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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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. Aaron Kosminski is one of the suspects in the Jack the Ripper case. He is perhaps one of the strongest candidates in the Jack the Ripper case. So, who was Aaron Kosminsi? And what makes him a strong candidate in the Jack the Ripper case? Let's find out. Who Was Aaron Kosminski? Aaron Kosminski was born in Poland in 1864 or 1865, probably in Russia, but it's not confirmed exactly where he was born. Nothing is really known about Kosminskis earlier life. However, we do know that he had sisters. He moved with his sisters and their families to England in 1882. Though, his mother and father did not move to England. Kosminski worked as a hairdresser or barber, though he was unemployed at the time that he moved to England. When he moved to Whitechapel in London, he worked as a hairdresser or barber. Kosminski may have worked on and off while living in Whitechapel, as it was said that he had years of unemployment between jobs. While living in Whitechapel, Aaron Kosminski lived with two brothers and one sister. He lived in a place in Whitechapel known asGreenfield Street. Interestingly, Greenfield Street was near to where Jack the Rippers third victim, Elizabeth Stride was murdered. Greenfield Street was also close to where a potential Jack the Ripper victim was killed, Martha Tabram. The street may have been close to where Elizabeth Stride and Martha Tabram where murder, while also not being too far from where the other women were murdered, the location of Aaron Kosminskis residence at the time of the Ripper murders, isn't enough evidence to say that he was the killer. However, it is also something that we should take into consideration, as it puts Aaron Kosminski at the heart of Whitechapel, while the murders took place. It's very likely that Jack the Ripper lived in Whitechapel, therefore, Aaron Kosminski ticks the location box. There is something else to consider with this, experts believe that Jack the Ripper was living in Flower and Dean Street at the time of the murders. If true, that would rule Aaron Kosminski out, unless he did, in fact, live in Flower and Dean Street during the duration of the Ripper murders. Aaron Kosminski As A Suspect There literally hundreds of Jack the Ripper suspects. Many of them can be easily disregarded, with nothing seemingly linking them to the murders, or even Whitechapel itself. It seems as if many of the Jack the Ripper suspects are only suspects because they were alive at the time of the murders. With Aaron Kosminski, it is different. He is one of the strongest suspects, who could have potentially been Jack the Ripper. However, there are also arguments against him being Jack the Ripper. Let us look at the arguments for him being Jack and arguments against him being Jack. Arguments For And Against Him Being Jack
. One of the leading police officers, Melville Macnaghten, named a man called 'Kosminski' as one of his suspects in his Macnaghten Memorandum. He also named another two suspects, Michael Ostrog and Montague Druitt. Macnaughten wasn't involved in the case at the time of the Ripper murders, he was involved in the investigation from 1889 to 1891.
There is a problem with this though. The problem is that Macnaghten did not give a forename to Kosminski. That could mean that it could have been anyone, specifically a man, being the Kosminski that Macnaghten was referring to. It seems most likely that he was referring to Aaron Kosminski, but that isn't 100% certain. . If the Kosminski that Macnaghten is referring to is Aaron, then he is also a strong suspect, as Kosminski was said to have a hatred of women, according to Macnaghten. . Kosminski was also have said to have strong homicidal tendencies, which again, makes him a strong candidate for the Ripper. . It also possible that Kosminski was identified as Jack the Ripper by another person. The person who identified Kosminski wouldn't testify against him, apparently. That being saying, this is dubious. . There was a shawl of Catherine Eddowes, one of Jack the Ripper's victims, which apparently had the DNA of Kosminski on it. This 'evidence' is highly controversial though. . Kosminski was said to have had ''violent tendencies''. He was sent to a workhouse and later a lunatic asylum because of these violent tendencies of ''brandishing a knife''. Considering Jack the Ripper was violent and used a knife, this is eye opening material. . There is no physical evidence to suggest that he committed the murders, or was Jack the Ripper. Conclusion About