Frances Coles, the last Whitechapel Murders victim, was found dead on this day in 1891. She was found dead after being murdered on the 13th of February 1891.
What Is The Whitechapel Murders Victims? The Whitechapel Murders victims were a series of murders that happened in Whitechapel, London during the Victorian era. The Whitechapel Murders began on the 3rd of April 1888, with the murder of Emma Elizabeth Smith, and they ended on the 13th of February 1891, with the murder of Frances Coles. There was a total of eleven people that were included in the Whitechapel Murders. All of them women. And all, or most, of them were thought to have been prostitutes. All of the murders happened in London, mostly in the Whitechapel area of London. It is thought that at least ten of these women were brutally murdered, and there has been a lot of speculation since the murders began that the notorious Victorian serial killer - Jack the Ripper, was responsible for murdering all of the women. There is doubt about one of these eleven victims, in the sense that there is doubt over whether or not the ninth victim died as a resulted of murder: there is speculation that the ninth victim - Rose Mylett. Some of the investigators that worked on the case thought that she had been murdered, while others believed that she had committed suicide and was not murdered.
There is also a lot of debate about how many of these eleven victims were murder at the hands of Jack the Ripper. There are different theories by people about how many people Jack the Ripper killed. However, most theorists today seem to think that Jack the Ripper killed five or six of the Whitechapel Murder victims, rather than Jack the Ripper killing all of the eleven Whitechapel Murder victims.
Was Frances Coles Murdered By Jack the Ripper? Today, most theorists don't seem to think that Frances Coles was murdered by Jack the Ripper. The murder of Frances Coles was similar to that of Jack the Ripper's victims, and most of the Whitechapel Murder victims. However, most theorists today think that Frances Coles could have been murdered by a copycat killer. Frances Coles murder remains unsolved to this day, however, there was speculation at the time of the murder about who may have killed Frances Coles. Sir Melville MacNaughten worked high up in London's Metropolitan Police from 1903 to 1913, he believed that a man seen with Frances Coles just hours before her murder was responsible for the murder of Frances Coles: his name was Mr Sadler. Did Sadler murder Frances Coles? Or, was she another victim of Jack the Ripper's? It's speculation today and open to discussion about the identity of Frances Coles murderer, no one was charged with her murder and the case remains unsolved. Frances Coles died on this day on the 13th of February 1891.
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The suspect list for the Whitechapel Murders is long. The only thing that anyone can agree on, is that they all cannot have been Jack the Ripper. Perhaps even, none of them were Jack the Ripper. It’s possible that the notorious Victorian serial killer went under the radar and avoided the history books altogether. However, even though the Jack the Ripper suspect list is long, there are suspects in there which are more interesting and thought-provoking than others. Thomas Neill Cream is one of those on the Jack the Ripper suspect list which stands out.
Could he, have been the notorious Whitechapel killer that we have been searching for all of this time? Possibly. Without anyone being convicted of being Jack the Ripper it is impossible to rule anyone out. But if we are to assume that he was Jack the Ripper, then, we need evidence that Thomas Neill Cream was the Whitechapel killer during the late Victorian era. Was Thomas Neill Cream Jack the Ripper? For us to say that Thomas Neill Cream was Jack the Ripper, we need good evidence to believe that he was the killer. To do that, we first have to put him at the scene of the crime. There is good reason to believe that he was nowhere in or near Whitechapel during the Whitechapel Murders; as Cream was in prison in Chicago in the United States. He was serving time in prison there for murder throughout the 1880s. He was only released from prison on the 31st of July 1891, which was long after the Autumn of Terror. The Autumn of Terror is when Jack the Ripper murdered five women during the Autumn of 1888. The last Whitechapel Murder happened on the 13th of February 1891. Cream only arrived in England on the 1st of October 1891, long after the Whitechapel Murders had stopped. Therefore, due to Cream being in prison at the other side of the Atlantic, we have good reason to believe that he was nowhere in or near Whitechapel during the time of the Whitechapel Murders. Due to Cream not even being in the United Kingdom when the murders took place, we have very good reason to rule him out completely as a Jack the Ripper suspect. It seems highly unlikely that Thomas Neill Cream was Jack the Ripper, just based on the fact alone that he was in prison in a different country at the same time that the Whitechapel Murders were happening. So, why is Neill Cream even a suspect?
