who was Polly Nichols
widely considered to be Jack the Ripper’s first victim
lived as a prostitute after she separated from her husband and was claimed to have repeatedly spent money on alcohol
aged 43 when she was murdered, 31st August 1888
who were the victims of Jack the Ripper
Martha Tabram- 39 year old prostitue, murdered 7th August 1888
Mary Anne (Polly) Nichols- 43 year old prostitute, murdered 31st August 1888
Annie Chapman-47 year old prostitute, murdered 8th September 1888
Elizabeth Stride-45 year old prostitute, murdered 30th September 1888
Catherine Eddowes-46 year old, murdered 30th September 1888
Mary Kelly- 25 year old prostitute, murdered 9th November 1888
what were the similarities between the Ripper murders
-all victims were women, described as prostitutes
-murders took place in Whitechapel
-most victims were in their 40’s
-all murders took place in 1888
-victims suffered deep cuts to the neck, appeared to have been strangled, abdomens mutilated, organs removed and arranged
when were the ‘double murders’
30th September 1888- both Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were murdered
-The murderer had been interrupted whilst murdering Elizabeth Stride
what clue to the Ripper murders was found written on a wall
‘The Juwes are the men that Will not be Blamed for nothing’ was found written on a wall in Goulston Street
A piece of Catherine Eddowes’ apron-stained with blood and faeces- was found underneath
what letters serve as clues to the Ripper murders
- a letter was send a day after the double murders (30th September 1888) to the news agency, signed Jack the Ripper
-a letter arrived at the home of George Lusk (leader of Whitechapel vigilance committee) on the 16th October 1888, wrapped around half a kidney which was claimed to have come from Catherine Eddowes
what is a transient population
a population that continues to move around
what was a workhouse
place where poor could go work in return for food and shelter
set up in early 19th century as part of the poor relief system
Conditions were deliberately made worse to put poor people off from entering the workhouse except as a last resort.
what were living conditions like in Whitechapel
-cramped conditions
-narrow, maze-like streets
-rich and poor living closely
-poor/criminal areas
-alcohol and disease were problems
-poor housing conditions
-homelessness and drunkenness
-poor sanitary conditions
-violence
-tensions between immigrants
-streets considered dangerous
-transient population
-high death rate
-prostitution
-workhouses
how did conditions in Whitechapel help the Ripper to commit his murders
OVERCROWDING
high density of people meant that strangers in alleys went unnoticed
complex layout of streets provided easy escape routes
WORKHOUSES
many lived in fear of workhouses and were forced onto the streets, making them vulnerable
DRUNKENNESS
many victims were intoxicated when attacked, which lowered their defences
unreliable witnesses
PROSTITUTION
they would lead strangers into secluded areas away from witnesses, making them vulnerable
HIGH DEATH RATE
death was common so the Ripper could kill without immediate public interference
TRANSIENT POPULATION
was impossible for the police to keep track of everyone
what was housing like in Whitechapel
-overcrowded
-majority were in slum areas known as ‘rookeries’
-dirt, disease and crime
-lodging houses were another form of accommodation and offered little more than a bed, squalid conditions, odour, heat and rodents
what was the Peabody estate
in 1875, parliament passed the Artisans’ Dwellings Act as part of London’s earliest slum clearance programme
-a maze of cramped/unhealthy houses were replaced with 11 new flat blocks in Whitechapel
-Peabody estate opened in 1881 and provided 286 flats, although prices were often too expensive for inhabitants
what was work like in Whitechapel
-many ‘sweated’ trades like tailoring,shoe-making and match-making
-work premises were small, cramped and dusty
-long hours and low wages
-others worked in construction where amount of work on offer varied
-not everybody found work- economy became severely depressed in 1870’s
why did the police fear a race riot in Whitechapel
-many Russian Jews feared the police, which made them easy prey for criminal gangs
-John Pizer (Russian Jew) was accused by many of murdering Annie Chapman
-rise in bombings by Irish immigrants demanding independence
-Many Jews fled to London to avoid persecution in Russia, which led to overcrowding
-competition for jobs
-Jews tended to speak Yiddish which created a language barrier
-Jews didn’t like churches trying to convert them to Christianity
-fear that Jews would try to overthrow the Government
-frequent violent demonstrations by workers, many believed that these were caused by the Jews
-Michael Ostrog (a Polish immigrant) was accused of the Ripper murders.
-There were tensions between gangs and Jewish businesses they targeted for ‘protection rackets’.
-Mass immigration into Whitechapel was seen by many as the cause of rising house prices.
who were the Fenians
an Irish terrorist group demanding independence
why was Whitechapel difficult to police
-rise in anti-semitism as many Jews arrived-> tensions
-Alcohol and drunkenness-> violence and unreliable witnesses
-High unemployment forced women to turn to prostitution-> vulnerable
-Maze of rookeries/narrow streets provided escape routes
-gangs
-mass migration meant Whitechapel was overcrowded
-transient population
-police had no access to forensic techniques of fingerprinting, photography and DNA testing
-critical journalism
-the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee hindered police investigations
what police division was in charge of Whitechapel
the H division
what were examples of effective policing
-in 1829 Sir Robert Peel persuaded parliament to set up the 1st paid professional police force in London
-Criminal Investigation Department (CID) set up in 1878
-by end of 19th century police patrols were an important crime deterrent
-improved pay/training helped public trust
-in 1880, if a beat constable was found away from his beat or missed a crime, he could be fined/dismissed
what were examples of ineffective policing
-techniques at police disposal were limited
-policemen were paid less than labourers and some were drunk on the job
-described as incompetent by public
-by 1888 pay had improved but was still low, meaning variable recruit quality
-only armed with a baton and a whistle
