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 monarchy is a British institution like no other. It is historic, both for its longevity, and its traditions. The history of the monarchy has all sorts of different historical events condensed into one. From dramas, to love, romance, marriages, deaths, battles, war, religious conflicts, political scandals...you name it, monarchical history has it. And that is what makes it so interesting: the history of the British monarch has been like Game of Thrones in action.
Of course, things have mellowed down as to how the British monarchy used to be. But the history of the British monarchy is still fascinating. A large part to do with how fascinating the British monarchy has been throughout history, is down to the individual monarchs themselves. There is a long list of monarchs who are diverse and interesting. In this list, we are going to look at ten monarchs who have all been different and unique in their own way. These top ten monarchs are from a range of different historical eras. Their era, as well as their choices, influenced and shaped history on the British Isles forever, and that is why they have a place in our top ten list of monarchs from the British Isles. This top ten monarchs list will be based on which monarchs have had the greatest and most influential role in history. It will be about how these monarchs shaped the history of the British Isles, both at the time of their own reign and how their actions helped shaped future historical eras. This list won’t be based on how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ these kings and queens were. Instead, it’s based on how impactful they have been on history, their longevity, their memorability to us and how they changed the course of history on the British Isles forever. Let’s start with our top ten list of monarchs to sit on any British throne list!
10. Ethelflaed
Kicking off our top ten list is Ethelflaed. Ethelflaed was the daughter of King Alfred the Great; King Alfred the Great was King of the Anglo-Saxons between 886 and 899, he was also King of the West Saxons between 871 and 886. Ethelflaed is not only known for being the daughter of Alfred the Great, she is also known for being the ruling monarch of the Kingdom of Merica.
The Kingdom of Merica was one of the kingdoms that existed on the British Isles before the Kingdom of England was formed, Ethelflaed was Lady of the Mercians from 911 to 918. She is on our top ten list because Ethelflaed was a warrior Queen who broke down the glass ceiling. This Lady of the Mercians was the only female royal ruler of an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, and she was a warrior Queen who notably took on the Vikings. Ethaelflaed was a war-like monarch, who defended the Kingdom of Mercia several times against the Vikings, and, due to her warrior strength and military savviness defended her Kingdom agaist the Vikings on several occasions. Her military strength and cleverness is one of the reasons why she deserves to be on this top ten list. Another reason why she deserves to be on this top ten list is due her breaking down the glass ceiling for other female monarchs on the British Isles to lead their kingdoms. She paved the way for Matilda, Elizabeth I, Mary I, Mary Queen of Scots, Anne, Victoria and Elizabeth II. We haven’t had many female Queens in history who have led in their own right, Ethelflaed deserves to be remembered for being the first female monarch to rule a kingdom on the British Isles. She wasn’t the first Queen of England though. The first Queen of England was Mary I (Bloody Mary), who became Queen of England several hundred years after Ethelflaed had died. 9. William the Conqueror
We are staying with the medieval era, but looking at another impactful monarch of the medieval era: William the Conqueror. William the Conqueror is well-known to us all. William is known for his Norman conquest of England in 1066, and is known for being the first Norman King in history. William the Conqueror (also William I) fought and defeated Edward II at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It was a turning point in history and laid the foundations for the England we know today. The England that William I won, and won the right to rule over was only a newly formed kingdom around the same time that William the Conqueror became King of England. A few decades before the Battle of Hastings, the Kingdom of England didn’t exist. Instead there were a few different kingdoms in its place, such as the Kingdom of Merica, a Kingdom that King Ethelstan unified with our Kingdoms to create the Kingdom of England.