‘’I am Jack…’’ the Ripper
The reason why Neill Cream is still a Ripper suspect to this day is because of the words he apparently said before his death. The words he said before his death was ‘’I am Jack…’’. He was potentially meaning that he was Jack the Ripper. He said the words ‘’I am Jack…’’ just before he was hanged and the noose fell on him, making him unable to complete what he was saying. Cream was hanged for the murder of a woman named Miranda Clover, who he was found guilty of murdering. Miranda Clover, like Jack the Ripper’s victims, was a prostitute. However, the modus operandi that Cream used on Clover was different from Jack the Ripper’s modus operandi. Where Jack the Ripper used a knife to kill his victims, Thomas Neill Cream used poison to kill his victims. Cream is thought to have killed several women by poisoning them. Therefore, unlike many Jack the Ripper suspects, who we have no evidence to presume that they where murderers, Neill Cream is one of the Jack the Ripper suspects known to have murdered.
What is different from Jack the Ripper’s murders and Thomas Neill Cream’s murders is their modus operandi - both of their methods of killing their victims were different, this is another reason, or piece of evidence to suggest that Neill Cream was not Jack the Ripper.
The Other Jack The Ripper Suspects Who Claimed To Have Been The Ripper Cream was not the only suspect who claimed to have been Jack the Ripper. There is another suspect who claimed or might have claimed the same thing. For example, not long after the murder of Mary Jane Kelly (Jack the Ripper’s last thought of victim), there was writing found in the home of another Jack the Ripper suspect (William Bury), the writing was found on a door in William Bury’s house, that writing read: ‘’Jack the Ripper is in this sellar’’. The writing on the door in William Bury’s house was probably written by William Bury’s wife who lived with him. Not long after the writing was discovered, William Bury murdered his wife, and the murder was in a similar fashion to the way that Jack the Ripper had murdered. William Bury was living in Whitechapel during the times of the Whitechapel Murders, unlike Neill Cream. Therefore, if we should take a confession seriously, it shouldn’t be that of Cream’s, giving that he wasn’t in Whitechapel at the time, instead, we should take the confession (?) within William Bury’s house seriously, as he was within Whitechapel at the time and he did commit murder in a similar way to Jack the Ripper. However, William Bury was investigated by the police for the Whitechapel Murders and was cleared of those murders, the police at the time must have had a good reason to rule William Bury out as being Jack the Ripper. Whether William Bury was the Whitechapel murderer or not, both he and Cream couldn’t have been the killer, as most experts believe that the Canonical Five victims (and possibly Martha Tabram) were killed by the same hand. In other words, there was no more than one killer that committed the Canonical Five murders. Therefore, even if we were to presume that either Thomas Neill Cream or William Bury was Jack the Ripper, then one of the confessions has to be a lie. Either Cream’s ‘’I am Jack…’’ was a lie or the Bury house ‘’Jack the Ripper is in this sellar’’ is a lie, they cannot both be true, as the two men can’t have been Jack the Ripper. Perhaps both are lies. It is most likely certain that Thomas Neill Cream’s ‘confession’ was a lie. He couldn’t have committed the Whitechapel Murders as he wasn’t even in the United Kingdom at the time. So, why would he lie? Only Cream knows the reason why he lied. But, we can make a guess why he would have lied about being Jack the Ripper. Perhaps he wanted attention and notoriety. If that’s the case, then he certainly found that attention and notoriety, as it’s unlikely that he would have even had been remembered in history if he wasn’t linked to the Jack the Ripper case. Those who favour Neill Cream as having had been Jack the Ripper have come up with fanciful, if not rather comical explanation for how Neil Cream could have committed the Whitechapel Murders. They claim that he had a body double that was in prison and that it helped Cream to escape prison in America, for him to go over to England to commit Jack the Ripper’s murders, and then flee back to go to prison in America. It really doesn’t make sense. Why would Neill Cream return to prison when he successfully broke out of it and got a body double to take