after beginning their new life in Windsor, Annie and John broke up, in what is said to have been of 'mutual consent'. They ended their marriage either sometime in 1884, or sometime in 1885, the exact date is unclear. Their marriage broke down just a few years Annie was murdered by Jack the Ripper. Both Annie and John were heavy drinkers, which may have contributed to the marriage breakdown between them, though, that is hard to tell. Annie Chapman had a problem with drinking before her marriage even ended. There are police reports that Annie was arrested on several occasions for being too drunk. A police report indicated that the pair broke up because of Annie's 'drunken and immoral ways''. It's unclear what Annie's ''immoral ways'' were. Perhaps it was her drinking, or perhaps there was something else to that statement that we don't know about Annie. She was also known as 'Dark Annie', which may have implied a dark side to her personality. Annie Chapman Moves To Whitechapel Annie Chapman moved to Whitechapel in 1886, around two years before she was murdered by Jack the Ripper. When Annie moved to Whitechapel, she lived with a man called John Sivvey. The pair lived in 30 Dorset Street, Spitalfields. While living at 30 Dorset Street, Spitalfields, Annie received a weekly allowance of 10 shillings from her husband. She received this allowance until his death, on Christmas Day in 1886. After that, the payments that she received from her husband naturally stopped. It is probably at this point that Annie Chapman turned to prostitution. Her situation wasn't helped any, when John Sivvey left her. He left Annie at around the time her husband died, which indicates that he was only with her for the money. What happened in her life between 1886 after her husbands death and up until May or June 1888, is unclear. This is because there isn't much to go on about Annie's life from this timeframe. Although, it's possible that this was the time Annie turned to prostitution, due to financial difficulties. The few months before Annie's murder becomes more clearer, by May or June in 1888 Annie had a new accommodation and was living in lodging houses in Whitechapel. She was living at Crossingham's Lodging House at 35 Dorset Street, Spitalfields, which would be her last place of residence before her death. The lodging house which she took up residence in, wasn't far from her old address. Her new home was 35 Dorset Street, Spitalfields. As well as taking up prostitution to earn money, Annie also had worked selling flowers and doing crochet work. In mid-August, she met her estranged brother, who she informed that her life was hard. Her brother in return gave Annie 2 shillings. Annie met her brother that month on Commercial Road. On the 1st of September 1888, Annie Chapman had a fight with Eliza Cooper, a woman who also lived in the lodgings with Annie. The fight was about Edward Stanley, though, there is conflicting information about why the two were fighting about him, it's possible that there was a love rivalry going on there. Annie was unwell that week, from the 1st of September to the 8th of September. She was said to be unwell because of the fight she had with Eliza Cooper. However, she was also possibly unwell because of her lack of food consumption. Annie said to Amelia Palmer that she was feeling unwell and that she had nothing to eat or drink on the day of the 4th of September. Her lack of food consumption was most likely due to her not being able to afford food or drink that day. As Amelia Palmer said that she gave Annie 2d for some food and tea. She also said to Annie not to spend the money on alcohol. Which indicates that Annie was unwell in her final week because she was not eating or drinking soft fluids because she was spending the money on alcohol. The final week of Annie's life from the 1st of September to the 8th of September 1888, was eventful and tragic. It was a week of fights, ill health, prostitution and depression. What was to follow was to shock the Whitechapel region of London, when Annie Chapman became the second victim of Jack the Ripper. Annie Chapman Died On The 8th Of September 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. Mary Ann Nichols was born to Edward Walker (who was her father) and Caroline (who was her mother). Edward Walker was a locksmith and blacksmith in his working life. Edward and his wife Caroline had two children that we know of. They had a son, Edward Walker and a daughter Mary Ann Nichols (nee Walker). The Married Life Of Mary Ann Nichols Mary Ann Nichols married William Nichols on the 16th of January 1864. They married in 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. They were: Percy George Nichols, Henry Alfred Nichols, Edward John Nichols, Alice Ester Nichols and Eliza Sarah Nichols. Living Arrangements The couple briefly lived in Bouverie Street, before moving in with Mary Ann's father for around ten years (from 1865 to 1875), at 131 Trafalgar Street. Then, the couple moved into No.6 D Block, Peabody Buildings, Stamford Street, Blackfriars Rd, for around six years (from 1875 to 1881). The End Of Mary and William's Marriage The marriage of Mary and William came to an end in 1881. They were have said to have a rocky marriage, where they separated and got back together again a few times. However, 1881 was the last time the two separated, it was a permanent separation. The end of Mary's marriage was a downward spiral of destitution and hardship for her. For around the first year of separation from her husband, Mary had financial support from him. However, in 1882, he found out that she had become a prostitute and ceased all payments and support for her. From Workhouse To Workhouse From 1883 until the time of her death in 1888, Mary Ann Nichols went from workhouse to workhouse. Most of her time throughout these years was in entering and leaving Lambeth Workhouse. However, she also spent time in three other workhouses, St Giles Workhouse, the Strand Workhouse and Mitcham Workhouse. The last workhouse Mary spent time in was Lambeth Workhouse. She lived here from the 16th of April 1888 to the 12th of May 1888. On the 12th of May 1888, she left Lambeth Workhouse and worked as a domestic servant for Sarah Cowdry and Samuel Cowdry. Mary's work as a domestic servant only lasted two months, she was either sacked for stealing clothes or left the job and stole clothes on the way out. By August 1888, she was back in the workhouse. This time Gray's Temporary Workhouse, from the 1st of August until the 2nd of August. August 1888 There are two final places that Mary lived in, these two final places that she lived in were throughout August 1888. Her first known residence that month was in Wilmott's Lodging House at Thrawl Street, Spitalfields. And the second accommodation that she stayed at, was a lodging house known as the White House at 56 Flower and Dean Street. She moved into her final doss house (lodging house), in Flower and Dean Street just a week before she was murdered, on the 24th of August 1888. Her last movements between the night of the 30th of August 1888 and the early hours of the morning of the 31st of August 1888 are the most documented of her life. We will look at that in the next blog. Mary Ann Nichols was murdered by Jack the Ripper in the early hours of the morning of the 31st of August 1888.
Lady Jane Grey became de facto Queen of England on the 10th of July 1553.
Lady Jane Grey was born in England, in 1537. She was born in Leicestershire in October 1537, to Lady Frances Brandon and Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk. Lady Jane Grey's mother, Lady Francis Brandon, was related to Henry VIII. She was the daughter of Henry VIII's sister, Mary Tudor, Queen Consort of France.
Mary Tudor, Queen Consort of France, shouldn't be mistaken for Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary), who was Henry VIII's daughter. Bloody Mary would be the one to end Lady Jane Grey's short reign as de facto Queen of England, becoming Mary I. Jane entered royal life at a very young age. At just ten years old, Jane entered the royal household of Henry the VIII's last queen and wife, Katherine Parr.
By October 1551, Lady Jane Grey became more acquainted with royal life, when she entered the Tudor court. At this point, in 1551, Henry VIII was no longer king. He had died on the 28th of January 1547 and was succeeded by his son, Edward.
Edward became King Edward VI of England. His reign was a short one. In February 1553, Edward took ill. During his illness, Edward named his cousin, Lady Jane Grey as his successor. This created a line of the succession crisis, as Henry VIII created the Third Succession Act (1543). The Third Succession Act (1543) restored Edward's sisters to the line of succession, Mary and Elizabeth. Mary was next-in-line to the throne if Edward died, according to the Third Succession Act. With Edward naming Jane Grey as his successor, the situation became a battle for the throne of England, when Edward died on the 6th of July 1553. Four days later, Jane became Queen. |
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