Whitechapel

Where in London is Whitechapel located?

East London.

What were the main causes of poverty in Whitechapel?

Industrial Revolution and Immigartion.

How was the air in Whitechapel described?

Greenish smog or pea souper.

Describe two features of accommodation for the poorer people in the Whitechapel area.

• Lodging houses were temporary residences for those without a permanent home. Some lodging houses had people sleeping in 8-hour shifts in a bed which allowed the owners to maximise profits as they could charge two or three people for sleeping in the same bed

• The workhouse gave shelter to those too poor to pay rent. South Grove Workhouse provided accommodation for about 400-800 people.

• The workhouse gave shelter to those too poor to pay rent. These would be in harsh conditions, they did hard labour and families were split up and not allowed to speak to eachother. This was make it a last resort so less people wanted to go.

What types of meals did they eat in workhouses?

Meals consisted of gruel, bread and cheese.

How were workhouses made a last resort?

• Hard labour.

• Families were split up and not allowed to speak to eachother. There were separate sections for men, women and children.

• Food was basic. Meals consisted of gruel, bread and cheese.

Why were workhouse conditions made deliberately appaling?

To deter people from entering the workhouses, making it a last resort, and therefore reducing the costs to the parish.

Who did workhouses house?

The ill, elderly, disabled, unmarried mothers, orphans as well as vagrants who were placed in casual wards.

Who was separated in workhouses? How?

Vagrants as they were placed in casual wards for a few nights.

How many people did South Grove workhouse house?

400 - 800.

Why were vagrants placed in casual words?

So that they wouldn’t corrupt people by encouraging laziness, as they were viewed as the idle poor.

Describe two features of life in the Whitechapel workhouses.

• Food was basic. Meals consisted of gruel, bread and cheese.

• Families were separated. There were separate sections for men, women and children.

Describe two features of life in the Whitechapel lodging houses.

• Overcrowded areas of poverty, with slum housing and narrow alleys that helped criminals to evade the police. There could be up to 30 people in an apartment.

• There was also no indoor toilets so up to 60 people could be sharing one outdoor toilet. They often had poor sanitation, rats and therefore lots of illness.

What were rookeries?

Overcrowded areas of poverty, with slum housing and narrow alleys that helped criminals to evade the police.

What were overcrowded areas of poverty, with slum housing and poor sanitation?

Rookeries.

In rookeries, up to __ people could be sharing one outdoor toilet.

60.

In rookeries, up to __ people could be sharing one apartment.

30.

Describe two features of the lodging houses in Whitechapel.

• Lodging houses were temporary residences for those without a permanent home. Some lodging houses had people sleeping in 8-hour shifts in a bed which allowed the owners to maximise profits as they could charge two or three people for sleeping in the same bed.

• The conditions in the lodging houses were poor. They were over-crowded and unhygienic

What were lodging houses?

Temporary residences for those without a permanent home. Some lodging houses had people sleeping in 8-hour shifts in a bed which allowed the owners to maximise profits as they could charge two or three people for sleeping in the same bed

What were temporary residences for those without a permanent home, sometimes offering 8-hour shifts in a bed?

Lodging houses.

Which act was passed by Parliament in 1875 to destroy substandard housing (slums) ?

Artistans Dwelling Act.

Describe two features of the way the Peabody Estate helped to improve housing in the Whitechapel area.

• The Estate opened in 1881 consisted of 11 blocks of flats, built to replace courtyard slums. This was a model housing estate paid for by the American, George Peabody and designed by Henry Darbishire.

• This was part of a slum clearance programme following the passing of the 1875 Artisans’ Dwellings Act. The rent was much more affordable at 3 shillings per week for a one room flat and had good sanitation with two flats sharing one indoor toilet.

How many blocks of flats made up the Peabody Estate?

11.

When did the Peabody estate open?

1881.

Who paid for and who designed the Peabody estate?

Paid for by the American, George Peabody and designed by Henry Darbishire.

How was the Peabody estate differnet to regular housing in Whitechapel?

• Rent was much more affordable at 3 shillings per week for a one room flat.

• Good sanitation with two flats sharing one indoor toilet.

What did immigration cause an increase in?

Tension.

Describe two features of Jewish immigrants in Whitechapel.

• There were many Jews who fled to Whitechapel from Russia and often they formed their own communities. Around 95% of Spitalfields was Jewish population.

• Jews were easily noticed by white Christians which made people suspicious of them. They wore clothes like a kippah, didn’t eat pork and spoke Yiddish.

Describe two features of Irish immigrants in Whitechapel.

• Many men left Ireland to reach the USA but ran out of money so ended up in East London. They worked a navvies or dockers (manual labour to build railways, roads, canals).

• They had a poor reputation and were considered violent thugs/drunks.

• Fenians were an Irish Catholic group. They bombed Clerkwell prison and Gower Street station, creating anti Irish and anti Catholic attitudes. The Met police created a special branch to hunt Irish terrorists and the press reported negatively on Irish people.

What did many Irish immigrants work as?

They worked a navvies doing manual labour to build railways, roads, canals or as dockers along the Thames.