King Ethelstan was the first ruler of England, however, William the Conqueror is often looked upon as the first King of England. William has managed to make an impact on history that other monarchs have failed to do, such as Ethelstan. This is another reason why William the Conqueror is on this list, because he has made an impact on history that few monarchs have. There have been hundreds of battles fought on the British Isles and most of them are not memorable, or well-known. However, the Battle of Hastings is one of those few exceptions. The Battle of Hastings has cemented William the Conqueror’s place in history, both for his role in the battle, William’s speech after winning the battle, and how it shaped the course of English history. Another, and final thing that makes William’s reign as king memorable, is due to his coronation itself. The coronation of William was on Christmas day 1066, which resulted in him officially becoming King of England. 8. Llywelyn the Great
From one unifying King to another unifying King, we now look to Wales and to Llywelyn the Great. Llywelyn the Great is one of the longest-serving monarchs the British Isles has ever had. For this reason, he deserves to be in our top ten list of monarchs on the British Isles. Llywelyn reigned as King of Wales for an impressive 45 years, resulting in him being one of the longest-serving monarchs the British Isles has ever had. He is the eighth longest-serving monarchs in Britain of all time, this impressive reign by Llywelyn, was a longer reign than Elizabeth I had.
The long reign of Llywelyn the Great suggests a strong, resilient and savvy political and military leader. These traits are shown in what Llywelyn accomplished during his reign as King. Llywelyn the Great successfully united Wales as one. Before that, we he first became King, he was only King of North Wales. However, due to his political savviness, diplomacy skills, war-like spirit and strength, successfully resulted in Llywelyn the Great uniting Wales. For is role in uniting Wales and creating the Wales we know and love today, is one of the main reasons why Llywelyn the Great deserves to be on this list. There is one final reason why this Welsh King deserves to be on this list: he was instrumental in the Magna Carta being enshrined into law. The Magan Carta is, probably, the single most important historical document in both the British Isles and the world. Llywelyn the Great forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, which means that Llywelyn the Great was instrumental in creating the Magna Carta laws. This is important, as the Magna Carta has given people human rights and freedoms. It has also influenced the American constitution and is still an important law that helps shape and influence human rights and freedoms to this day. 7. King John
In keeping in the spirit of the Magna Carta we are going to look at our next monarch: King John. King John deserves to be on our top ten list of monarchs for several reasons, one of these reasons is the Magna Carta. Although King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta, it was an important, if not one of the most important events which have ever happened in history. King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta in June 1215 by his barons and Llywelyn the Great. It was an important historical event which has shaped the course of British history and beyond ever since. Being forced to sign the Magna Carta though, shows that King John was a weak king who did not have full control of his realm, it shows that he lacked the authority he should have had and displayed as King.
It is perhaps partly through this that King John has a bad reputation in history. He also has a bad reputation in history because of his failed military endeavours and through his poorly received reputation through the tales of Robin Hood. His role in the history of Robin Hood is another reason why King John deserves to be on this list. For what would the tales of Robin Hood be without the evil imposter King John? Thanks to the tales of Robin Hood, King John is seen as a classic villain - he has been seen as the imposter King who stole the English crown from history brother (King Richard I), and as a monarch who ruled over England with a cruel iron fist, is the way King John has been perceived through the tales of Robin Hood, which has helped shaped his reputation in history. 6. Richard I
Sticking with Robin Hood, we look none other than to King Richard I himself. King Richard I deserves to be on this list for being part of, and shaping the story of Robin Hood itself. Although King Richard I was absent from England due to fighting in the Crusades in the Middle East, he is a central and crucial role to the history that shaped Robin Hood. There is historical evidence that Robin Hood did exist, the first record of him being noted in history is from 1377. However, it’s also likely there is some added folklore to the real Robin Hood and his story. For example, Maid Marion was added to the story much later and it’s unknown if Robin Hood ever actually did meet Richard the Lionheart, though no record of it seems to be recorded.