his place? It seems like a weak theory which isn’t based on any evidence. We may not know who Jack the Ripper was, but we can rule out suspects based on lack of evidence, weak reasoning and evidence which points to the contrary (like Cream being out of the country during every single Jack the Ripper murder). If we can rule any Jack the Ripper suspect out as being the Whitechapel Murderer, then it is Thomas Neill Cream, for he wasn’t in the country and when he did murder, he had a different modus operandi. A final reason why we can rule him out is due to the actual confession itself. Neill Cream didn’t say that he was Jack the Ripper, he just said he was Jack. It’s possible that he was going to say that he was Jack the Ripper, and yet, it’s also as possible that he was going to say that his real name was Jack something else. Perhaps his real name was Jack? Whatever the case, Thomas Neill Cream most likely wasn’t Jack the Ripper, as all of the evidence points against him being Jack the Ripper. So, if it wasn’t him, then who was Jack the Ripper? Sources: https://www.casebook.org/suspects/bury.html https://www.casebook.org/suspects/cream.html The Autumn of Terror began in August 1888, when Jack the Ripper began his notorious killing spree. The events of the Autumn of Terror would result in Jack the Ripper becoming the World's most notorious and elusive serial killer to this day. To this day, the identity of Jack the Ripper is debated. The identity of Jack the Ripper is shrouded in as much mystery today, as it was in 1888 when he committed his heinous acts. Another thing which is shrouded in mystery is Jack the Rippers first victim. Some Ripperologists argue that Jack the Rippers first victim was Martha Tabram, who was murdered on the 7th of August 1888. While other Ripperologists argue that his first victim was Mary Ann Nichols, who was murdered by the ripper on the 31st of August 1888. Whether the ripper's first victim was Martha Tabram or Mary Ann Nichols, what is clear, is that his Autumn of Terror began on that August month of 1888. Let's look at a timeline of events throughout that month. August 7th 1888 Martha Tabram is murdered in George Yard Buildings in the early morning hours. Tabram was first found by a man called Alfred Crow at 3.30am that morning, though he didn't know it at the time - he saw Tabram's body lying at the bottom of stairs in George Yard Buildings and thought the person was homeless. It was pitch black at the time Alfred Crow saw Tabram, so it's understandable that he hadn't realized she had been murdered. By 4.45am (with daylight breaking), another man called John Reeves found the body of Martha. It was obvious to John Reeves that she had been murdered, with daylight, he could see the pool of blood that she was lying in. The time of her death was estimated to be between 2am and 2.45am that morning, by Dr Timothy Killeen. 9th of August 1888 The inquest into the murder of Martha Tabram began on this day in history. The inquest took place in the Working Lads Institute on Whitechapel Road. 14th of August 1888 Martha's body was identified by her former husband. 23rd of August 1888 The inquest of the murder of Martha reconvened. The inquest resumed again in the Working Lads Institute on Whitechapel Road. The inquest concluded that Tabram suffered 39 stabs wounds and that her death was by murder. The identity of that murderer was never concluded. 24th of July 1888 Mary Ann Nichols moves into 56 Flower and Dean Street, just one week before her murder. This would prove to be her last address. 25th of August 1888 Martha's death certificate is issued. 30th of August 1888 A dock fire breaks out on the London Docks. It would rage for hours into the night and into the early morning hours; turning the sky a blood red colour. TheLondon dock fire broke out at around 8pm, the fire was so intense because there was liquor stored in the docks. 31st of August 1888 Mary Ann Nichols is murdered by Jack the Ripper in the early morning hours of the 31st of August 1888. Mary Ann Nichols was last seen that morning at 2.30am, by her friend Emily Holland. Emily Holland said that Mary Ann Nichols was drunk by the time that she had seen her and that Mary went on to earn her doss money for a bed that night. Mary had already earned that money, three times over, according to Emily, but she had spent it on drink and had to earn the money again. The body of Mary Ann was discovered at 3.40am that morning on Bucks Row, by a man named Charles Cross.