How were Irish immigrants viewed by the public?

Violent thugs.

Who were the Fenians? What did they do?

• Fenians were an Irish Catholic group.

• They bombed Clerkwell prison and Gower Street station, creating anti Irish and anti Catholic attitudes. The Met police created a special branch to hunt Irish terrorists and the press reported negatively on Irish people.

Describe two features of the growth of socialism in Whitechapel.

• Socialist ideas were spreading in Whitechapel. These ideas particularly appealed to the poorer groups in society, such as migrants from Eastern Europe and workers in ‘sweated’ trades.

• The SDF were founded in London and active in Whitechapel for workers and women’s rights. They were a part ofthe 1887 Trafalgar Square demonstration to campaign workers rights.

What was socialism?

A political belief and system where all property/welatyh is owned by the community/workers of the country.

What was the difference between anarchists and socialists?

Anarchists beloved that society could function with government or law but socialism believed that the community and workers should own property and wealth.

Who were the SDF? What were they involved in?

The SDF were founded in London and active in Whitechapel for workers and women’s rights. They were a part ofthe 1887 Trafalgar Square demonstration to campaign workers rights.

Where did many people work in Whitechapel?

Sweatshops or Sweated trades at home: tailoring, shoemaking, matchmaking.

Which environmental factors contributed to high crime in Whitechapel?

Poor lighting, poor housing, narrow alleys, air pollution creating low visibility.

Who was responsible for policing Whitechapel?

H division.

Who established the Met police?

Robert Peel.

When was the Met police created?

1829.

How many divisions were there in the Met police?

20.

Which areas did officers patrol?

Beats.

Did officers patrol their beats alone, in pairs or in big groups?

Pairs.

What did constables have to do?

Stop residents and question them, break up fights and report to their beat sergeant.

Who was responsible for the Met?

The Home Secretary.

Who was appointed as commissioner of the Met?

Sir Charles Warren.

Why was Sir Charles Warren disliked and eventually resigned in 1888?

He banned a planned unemployment protest in Trafalgar Square, 1887, becoming known as Bloody Sunday and was blamed for failure to catch the Ripper.

When did Charles Warren resign?

November 1888.

When was a detective office added to the Met police?

1842.

What were attitudes like towards the police?

• Middle classes liked them and had a good reputation amongst them. This is because the middle classes wanted law and order and viewed the police as honest and reliable.

• Whitechapel residents in general didn’t like the police. They believed police had misplaced priorities by focusing on manners over criminals.

• Slightly positive as they contributed to the community via soup kitchens and located runaways,

Why did police struggle to police Whitechapel?

• Residents disliked police so would attack them.

• Whitechapel was an area of poverty and there were many rookeries, where the streets were narrow, heavily polluted

  and poorly lit, encouraging crime and low visibility and making policing difficult.

• The overcrowding and poor conditions increased the opportunities for crime and created tensions that made policing difficult.

• There were a number of organised gangs of criminals who were known to operate in the Whitechapel area.

• Immigrants found it difficult to communicate with the police.

Why did the police often ignore crime in Whitechapel?

Gangs in Whitechapel often attacked policemen. Police constables ignored crimes, believing it was better to let the gangs fight each other, than them.

Describe two features of the policing system in Whitechapel.

• Police officers walked a beat through the area. Their presence was intended to be a physical deterrence to crime as well as to catch criminals committing crime.

• Whitechapel was policed by H Division. Different sections of the police force were responsible for different areas; there were around 20 divisions for the Met.

Describe two features of the work of H Division in the policing of Whitechapel.

• Police from H Division would walk a beat within Whitechapel. They would patrol the streets, hoping that their presence would prevent crime but would also question residents and deal with drunks, traffic, accidents, etc.

• 15 detectives from CID were assigned to H Division. Detectives would use investigative techniques to find out who had committed crimes.

How many detective from CID were assigned to the H division?

15.

What influenced crime in Whitechapel?

Poverty, gangs, alcohol and prostitution.

Why was petty theft common in Whitechapel?

Many people in Whitechapel were poor and were sometimes desperate for food so stole for survival whilst trying to avoid being sent to workhouses.

How did rookeries and poverty lead to increased crime in Whitechapel?

• Criminals often recruited people from lodging houses and slums to steal for them. Often orphans could be targets.

• Poverty led to desperation for food and shelter, leading to theft. People proffered to steal to survive than end up in workhouses.

Why did lots of people drink alcohol in Whitechapel?

• Alcohol was easily available as it was cheap, especially gins. There were 45 pubs/gin places within 1 mile of Whitechapel + 62 brothels.

• The drinking water in Whitechapel was unsanitary. Alcohol was considered to be safer than the drinking water.

• Many people in Whitechapel relied on alcohol as it helped them to forget about their issues such as unemployment, poverty and poor living conditions.

There were __ gin places/pubs within 1 mile of Whitechapel.

45.

How many brothels were there in Whitechapel?

62.

How did alcohol lead to increased crime in Whitechapel?

It led to disorderly behaviour and many unreliable to witnesses so police struggled to catch criminals.

Why did many women become prositutes?

They struggled to find work so this was the easiest job available.