Aaron Kosminski Aaron Kosminski is certainly one of the more interesting suspects in the Ripper case. If he is the person that Melvine Macnaghten is referring to, then it makes him an, even more, stronger candidate and potentially Jack the Ripper. There are many things which make Aaron Kosminski a strong suspect and a serious one to consider. Whether we are looking at Aaron Kosminski or another Kosminski, we have a strong candidate here. He was: . In Whitechapel at the time. Therefore, would have known the area well. The back alleys well. He would have known the routes to escape and evade the police. Potentially even knowing their police routines. . He was sent to be violent. His violence was one which saw him wielding a knife. This behaviour alone isn't enough to conclude that he was a murderer, but, it does suggest that this was a man who had and did have the potential to behave in a violent manner. . He had a hatred of women. Having a hatred of women is not enough to say that Kosminski was a killer. However, a potential motive could have been a hatred of women. Or, specifically having a hatred of prostitutes. It's also possible that he didn't have a specific hatred of prostitutes, they were just easy targets for Jack, as they were vulnerable. . Lastly, Kosminski was committed to an insane asylum not long after the murders stopped. If Kosminski was Jack the Ripper, then we'd know why the murders stopped. Aaron Kosminski is one of the best Ripper suspects that we have. But his candidacy to suspect does not come with problems. The shawl that was said to contain his DNA is potentially unauthentic, as its findings have been criticized, along with the fact that the shawl has been cross contaminated. Besides the shawl, there is no physical evidence to conclude that Aaron Kosminsi, or even Kosminski was Jack the Ripper.
Fredrick Abberline was a prominent Inspector of the Jack the Ripper case, he was the man responsible for hunting Jack the Ripper. So, who was Fredrick Abberline? Let's find out.
Who Was Fredrick Abberline? Fredrick Abberline was born on the 8th January 1843, in Blandford Dorset. His father was Edward Abberline and his mother was Hannah Abberline. His parents had three other children; Emily Abberline, Harriett Abberline and Edward Abberline. Hannah Abberline, Fredrick Abberline's mother, was forced to raise all four of them alone when her husband died in 1849. She went on to raise the children alone as a widow and opened a shop to support herself and her family. Apart from this, there is not much else known about Fredrick Abberline's early life. Most of his life is documented from the time he was in the police force, it was while in the police force that he would come face-to-face hunting for the mysterious figure of Jack the Ripper. Fredrick Abberline Begins His Career His career began on the 5th of January 1863, when he joined the Metropolitan Police. A few years later, on the 19th of August 1865, he was promoted to being sergeant. Almost a decade later, in 1873, Fredrick Abberline was promoted to being an inspector. A few months before the Autumn of Terror, in which Jack the Ripper killed five women, Fredrick Abberline was appointed as 1st class inspector, in February 1888. Over three years later, in December 1890, Abberline was appointed as chief inspector at the Metropolitan Police.
Fredrick Abberline resigned just two years later, on the 7th of February 1892, after 29 years in the police force.
Who Did Abberline Think That Jack The Ripper Was? Since Abberline was the prominent figure in the hunt for Jack the Ripper, his knowledge of the ripper murders is probably better than anyone else at the time the events took place. In an interview with the Pall Mall Gazette, at the turn of the century, in 1903, Fredrick Abberline named George Chapman as his preferred suspect for Jack the Ripper. The hunt forJack the Ripper and head of the Whitechapel Murders was headed by the City of London Police and the London Metropolitan Police. The London Metropolitan Police was made up of several inspectors and constables, who were in charge of finding the culprit for the Whitechapel Murders. They were, in effect, responsible for catching the world's most notorious serial killer - Jack the Ripper. But, who were these men? Who were the men who led the hunt for Jack the Ripper? Let's take a look. Who Were The Whitechapel Police Inspectors? The following men were the inspectors and constables of the Whitechapel murders: Chief Inspector Fredrick Abberline
Chief Inspector Fredrick Abberline, was the head of the London Metropolitan Police at the time of the Jack the Ripper murders in 1888.