The Victorian Era was a world very different from the one we inhabit today. It was also a time of immense change, both for Britain and for the rest of the world. The Victorian Era lasted the duration of Queen Victoria's reign, from June 1837 to 1901. Therefore, it isn't surprising that many changes happened throughout this era.
With the birth of the Victoria Era, brought about many weird ways of life. These weird things about the Victorian Era are anything from harmless eccentricities, from the downright cruel. #10 Christmas Cards The Victorians were the ones who created Christmas cards. Christmas cards today aren't weird, they are usually artworks of Robins, Santas and snowmen. Some Victorian Christmas cards wouldn't look out of place today. However, the Victorians created some weird and creepy cards; cards that you would expect to be sent from the Addams Family. From devilish creatures to dead birds, mice, boiled frogs and mice riding lobsters...it is safe to say that the Victorians had a disturbing and weird taste in cards. #9 Curries Everyday For Queen Victoria
By 1887, Queen Victoria had the taste of her first curry.
Victoria made curry popular in the latter half of her reign. For the remainder of the queen's reign, from 1887, up until her death in 1901, curries would be made on a daily basis, even if the Queen didn't eat the curries herself on a daily basis. #8 The Death Of Charles Dickens Charles Dickens wrote many novels, such as Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol, that were popular during his life and still remain popular today. The author died when he was only 58 years old. That's not the strange part. The weird thing is, Charles Dickens died when he was writing a murder mystery novel called The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Dickens had only written half of the novel at the time of his death; leaving the killer of The Mystery of Edwin Drood unknown. Although there has been speculation as to who the killer in the novel was, the only person who knew who that killer was, was Dickens himself. It was a mystery he took to his grave. #7 Washing Your Hair With Egg Yolk The Victorians weren't well known for being - clean. The streets were filthy, the disease was rife and cleanliness was a rarity amongst the Victorian population; especially if you were a poorer Victorian. Things like commercial shampoo as we know it today, wasn't available. It wasn't until the 1930s that commercial shampoo as we know it came into existence; long after the Victorian Era had gone. So, what did people use during the 19th century, before commercial shampoo came into existence? They used egg yolk; which is pretty weird. However, even today, some people will wash their hair with egg yolk. #6 Actresses Were Treated Like Prostitutes To be an actress in the Victorian Era, was akin to being a prostitute. Being an actress was synonymous with being a prostitute in this era. Victorians looked down on actresses; the actresses of this time were seen as immoral. Social attitudes saw the profession as morally corrupt; it was a profession that was frowned upon in this era. This was not a unique attitude amongst Victorians. The attitudes towards those in the acting profession was the same in the Elizabethan Era. #5 The Titanic Disaster Was Predicted Fourteen years before the Titanic disaster, a book called The Wreck of the Titan was published, in 1898. This book seems to have predicted the Titanic disaster. It is a story about an ocean liner called the Titan, which hits an iceberg on its way across the Atlantic. The Titan, like the Titanic, did not have enough lifeboats to save everyone and sank after hitting the iceberg. #4 Dentures Made From The Dead Health care and dental care during this era wasn't in the same standard as it is today. Much of the health care and dental care that we take for granted today, wasn't available during the Victorian Era. When it came to dentistry, this isn't an era you wouldn't have wanted to be around in. Dentistry at this time was pretty horrific, and in this case, creepy too! If you lost your teeth in this period of history, you had several options to choose from - none of them particularly appealing. Dentures were made out of wood, animal bones and even from the mouths of the dead. Literally. Dentures were sometimes made from the teeth of dead people in this period of history. Some of these teeth came from the teeth being extracted from dead corpses from their grave - dig up corpses in this era was common. #3 Taxidermy
Taxidermy was a weird, popular and disturbing hobby of many Victorians.