How did prostitution increase crime and harsh conditions in Whitechapel?

• Women were often victims of rape, assault and theft.

• A lack of contraception caused backstreet abortions and untrained doctors conducted this procedure which caused many women to die from infection, blood loss or shock.

How were the prostitutes of Whitechapel treated by H Division?

H Division was unsympathetic towards prostitutes. They believed a crime against a prostitute was not as serious as crimes committed against other people.

What did gangs often organise in areas?

Protection rackets: Gangs would threaten to damage a business, destroy property or attack people unless a fee was paid regularly.

Why were violent attacks common?

• Migrants were often perceived as a threat to people already living in the area so were attacked by others.

• Tension between gangs.

• People beat up police officers.

Why did Whitechapel gain lots of media attention?

Jack the Ripper murders.

When were the Jack the Ripper murders?

August - November 1888.

What did all the Jack the Ripper victims have in common?

Female prostitutes killed by a knife at night.

How did Jack the Ripper get his name?

The Dear Boss letter was received by London's Central News Office and released to the public by the Met. The author of the letter called themselves Jack the Ripper.

Why was the Dear Boss letter released to the public?

To see if anyone recognised the handwriting.

Which methods were used by the Met police to catch Jack the Ripper?

• Postmortem.

• Soup kitchens.

• Journalist and public leads.

• Lunatic asylum visits.

• Observing crime scenes.

• Witness statements and outside help.

• Disguises.

Explain the method used by the police to catch Jack the Ripper: Postmortems.

Rose Llewelyn performed the post-mortem on Mary Ann Nichols, suggesting that the marks indicated that m=teh murderer was left handed and had good knowledge of anatomy/dissection.

Explain the method used by the police to catch Jack the Ripper: Public leads

• A gang near Bethnal Green that stole money from prostitutes was accused of the murders but this theory was rejected.

• The Manchester Guardian claimed that the murderer was the Leather Apron but disproved when John Pixer had alibis for two of the murders.

Explain the method used by the police to catch Jack the Ripper: Soup Kitchens.

The Met weren’t allowed to offer financial rewards as it could bring time wasters so opened soup kitchens to encourage the poor to give statements and evidence.

Explain the method used by the police to catch Jack the Ripper: Lunatic Asylums.

The murders were believed to be so viscous and savage that they believed the Ripper was insane.

Explain the method used by the police to catch Jack the Ripper: Witnesses.

• Elizabeth Long claimed to see a man talking to Annie Chapman minutes before her body was found but this was disproved by the coroners report.

• 80,000 leaflets distributed.

• 2,000 lodging house residents questioned.

• Homes searched.

Explain the method used by the police to catch Jack the Ripper: Observing the crime scene.

• Fragments of an envelope found near Annie Chapmans body, containing Sussex army regiment seal. It was found that this was easy to access from many post officers so was useless.

• Rings missing from her body so the police checked pawn shops but nothing came up.

Explain the method used by the police to catch Jack the Ripper: External help.

The Thames River Police questioned sailors on the docks + Bloodhounds (Barnaby and Burgho) helped to track the murderer.

Explain the method used by the police to catch Jack the Ripper: Disguises.

Police dressed as prostitutes to lure the Ripper and wore plain clothes to blend into crowds.

Explain why the police failed to catch Jack the Ripper.

• Received 300 hoax letters.

• Rivalry between The Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police, led to Commissioner Charles Warren removing a message that said 'The Juwes are the men that will not be blamed fornothing' near Catherine Eddowes body.

• Media published factually incorrect information such as suggesting that Jack the Ripper was Jewish.

• Lack of forensics and developed technology.

• Failed to pay the owner of the bloodhounds, Burgho and Barnaby.

• Dressing up as prostitutes likely failed as policemen refused to remove their moustaches.

• Whitechapel environment: Narrow alleys, thick smog and lots of immigrants so easy to escape and lack of communication between police and locals. Not many witnesses.

• Whitechapel Vigilance Community made their jobs much harder.

In 1888, which police forces had a strong rivalry which negatively impacted the Jack the Ripper case?

The Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police.

What did Commissioner Charles Warren remove from Goulston Street during the Catherine Eddowes' murder investigation?

A message that said 'The Juwes are the men that will not be blamed fornothing'.

What did newspapers do during the investigation?

Newspapers encouraged anti-semitism by suggesting the murderer was a Jewish person.

How many hoax letters did the police recieve?

300.

Describe two features of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee.

• This was a volunteer group formed of local businessmen to offer protection to people in the Whitechapel area in 1888, in response to Jack the Ripper’s activities. The committee put up its own reward for finding the murder as the government refused to.

• They went on patrols with hobnails and bright torches. This aimed to deter the killer due to all the noise.

When was the Whitechapel Vigilance community set up?

10th September 1888.

Who created the Whitechapel Vigilance Community?

Whitechapel businessmen.

Which methods did the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee use to try and catch Jack the Ripper?

• They employed two detectives who focused on the Jack the Ripper case.

• They walked the streets at night and create attention by wearing hob-nail boots and bright torches.

• They created their own reward system for information on the murders.