Sir Robert Anderson
Sir Robert Anderson was the assistant commissioner at the London Metropolitan Police during the ripper murders.
Walter Andrews Walter Andrews was an inspector in the Whitechapel murder case. Thomas Arnold Thomas Arnold was a police officer involved in the Jack the Ripper case. Detective Constable Walter Dew Detective Constable Walter Dew was a detective during the Whitechapel murders. Sergeant George Godley George Godley was an inspector at the time of the Whitechapel murders. Inspector George Henry Inspector George Henry was an inspector during the time of the Whitechapel Murders. Chief Inspector John George Littlechild Chief Inspector John George Littlechild was an inspector during the time of the Jack the Ripper murders. Sir Melvine Macnaghten Sir Melvine Macnaghten was appointed assistant chief constable in 1889, several months after the last Whitechapel murder took place.
These are some of the top men who investigated the Whitechapel murders, and tried to catch the world's most notorious serial killer - Jack the Ripper.
Here is a list of the main inspectors, constables and polices officers who were involved in the case: Inspector Fredrick Abberline Sir Robert Anderson Inspectator Walter Andrews Superintendent Thomas Arnold Detective Constable Walter Dew Detective Sergeant George Godley PC James Harvey Inspector Joseph Henry Helson Chief Inspector John George Littlechild Sir Melvine Macnaghten James Monro Chief Inspector Henry Moore PC John Neil Inspector Edmund Reid Detectable Constable Robert Sagar Major Henry Smith PC William Smith Inspectator John Spratling Chief Inspector Donald Swanson Sergeant William Thick P.C. Ernest Thomson Sir Charles Warren PC Edward Watkins Sergent Stephen White and, Chief Constable Adolphus Fredrick Williamson These are the top men who were responsible for the Whitechapel Murders, and overviewing the investigation into the murders between 1888 and 1891. The Metropolitan Police covered and still covers, the wider London area, excluding the city of London. During the ripper murders, four of the Canonical Five victims, Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride and Mary Jane Kelly, were all murdered within the Metropolitan Police district of London. Whereas, Catherine Eddowes, wasmurdered within the City of London police district. Therefore, the Whitechapel Murders had two different police forces investigating the Jack the Ripper murders. Did the police know who he was? Did the police know who Jack the Ripper was? These are the men that had the best insight into the case. They had first-hand knowledge of the Whitechapel murders. Those involved in the case had somewhat different ideas to who Jack the Ripper was. A failure for there to be a consensus among the police at the time is perhaps one reason why there are so many suspects. It could also be why the Ripper was never caught. But what did the top man think of it all, Inspector Fredrick Abberline? In aninterview with the Cassell’s Saturday Journal, Abberline spoke to a journalist about his thoughts on the case and on the ripper. This is what he said: “His friendly relations with the shady folk who crowd into the common lodging houses enabled him to pursue his investigations connected with the murders with the greatest certainty, and the facilities afforded him made it clear to his mind that the miscreant was not to be found lurking in a “dossers” kitchen. In fact, the desire of the East Enders to assist the police was so keen that the number of statements made – all of them requiring to be recorded and searched into – was so great that the officer almost broke down under the pressure.” He went on to say: “…his anxiety to bring the murderer to justice led him, after occupying the whole day in directing his staff, to pass his time in the streets until early morning, driving home fagged and weary at 5am. And it happened frequently, too, that just as he was going to bed, he would be summoned back to the East End by a telegraph, there to interrogate some lunatic or suspected person whom the inspector in charge would not take the responsibility of questioning.” Abberline said of the Jack the Ripper theories: “”Theories!” – we were lost almost in theories; there were so many of them.” In other words, the police were overwhelmed by the number of ripper suspects and the theories surrounding the mystery. Several years later, Fredrick Abberline gave an interview to the Pall Mall Gazette. In the interview he reaffirmed that the police were no more wise about the true identity of Jack the Ripper. Abberline said to the Gazetter that "Scotland Yard is really no wiser on the subject than it was fifteen years ago." However, he did go on to name a suspect, of who he thought Jack the Ripper was. He indecated that he thought that George Chapman, otherwise