This weird hobby not only saw Victorians stuff dead animals, but also dress them in Victorian like clothing, while doing human-like these. These human-like things would be like stuffed animals sat around a table, or sitting at desks as if they were writing. The Victorians weren't that choosy in which animals they used for taxidermy - they even used pets, such as the kittens above.
#2 Seeing Mental Asylums As Entertainment
One of the most disturbing and weird things about the Victorian Era was their views and attitudes towards the mentally ill. The Victorians did not only treat the mentally ill cruelly, they treated the mentally ill as a source of entertainment. Literally. The Victorian Era became infamous for its treatment of patients within mental asylums. Patients within these asylums were treated similarly to animals in circuses; they were used as a source of entertainment for those who could afford to pay for that 'entertainment.' #1 Photographing The Dead Without a doubt, the weirdest thing about the Victorian Era is that they literally photographed the dead. Some Victorians posed their dead for photographs, as their dead relative was still alive - either taking a photo of the dead relative on their own or posing with their dead relative as if it was just a normal family photo shoot. This practice wasn't just norm in Victorian Britain, it was common throughout Europe and North America. It was known as post-mortem photography and was probably as creepy as you can get from this era. What do you think? The Christmas that we celebrate and know today, is not the Christmas that we, in the UK, have always celebrated. Many of our Christmas traditions, activities and celebrations, are largely new. They came about or were made popular by, the Victorians. It is the Victorians that created the Christmas that we know and celebrate today. So, here are several reasons why the Victorians created the Christmas we celebrate today. #8 Christmas Cards
People didn't always send Christmas cards to each other, it is a relatively new custom. It wasn't until the late Victorian Era until giving Christmas cards really kicked off. It did so in 1880 when giving Christmas cards became a traditional part of British Christmas, with 11 million Christmas cards being sold.
However, the cards were invented long before that. They were actually invented in 1843 by a man named Henry Cole. Initially, at this time, the cards were so expensive that they could only be afforded by the wealthiest Victorians. It wasn't until almost 40 years later that they became affordable to most British people, which was part of the reason for their success.
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#7 Christmas Crackers The Christmas cracker is another Victorian invention. It actually seems like it would have its roots in the middle ages, with the king's hats, and scroll like feature for the crackers. However, the Christmas cracker was not invented in the middle ages, it was in fact invented in Victorian Britain. The crackers were invented by a man called Tom Smith. He sold sweets as a profession and came up with the idea to put the sweets on the cracker. It then progressed into them putting hats, jokes and creating a banging effect with the cracker. #6 Turkey Today it's becoming more common to see varied dishes served at Christmas, however, it is still the most popular and traditional dish - with thanks to the Victorians. The Victorians made the turkey the main meal at Christmastime. Before that, it was other meats which were used as the main dish. It was meats such as goose that were more traditional amongst Britons at Christmas. Although poorer Victorians could not afford turkey during the festive season, it was really a dish that becomes more widespread and common amongst the general population towards the latter half of the Victorian era and then the beginning of the 20th century. It was usually the wealthiest which would eat turkey.
#5 Carol Singing
Carol singing has actually been a part of British tradition and culture for a long time. The Tudors were famous for their carol singing at Christmas. However, it didn't really become famous until the Victorian era, when carols became a big part of Christmas traditions.