Whatever the real truth about Robin Hood, what can be said is that Robin Hood has helped immortalized Richard I in history. His catchy name ‘Richard the Lionheart’ also helps this medieval monarch stand out and be remembered in a sea of British monarchs. King Richard the Lionheart deserves to be on this list through his memorable impact on British and English history, both for the crusades, but especially for Robin Hood. King Richard I shows that a monarch can have a great impact on both his era and history without being a long-lasting monarch, as Richard was only King of England for ten years. Ten years isn’t a long reign, but it didn’t need to be for Richard, as it was long enough to make his stamp on history and be remembered. He is the last medieval monarch on our list. 5. Henry VIII
Away from the medieval era, we move into the Middle Ages, with none other than King Henry VIII himself. King Henry VIII really needs no introduction, he is a monarch that speaks for itself just by describing his name. Henry VIII was an impactful monarch in so many ways: he was instrumental in breaking away from the Catholic Church through the English Reformation, he was a tyrant-King who spared no one of mercy and he had a record-breaking six wives. Henry deserves to be on this list for his colourful and boisterous character, and for the fact that he changed the nature of religion and religious worship on the British Isles forever.
Everything about Henry VIII’s reign is interesting and gripping, perhaps more so for the way that he treated those closest to him, rather than anything else. With his six wives and Queens, one was exiled by him, two were beheaded by him, one died through giving birth to the son he so desperately wanted and two outlived him. He also beheaded two of his closest friends and political confidants: Thomas Moore and Thomas Cromwell. There are so many reasons why Henry VIII deserves to be on this list and you could write a whole book about how impactful and memorable his reign as King was. It was so impactful that his reign as King lasted long after his death, with us him giving us the first English Queen, Mary I (Bloody Mary, who was his daughter), and the second Queen of England, Elizabeth I who was also his daughter. Henry desperately wanted a son to secure his legacy and to secure the throne of England for the Tudor dynasty, however, the irony is, was that his son Edward VI was weak and didn’t last that long as King after the death of Henry VIII, whereas, both of Henry’s daughters Elizabeth and Mary were longer serving monarchs and were as strong as any King. 4. Elizabeth I
In keeping with the Tudor spirit, Queen Elizabeth I is one of our top monarchs of all time. She came to the throne when her sister Mary I had died. Mary I reigned for ten years as the first Queen of England. However, her reign as Queen was notorious, which is seen through the title that she is now remembered by: ‘Bloody Mary’. Mary was known for her cruel persecution of protestants and her attempt to reverse the English reformation due to her Catholic beliefs. However, given that Mary was succeeded by Elizbeth, a practising protestant, it seems in hindsight that Queen Mary’s attempt to reverse the English reformation was futile. After Mary tried to stamp out the protestant faith in England during her ten-year reign, Elizabeth restored the protestant faith in England upon becoming Queen. It is partly for her protestant faith, and the impact that it had on England that Elizabeth is remembered for. She is also remembered for the relationship that she had with her sister Mary I. The relationship between the sisters was a complex one, however, although they had differences in religious beliefs, Mary I named Elizabeth as her successor and wanted her sister to succeed her to be Queen of England, which is what happened.
Elizabeth is also known for her relationship with her cousin Mary Queen of Scots. Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned by her own lords and forced to abdicate the Scottish throne, she was imprisoned in Loch Leven castle. Mary escape and fled to England. However, it was a fatal mistake on Mary's behalf, as her existence was a threat to Elizabeth's life and crown. Elizabeth didn't want to kill her own cousin, but as she saw Mary as a threat to her own crown she imprisoned Mary in England for almost twenty years. Though there is no evidence to suggest that the two cousins met, their distant relationship is one of the things that both women are remembered for. Elizabeth is also known as the Virgin Queen due to her unwillingness to marry. Like with Henry VIII, a whole book could be written about why Elizabeth I deserves to be on this top ten list of monarchs, Elizabeth I reigned for over 44 years and is the ninth longest-reigning monarch in the history of the British Isles. 3. Victoria
In keeping with the longest-reigning monarchs, we move to the second longest-reigning monarch in British history: Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria is the second longest-reigning monarch of British history and the British Isles, she’s also one of the longest-reigning monarchs ever to have lived in the world. Queen Victoria ruled for an impressive 63 years, which is one of the reasons that she belongs on this list. But there are other reasons why this monarch deserves to be on our top ten list of monarchs, mainly, for how the Victorian era changed both Britain and the world. The British Empire largely changed the nature of the world and Britain itself. It helped modernize Britain through the industrial revolution.