known as Klosowski, was Jack the Ripper. Abberline said about Klosowski that, "...I cannot help feeling that this is the man we struggled so hard to capture fifteen years ago." Abberline's full interview to the Pall Mall Gazette was as follows: ''I have been so struck with the remarkable coincidences in the two series of murders that I have not been able to think of anything else for several days past -- not, in fact, since the Attorney-General made his opening statement at the recent trial, and traced the antecedents of Chapman before he came to this country in 1888. Since then the idea has taken full possession of me, and everything fits in and dovetails so well that I cannot help feeling that this is the man we struggled so hard to capture fifteen years ago... As I say, there are a score of things which make one believe that Chapman is the man; and you must understand that we have never believed all those stories about Jack the Ripper being dead, or that he was a lunatic, or anything of that kind. For instance, the date of the arrival in England coincides with the beginning of the series of murders in Whitechapel; there is a coincidence also in the fact that the murders ceased in London when Chapman went to America, while similar murders began to be perpetrated in America after he landed there. The fact that he studied medicine and surgery in Russia before he came over here is well established, and it is curious to note that the first series of murders was the work of an expert surgeon, while the recent poisoning cases were proved to be done by a man with more than an elementary knowledge of medicine. The story told by Chapman's wife of the attempt to murder her with a long knife while in America is not to be ignored.''
In effect, Fredrick Abberline was convinced that George Chapman was responsible for some of the Whitechapel murders, and that he was Jack the Ripper. But, he also concedes that there were many theories to Jack the Ripper's identity and that there was no progression on the case by the turn of the century.
The Whitechapel Murders occurred throughout 1888 to 1891, specifically they occurred from the 3rd of April 1888 up until the 13th of February 1891. The Whitechapel Murders happened in the Whitechapel area of London, in the Victorian era.
TheWhitechapel Murders were documented under one file, the file closed after the last murder, which took place on the 13th of February 1891. All of the murders which occurred from the 3rd of April, up until the 13th of February 1891, have been linked to Jack the Ripper at one time or another. The file involves the deaths and murders of eleven women, who have been linked to the Jack the Ripper case. Those eleven women are Emma Elizabeth Smith, Martha Tabram, Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, Mary Jane Kelly, Rose Mylett, Alice McKenzie, Frances Coles and an unidentified woman, it was only the torso of the unidentified women which was found. The murders struck fear and horror into the residents of Whitechapel, particularly during the Autumn of 1888. It also resulted in the creation of the world's most notorious serial killer - Jack the Ripper. The Victorians and the Edwardians are two different eras. The Victorian Era lasted from the 20th of June 1837, until the 22nd of January 1901. While the Edwardian Era lasted from the 22nd of January until the 6th of May 1910. The Victorian Era lasted from 1837 until 1901, due to the reign of Queen Victoria. The Victorian Era is named after Queen Victoria. She was the longest reigning queen of the United Kingdom up until recently, now Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch. On the other hand, the Edwardian Era lasted from 1901 until 1910, due to the reign of King Edward VII. The Edwardian Era is named after King Edward VII. He wasn't as long on the throne as Queen Victoria, but his era is significant in history. Why Is The Edwardian Era Significant? The Edwardian Era is significant because it was the era where many social and political changes within the United Kingdom. It was a time of changing social attitudes and reform. One of the most significant events of the Edwardian Era was the changing status of women in society. The Suffrage movement in the United Kingdom can be traced back to the Victorian Era, however, it was the Edwardian Era that oversaw the birth of the woman's suffrage movement. The woman's suffrage movement did begin in the Victorian Era. The woman's suffrage movement began in 1866 at its earliest, by 1888 women gained the right to vote in council elections. Most men by this point had more voting rights than women of the time, this encouraged and intensified the woman's suffrage movement. A minority of male MPs were sympathetic to the women's suffrage movement, including philosopher and MP John Stuart Mill. It