Whatsmore, the Victorians also created new carols. Their first batch of new carols came out in 1833, which perhaps made carol singing modern and relative to the Victorian era. Something that has been carried on since and to this day. #4 Boxing Day
A public bank holiday in the UK and some of the commonwealth countries, Boxing Day has become a traditional part of the Christmas calendar today. Although, today, Boxing Day is quite different from when the Victorians celebrated it. Today it is largely just a holiday which is celebrated with family and friends but isn't as significant as Christmas Day or Christmas Eve today.
However, Boxing Day in the Victorian era was largely a day where the rich gave the working class boxes as a festive present, which is probably where this name comes from, as the gifts were in boxes. This day has its origins in the Victorian era. Which leads to the next one....the giving of gifts... #3 The Giving Of Gifts
The giving of gifts wasn't always on Christmas Day. Today, thanks to the Victorians, we give gifts on Christmas Day. But it wasn't always like this, we didn't always give gifts on Christmas Day. For example, the Tudors didn't exchange gifts on Christmas Day, they exchanged gifts on New Years Day.
The Tudor Christmas was very different from the Christmas we see today, in many ways. Gifts were expected to be quite extravagant in the Tudor Era, however, they were more simple in the Victorian era. In the Victorian era, people exchanged things like fruit and nuts. These would be placed in stockings by poor people, hence the tradition of putting up Christmas stockings. Then it became more common to give gifts to children and for children to receive gifts. #2 Christmas Decorations
Christmas decorations were used prior to the Victorians. However, Christmas decorations were a lot more simplistic. The church in the middle ages would decorate trees with apples, however, trees weren't brought indoors and they weren't used in the same way that they are today. Whereas in the Tudor era, it was more common for people to use things such as holly and garlands.
For most of our history, Christmas decorations haven't played a major role in the festivities, like they do today. And, it is thanks to the Victorians that we use Christmas decorations today. Hanging decorations up and on the ceiling became more popular. Where once decorations centred around simple evergreens, they became more elaborate. Especially when it came to the introduction of the Christmas tree.... #1 The Christmas Tree
The Christmas tree wasn't really used throughout the UK, prior to the Victorian era. There is evidence that trees were used in Christmas celebrations from the middle ages, but it was rare and not really a significant feature of the Christmas celebrations. Most people didn't use Christmas trees, that's until the Victorians used them. It was thanks to Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, that we came to use the Christmas tree.
Prince Albert was from Germany, and in Germany, it was common to celebrate Christmas with a decorated Christmas tree. If it wasn't for Prince Albert marrying Queen Victoria, perhaps we wouldn't be using the Christmas tree at Christmas. Sources: http://www.medievalists.net/2010/12/christmas-in-the-middle-ages/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/victorianchristmas/history.shtml https://victorianchildren.org/victorian-christmas/ http://www.thetudorswiki.com/page/CHRISTMAS+with+The+Tudors 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.
The Suffragists were a woman's rights movement in the latter half of the Victorian Era and the beginning of the 20th century. The Suffragists should not be confused with the Suffragettes, who were a different woman's rights group at the same time. The Suffragettes and the Suffragists were both woman's rights campaigners.
Their main focus was on trying to achieve the vote for women. In other words, their main focus was in trying to enfranchise women. They differed in their approach in how to achieve the vote. The Suffragettes wanted to achieve votes for women through more militant means. The Suffragists wanted to achieve the vote through more peaceful means. The Suffragists were founded in 1897, by Millicent Fawcett. Millicent Fawcett founded the Suffragists in 1897 by creating the group, The National Union of Woman's Suffrage Societies (NWSS). In this blog post, we are going to look at five interesting facts about the Suffragists. 1. Who should get the vote The Suffragists didn't campaign for all women to have the vote. They only campaigned for a specific type of women to have the vote. They mainly wanted the vote formiddle-class property owning women. Needless to say, even though the Suffragists were campaigning to get the vote for middle-class women, they weren't the only who supported the Suffragists. The Suffragists were mainly made up of middle-class women, however, some Suffragists wanted the Suffragists to appeal to working class women. They were also supported by a few men... 2. Some men supported the Suffragists Some men also supported the Suffragists. They were not just supported by women. Or, middle-class women. There weremale supporters of the women's suffrage movement. There were male supporters of both the Suffragette movement and the Suffragist movement. There were even some male militant campaigners in the suffrage movement. There were male supporters in the public and male supporters in parliament. There were well known male members who were MPs in the House of Commons who supported the Suffragists. Such as John Stuart Mill, not only was John Stuart Mill a prominent philosopher, he was also the first person in parliament to call for women's suffrage. TheSuffragists took one of their petitions to John Stuart Mill. Some would argue that it was this kind of diplomacy which won women the vote, rather than the militant Suffragette approach.