During Victoria’s reign, Britain was the world’s most powerful country. It dominated and controlled large parts of the world in several continents. The British Empire stretched from Asia, Australasia, Africa and the Americas, which led to the British Empire becoming the world’s largest-ever empire by the time the Victorian era had finished. But it is not just how the Victorian era shaped the world that makes Victoria’s reign memorable, which also makes it memorable is how Victoria’s reign shaped Britain itself. Today we remember Victorian Britain as a place of workhouses and deep inequality. We can see how things like inequality and workhouses shaped Victorian Britain through the work of Charles Dickens. It is also partly through Charles Dickens that we have the Christmas that we know today. Christmas before the Victorian era was vastly different from the Christmas that we have today, it was really the Victorians who created the modern Christmas we know today. Partly that was down to Victoria herself, who introduced the Christmas tree into Britain. It is thanks to Victoria herself that we have the most central aspect of Christmas that we have today: the Christmas tree. Victoria’s reign helped change and shape the modern world we live in today. 2. James I (VI)
From one long-serving monarch to another, we move onto James I (VI), he ruled as monarch for a very impressive 57 years. King James I deserves to be on this top ten list of monarchs both for his longevity as King and for being the King that united the British Isles and formed the foundations for the United Kingdom. The Union of the Crowns happened in 1603, resulting in the crowns of Scotland and England uniting into one crown and serving the whole of the British Isles. England and Wales were already united through the 1536 Act of Union, therefore, the 1603 Union of the Crowns united all of the British Isles. And the Act of Union in 1707 formed the United Kingdom, which happened after the death of James I.
It is through creating the union, and bringing together all countries in the British Isles that King James I deserves to be so high up on this list. His actions created the most successful Union in the world and brought together the countries of the United Kingdom to form one country which has brought peace between the countries, economic prosperity, a shared history, culture and language, and many of the worlds modern inventions. James came to be King of the whole British Isles due to already being King of Scotland and through the death of Elizabeth I who had no heir to succeed her, apart from her cousin, James I of Scotland. James is not only known for creating the United Kingdom, but he is also known for the Gunpowder Plot. The Gunpowder Plot is when Guy Fawkes and several other men tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament on the 4th/5th of November 1605, when James was set to open parliament the following day. The Gunpowder Plot wasn’t successful and Guy Fawkes was caught in the act in the House of Parliament cellars. The attempted plot resulted in the creation of Guy Fawkes Day/Bonfire Night which is still celebrated to this day. Therefore, James deserves to be on this list of our top ten list of monarchs for creating Guy Fawkes Night and forming the United Kingdom. 1. Elizabeth I
For her longevity alone Elizabeth I is our number one monarch. This monarch has reigned for nearly 68 astounding years. Elizabeth I has reigned for so long that it seems very unlikely that we will have another monarch who reigns so long. However, they probably thought the same about Victoria. Coming to the throne in 1952, the vast majority of British people have never known another monarch except Elizabeth I. The world and Britain have went through so many changes since the 1950s, when Queen Elizabeth first took to the throne. Probably the biggest changes are the changes brought about by technology, where we have instant contact with people from anywhere in the world and 24-hour media, both things were unheard of in the 1950s.