was John Stuart Mill who proposed an amendment to parliament advocating that women should have the same voting rights as men. The law didn't pass, being defeated by 194 to 73 MP votes. Although women could vote in many council elections, there didn't seem to be any fruition of women gaining votes on a par with men. The Victorian Era was more fruitful for men attaining suffrage, than women attaining suffrage. But, by the end of the Victorian Era, in 1897, The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies was found, the NUWS would play a significant role in women gaining the right to vote. It was a movement which gave us the Suffragists, and eventually the Suffragettes in 1903. The Suffragists were mainly made up of women, and a minority of men, who wanted votes for women in a peaceful way. Whereas, the Suffragettes were more militant in their approach to gaining the vote for women. It's the latter which made the Edwardian Era significant - it was an era where women were making their voice heard in a way they had never done so in history before. Why Was The Victorian Era Significant? The Victorian Era was significant partly because it was the beginning of the suffrage movement. The suffrage movement was a movement where ordinary citizens began to become involved in political decision making, having the right to vote in elections and an element of democracy. But, the Victorian Era was much more significant than that. Given that Queen Victoria was a longer serving monarch Edward VI, there was a lot more that happened during the Victorian Era, compared to the Edwardian Era.
The Victorian Era is significant for its impact on society at the time. The era has become notorious for its poverty, destitution and workhouses and the industrial revolution.
It was the industrial revolution which brought many social, economic and political changes to the United Kingdom. There was a large movement of people from rural areas, to urban areas. The industrial revolution brought changes in social and living conditions and new technology. There were new technologies created in the Victorian Era, which reformed the textile industry and the cotton industry. The new technologies created an emerging middle class, in some cases, many people grew wealthier as a result of the industrial revolution. However, it also resulted in many other people becoming poorer. Extreme poverty was a problem in Victorian Britain. Victorian Britain gave rise to two very different classes, those who benefited from the industrial revolution and saw their livelihood and wealth increase and those who suffered as a result of it with poverty, disease, squalor, workhouses, child labour and prostitution all having detrimental effects on the poorest in society. In effect, the Victorian Era was significant for the changes it made to society and the society that people lived in. The wealthy and charities of the era had the attitude of 'deserving poor' and 'undeserving poor'. What Were The Differences Between The Eras? Now that we've looked at some of the reasons why the Victorian Era and the Edwardian Era were significant, we are now going to look at some of the differences between the eras. There are many differences between the two eras, a major difference was the attitude of the eras. The Victorian Era was more conservative and prudish than the Edwardian Era. In the Edwardian Era the attitudes among women significantly changing in the era. No longer were women seeing themselves as subservient to men, they were asserting their own rights and place within society. There was also a difference in attitudes towards those that were poor. The poor in Victorian times were treated as either 'deserving' or 'undeserving', with most of them living in overcrowded accommodation, subject to poverty and horrible conditions in workhouses. Whereas, times were changing in the Edwardian Era. The Edwardian Era witnessed a change in social attitudes towards the poor. This can be witnessed through things such as the Liberal Reforms of 1906 to 1914. The reforms were the foundation for the later Welfare State in the UK, which aimed to reduce poverty and help the poor through things such as national insurance cover. Concluding Thoughts Although in many ways the Victorian Era and the Edwardian Era were very similar, they were also very different. A change in social attitudes is the most obvious difference between the two eras. Frances Coles was the last Whitechapel Murder File victim. In other words, she was the last woman named on the Whitechapel Murder File, dying on in February 1891. What Happened To Frances Coles? Frances Coles was found murdered under a railway arch in Whitechapel, on the 13th of February 1891. Her body was found under the railway arch in Whitechapel in Chamber Street and Royal Mint Street. Sadly the