3. Peaceful protesting
The Suffragists, compared to their counterparts, the Suffragettes, preferred peaceful protesting, to militant actions. Their campaign was largely centered around trying to gain the vote by using peaceful means. It can be said the Suffragists tried to win men over by using peaceful means, rather than alienate men with militant practices - like the Suffragettes often did. The Suffragists used peaceful methods of protest such as; petitions, writing and peaceful protests. 4. Many men already had the vote When the Suffragists were campaigning to get the vote, many men already had secured the right to vote. By 1900, most men already could vote. In other words, by 1900, 58% of men could vote. Yet at the same time, woman could not vote. This led to the birth of the women's suffrage movement. The Suffragists, however, were not campaigning for all women to get the vote. They were campaigning for only some women to get the vote, namely middle-class women. The Victorians invented the Christmas that we see today. That doesn't mean that the Victorians invented Christmas. It means that most of our customs and traditions surround Christmas, actually come from the Victorians. In other words, modern Christmas celebrations have Victorian origins. It is thought that Christmas wasn't as big a deal before the Victorian era. For example, Christmas wasn't considered to be a national holiday for business before the Victorians. Before the Victorian era, homes in Britain did not have the decorations that we have today. Especially when it comes to Christmas trees. The Christmas tree is thought to have started in Great Britain by Prince Albert, Queen Victorias husband. The Christmas tree is not the only thing which was started by the Victorians. Another thing which was started by the Victorians was, Christmas cards. The custom of sending Christmas cards was started in 1843, by Sir Henry Cole. Cole, along with his artist friend, John Horsley, designed and sold the first Christmas card in Britain. The purpose was to help ordinary Brits spread goodwill at Christmas. However, at the time, only rich people could affort to buy and sell Christmas cards. It wasn't until 1860 and 1870 that buying and sending Christmas cards became more popular. Largely because it became cheaper to buy and post Christmas cards, and therefore, more people could buy them. It is not only the Christmas card which was invented by the Victorians, the Victorians also invented the Christmas cracker. The Christmas cracker was invented by a sweet shop owner named, Tom Smith, in 1847. Tom Smith Christmas crackers is still a shop today, selling Christmas crackers. The idea behind Tom Smith's Christmas crackers was to sell sweets in a unique, and unsual way. In the later Victorian era, the sweets placed in the Christmas crackers were replaced with; small gifts and paper hats. The kind of things that we would find in Christmas crackers today. Christmas crackers were not the only thing that the Victorians made a focal point of Christmas, they also did the same with Christmas decorations. That's not to say before the Victorians decorations weren't a feature of Christmas celebrations, they were. Beforehand, simple evergreens were used. Synthetic Christmas decorations were started with the Victorians. And it became popular to decorate the home. We can also thank, or curse the Victorians for the comercilization of Christmas. Beforehand, traditional Christmas gifts were actually given at New Year, on New Years day. However, the Victorians moved that to Christmas Day. And the focus became of larger and bigger gifts. One of the last things that the Victorians invented was the Christmas dinner we have today. Before the Victorians, people used to eat things such as beef or goose on Christmas Day. But, the Victorians made turkey the main feast at Christmas Day. To start with, turkey was only available to those who were wealthy. However, as time went on, more and more people could afford turkey at Christmas - it became more accessible. The Christmas that we see today is very much a Victorian invention. The idea that Christmas should be centered around; feasting, the family, gift giving and entertainment all have their Victorian roots.