Although there has been many changes throughout the world since the second Elizabethan age began, it is hard to get a grasp on this monarch in a historical context, as we are still living through this second Elizabethan age. It is only historians decades from now that will be able to see this age and monarch a lot more clearly, and through a proper historical lens. But, however, history judges this monarch, it’s safe to say Elizabeth II has cemented her place in history due to her longevity as Queen. All of these monarchs for various different reasons have cemented their place in history and created monarchical history for what it is and was. All of these monarchs have shaped history in a way that no other monarchs have, which is why they are on our top ten list of monarchs, their actions have shaped the course of both British and world history over the course of a thousand years and put their place in the history books forever.
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 Any pauper who shall neglect to observe such of the regulations herein contained as are applicable to and binding on him:-
Any pauper who shall, within seven days, repeat any one or commit more than one of the offences specified in Article 34 [above];
It shall be lawful for the master of the workhouse, with or without the direction of the Board pf Guardians to punish any disorderly pauper by substituting, during a time not greater than forty-eight hours, for his or her dinner, as prescribed by the dietary, a meal consisting of eight ounces of bread, or one pound of cooked potatoes, and also by with-holding from him during the same period, all butter, cheese, tea, sugar, or broth, which such pauper would otherwise receive, at any meal during the time aforesaid. And it shall be lawful for the Board of Guardians, by a special direction, to be entered on their minutes, to order any refractory pauper to be punished by confinement in a separate room, with or without an alteration of diet, similar in kind and duration to that prescribed in Article 36 [above] for disorderly paupers; but no pauper shall be so confined for a longer period than twenty-four hours; or, if it be deemed right that such pauper should be carried before a Justice of the Peace, and if such period of twenty-four hours should be insufficient for that purpose, then for such further time as may be necessary for such purpose. It shall be lawful for the Board of Guardians, by any special or general order, to direct that a dress different from that of the other inmates shall be worn by disorderly or refractory paupers, during a period of not more than forty-eight hours, jointly with, or in lieu of the alteration of diet to which any such pauper might be subjected by the regulations herein contained; but it shall not be lawful for the Board of Guardians to cause any penal dress or distinguishing mark of disgrace to be worn by any adult pauper or class of adult paupers, unless such pauper or paupers shall be disorderly or refractory within the meaning of Article 34 or Article 35 of this order. SourceParliamentary Papers, 1842, XIX, pp.42-43. Source: http://www.victorianweb.org/history/poorlaw/ruleswh.html No cited author on text. victorianweb.org This page may be used without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 was the classic example of the fundamental Whig-Benthamite reforming legislation of the period. Preceded by the massive and well-publicized report of a Royal Commission it received general parliamentary support and passed into law with comparatively little discussion. The machinery of the new law in itself constituted a virtual administrative revolution: a central commission not under direct ministerial or parliamentary control, with wide powers to:
For political and administrative reasons it proved impossible to apply these principles rigorously, particularly in the northern and midland industrial districts. As early as 1837 the commissioners modified their instructions to permit outdoor relief at Nottingham where the creation of the new poor-law union coincided with a period of acute unemployment. In 1841 a general order was issued to a number of northern unions prescribing rules for the administration of outdoor relief to able-bodied men, half of which was to be in kind (bread, potatoes etc.), in return for some form of supervised work. In practice, the local boards of guardians in both town and country enjoyed a greater latitude in the administration of relief than commonly supposed. The widespread belief that assistance could only be obtained by entering the workhouse (the workhouse test) was completely erroneous. In 1841, of the 1,300,000 persons who received relief, only 192,000 were in workhouses, the remaining 1,108,000 being assisted in their own homes. Of the total sum of £3,884,000 spent in poor relief from the rates, only £892,000 was expended in the workhouses, while nearly £3 million was spent on outdoor relief. The figures for 1839 and 1840 show similar proportions. An Act for the Amendment and better Administration of the Laws relating to the Poor in England and Wales. [4 & 5 Will. IV cap. 76]It shall be lawful for His Majesty, His Heirs and Successors, by Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual, to appoint Three fit Persons to be Commissioners to carry this Act into execution:
Source <Victoriaweb.org>
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