man who found Frances only found her a few minutes after her attack, had he been sooner, he might have saved her life. It was PC Ernest Thomson who found Coles body in the early hours of the morning, at 2.15am. One of the reasons that Coles has been linked to the Jack the Ripper case is due to some of the similarities of her murder - she was found in the early hours of the morning, she was a prostitute and her death didn't happen that long after the Canonical Five murders. What Is The Canonical Five? The Canonical Five is a name given to the five victims who were thought to have been killed by Jack the Ripper. Though, there are up to eleven women linked to the case, with the possibility of there being more victims. Though, we will never know the true extent and nature of the Jack the Ripper killings. Was Frances Coles A Victim Of Jack The Ripper's? On the surface it would seem like Frances was murdered by Jack the Ripper, she was a prostitute, who was murdered in the early morning hours and was murdered in Whitechapel. However, is this enough to say that she was victim of Jack the Ripper's? Not really. We have to take into consideration several other factors about her murder. Like the Ripper killings, Cole was killed through her throat being cut, however, the blade that was used to kill her, was a different blade than the one which Jack the Ripper used. We should also take into consideration that Jack got more violent and horrid the more he killed. There were also no mutilations on Frances Cole, with most of Jack's victims, with the exception of Elizabeth Stride, all of them had mutilations. Finally, if Jack the Ripper did really kill Frances Cole, then we did he take so long to kill again? If we take Mary Jane Kelly as Jack the Ripper's last victim, then why did it take him over two years to kill again? Perhaps that's a question for an expert criminologist or police officer. Maybe there were murders between those years that weren't discovered. Or maybe Cole's attacker and murderer wasn't Jack the Ripper. At the time, police suspected a man named James Sadler to be the Ripper at the time of Coles death. Sadler was charged with the murder of Frances Cole. Alice McKenzie is one of the women who is named in the Whitechapel murder file. What Is The Whitechapel Murder File? The Whitechapel Murder File list eleven women who were murdered, thought to be murdered, or attacked between April 1888 and February 1891, in the Whitechapel district of Victorian London. The eleven women have been linked to being murdered by the Victorian serial killer, Jack the Ripper. At the time, all of these women were thought to have been killed by Jack the Ripper, however, today, only five of them were thought to have been killed by Jack the Ripper. While it's debated whether or not the other six women were victims of his. Who Was Alice McKenzie? Alice McKenzie was born about 1849, in England. She moved to London later in life, probably around 1874. She was living with a man called John McCormack until the time of her death. Their last place of residence was at Mr Tenpenny's Lodging House in Spitalfields, they move there in April 1888. What Happened To Alice? The last hours of Alice McKenzie's is better documented than some of the other women listed in the Whitechapel Murder File. On the eve of her death, Alice was given money to pay the rent by her husband at 4pm on the 16th of July 1889, she didn't pay it. Instead, she probably spent the money on drink. She was spotted that night drinking at 7.10pm and then at 8.10pm that night, she was spotted drunk. By 11pm, the landlord of the lodgings informed John that the rent had not been paid that evening. It doesn't appear that Alice went home that night. She was seen by three women at 11.40pm outside Flower and Dean street, she spoke to the three women briefly but was in a hurry. It's possible that she was either in a hurry to meet someone (Alice was probably a prostitute) or, she was hurrying home to her husband that night. At 12.50am on the morning of the 17th of July 1889, the body of Alice McKenzie's was found by PC Walter Andrews at Castle Alley in Whitechapel. She suffered wounds similar to that of victims of the ripper, however, her wounds were not as deep as those of the Ripper victims, which is one of the reasons why she is not thought to have been a victim of Jack the Ripper. Was She A Victim Of Jack The Ripper's? There is conflicting evidence surrounding her murder, and whether or not it was at the hands of Jack the Ripper. Experts at the time disagreed with each other who the killer was. For example, Dr Thomas Bond thought that Alice was killed by Jack the Ripper. He wrote: ''I see in this murder evidence of similar design to the former Whitechapel murders, viz. sudden onslaught on the prostrate woman, the throat skillfully