The From Hell, Jack the Ripper letter was postmarked on the 15th of October, 1888. The From Hell Jack the Ripper letter is thought to be authentic. However, the authenticity of the From Hell letter is debated to this day . Leaving some people to believe that the From Hell letter was a hoax, like many of the other Jack the Ripper letters sent to the police at the time. While others think that it is an authentic letter from the killer. Perhaps the only 'real' letter written and sent to the police, by Jack the Ripper.
There are a few reasons why we should consider the From Hell letter, 1888 to be authentic. One strong reason comes from the physician who examined the half a kidney which was delivered with the From Hell letter. Dr Thomas Openshaw was the physician who examined the kidney when he received it from George Lusk, on the 18th of October, 1888. The From Hell letter was originally send to George Lusk. Openshaw stated that the kidney was of human origin. That it was from a woman of 45 years old. And, that it had alcoholic spirits present within the kidney.
Mr Openshaw's description of the kidney matched Catherine Eddowes missing kidney. Catherine Eddowes was Jack the Ripper's fourth victim. She was one of the two women who were murdered by Jack the Ripper, on the 30th of September, 1888. In what is now known as 'The Double Event'. The other woman murdered by Jack the Ripper on the night of the Double Event was Elizabeth Stride. When Catherine Eddowes was murdered by Jack the Ripper atMitre Square , the ripper removed half of her kidney. She was also 46 and had an alcohol problem. This matches the information sent to George Lusk. However, there is no DNA evidence to suggest that the kidney was that of Eddowes, due to there being no DNA testing at the time. Therefore, the kidney could have been another woman's - but that is just speculation.
If the From Hell letter is authentic, then what can it tell us about Jack the Ripper? The first thing that stands out from the From Hell letter is, that it suggests that it could have been written by an uneducated person. The structure, language and grammar suggests that the writer was not educated. If the letter was a fabrication, in other words, written by a journalist, then that was probably deliberate. Another thing which stands out about the writing is that it is similar to the Saucy Jack postcard, but not identical. However, completely different from the Dear Boss letter - suggesting that all three were not written by the same hand.
Another way that we could look at the From Hell letter is that it was written by an educated hand. Why? Perhaps the letter was written by a man who's second language was English. It would explain the spelling mistakes and lack of grammar. However, it doesn't really explain the big messy writing of the letter. There is another reason why it could have been a letter from an educated hand; poor literacy rates at the time. The literacy rates between men and women during Victorian Britain were different, men were more literate, and woman less literate. By 1851, literacy rates for women were at 54%, while men's literacy rates were at 69%. This means that almost have of women were illiterate, and over a third of men were illiterate. Those were the poorest, seuch as most of the residents of Whitechapel, were the illiterate ones. It would have been the upper-class and middle-class, which were the educated class. But, with the rise in formal education during the latter half of the 19th century, the poor would have been increasingly educated. Increased education among the Victorian poor means an increase in literacy rates, however, the poor at the time largely depended on charity schools. And therefore, were not really educated. In that respect, the From Hell letter was most likely written by someone with an education behind them. That tells us that it was either someone with a good profession. If it was Jack the Ripper who wrote the From Hell letter, then it suggests that he could have had a good profession. Such as a doctor. Which would fit into the theory that he had medical knowledge. In conclusion, there is a strong possibility that the From Hell letter was from Jack the Ripper. It was probably the only letter written by Jack the Ripper. The From Hell letter seems less likely to have been a hoax. Along with the letter we not only have a human kidney, but a human kidney which matches the description of Catherine Eddowes. A hoax is one thing, but the From Hell letter takes it further than the suggestion that it is just a hoax. A human kidney sent with the letter. Which strongly indicates it wasn't a hoax. |
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