Conditions in Whitechapel

Poverty

Around 78,000 lived in abject poverty according to Charles Booth

1,200 women forced to work as prostitutes by 1888

A good wage was between 6 and 12 shillings a week

Jobs working in sweatshops, tanners and working at the docks were poorly paid

Alcoholism

45 pubs, gin place and opium dens along Whitechapel road

Records from 1st July 1887 demonstrated 17 out of 18 crimes committed linked to alcohol

All victims of the Ripper were known alcoholics

37% of offences by women at the Thames police court were for drunk and disorderly behaviour

Crime

62 illegal brothels in Whitechapel were exploited by pimps

Some streets like Ewer street were so dangerous the police didn’t go there

77% of crimes were carried out by men - mainly crimes against property, disorderly behaviour or violence

The Thames police court dealt with 1,705 crimes in 1887

Gangs like Bessarabian Tigers and Odessions set up illegal pubs and gambling rackets

Poor Sanitation

Water supply was unreliable causing frequent outbreaks of typhoid and cholera

Most properties had no running water and communal outdoor toilets

Death rate in the Peabody estate was 50 in every 1000 before it was rebuilt (double the london rate)

Pollution and smog was bad due to large number of factories in the area

Overcrowding

Issue of overcrowding in Whitechapel, 1870-1895: High population density, limited housing, and poor living conditions. Led to cramped living spaces, unsanitary environments, and increased disease transmission.

902 people lived in 31 lodging houses in Flower and Dean street

189 people per acre in Whitechapel (compared to 45 in London) in 1873

Rookeries

By the late 19th century there were 233 lodging houses

Each lodging house contained up to 8,000 people

Flower and dean street was home to most of the rookeries in Whitechapel

Workhouses

Described as places of constant hunger, poor sanitation, frequent illness, poor sleep and violence

Families were separated

Tasks such as breaking stones, chopping wood, picking Oakum, cooking and cleaning

Peabody estate

1875 = Artisans’ and Labourers’ dwellings improvement act

1881 = 287 flats had been built housing 30,000

Improved living conditions via ventilation, brick walls, courtyards, bathrooms and laundry rooms