and resolutely cut with subsequent mutilation, each mutilation indicating sexual thoughts and a desire to mutilate the abdomen and sexual organs. I am of opinion that the murder was performed by the same person who committed the former series of Whitechapel murder.'' Whereas, Sir Robert Anderson thought that she wasn't a victim of Jack the Ripper's. He wrote that: ''I am here assuming that the murder of Alice McKenzie on the 17th of July 1889, was by another hand. I was absent from London when it occurred, but the Chief Commissioner investigated the case on the spot and decided it was an ordinary murder, and not the work of a sexual maniac.'' Inspector Abberline also agreed with Sir Robert Anderson, that this was not a Jack the Ripper killing. Inspector Abberline was a high profile figure in the Jack the Ripper case; being Chief Inspector of the case. Concluding Thoughts It doesn't appear that Alice McKenzie was a victim of Jack the Ripper's, though we cannot say this with certainty. It appears that her death was similar to that of the other Jack the Ripper victims, however, it's most likely that this was because the killer was a copycat killer of the Ripper's. Rose Mylett is one of the women named in the Whitechapel Murder file. The Whitechapel Murder file includes some of the women who were thought to have been murdered by Jack the Ripper, while other women on the Whitechapel Murder file were thought to have been murdered by Jack the Ripper, but are now contested as being victims of Jack the Ripper. What Is The Whitechapel Murder File? The Whitechapel Murder File is a file which consists of the murders of eleven women. The file was open from the 3rd of April 1888, when the first victim was attacked, Emma Elizabeth Smith, to the 13th of February 1891, when the last victim was murdered. Rose Mylett On The File Rose Mylett was found dead in the early morning hours of the 20th of December, 1888. She was found in the yard of 184 and 186 Poplar High Street, by PC Robert Goulding. PC Robert Goulding found Rose Mylett dead in the yard, though her body was still warm when he found her at 4.15am, on the morning of the 20th of December 1888. He thought that the body was similar to that of other ripper victims, the way he found her. However, it didn't look as if she had been attacked. What Did Her Autopsy Reveal? The post-mortem report by Dr Mathew Brownfield read as the following: '' Blood was oozing from the nostrils, and there was a slight abrasion on the right side of the face... One the neck there was a mark which had evidently been caused by a cord drawn tightly round the neck, from the spine to the left ear. Such a mark would be made by a four thread cord. There were also impressions of the thumbs and middle and index fingers of some person plainly visible on each side of the neck. There were no injuries to the arms or legs. The brain was gorged with an almost black fluid blood. The stomach was full of meat and potatoes, which had only recently been eaten. Death was due to strangulation. Deceased could not have done it herself. The marks on her neck were probably caused by her trying to pull the cord off. He thought the murderer must have stood at the left rear of the woman, and, having the ends of the cord round his hands, thrown it round her throat, crossed his hands, and thus strangled her. If it had been done in this way, it would account for the mark not going completely round the neck.''[1] By his report, Dr Mathew Brownfield concluded that Rose Mylett had been strangled to death. He ruled out that it was a suicide attempt; she was murdered by someone. However, Dr Brownfield's post-mortem report was contradicted by two other doctors at the time of the event. The two doctors who contradicted Dr Brownfield's analysis of the death was Dr Robert Anderson and Dr Bond. Neither of these men thought that Rose Mylett was murdered, both thought that it must have been an accident. Concluding Thoughts Either Rose Mylett died accidentally, or she died by someone strangling her and was murdered. Could she have been a victim of Jack the Ripper's? Is there anything to conclude that she may have been a victim of Jack the Ripper's? There are two things which could indicate that she may have been a ripper victim. The first is that she was a prostitute that was murdered in the early hours of the morning, like the other ripper victims. Secondly, she died just a few weeks after the last confirmed ripper victim, Mary Jane Kelly. Though, the timing of Mylett's death is probably more coincidental than anything else. If she was murdered, then the modus operandi of her killer would have been different to the modus operandi of that of Jack the Ripper's. Therefore, most likely she wasn't a victim of Jack the Ripper's. |
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