Jack the Ripper

The Jack the Ripper, or Whitechapel Murders, are one of the most enduring mysteries in British history.

Jack the Ripper is the name given to the perpetrator of the infamous Whitechapel murders which took place in the Whitechapel area of London in 1888. To this day, people speculate on who the murderer might have been, how many actual victims there were and why the crime spree ended just as soon as it had begun.

Jack the Ripper’s legacy continues in and around the Whitechapel area to this day, with walking tours of the murder scenes and regular talks and lectures on the subject.
Fancy having a go at solving the mystery yourself? Read on!

London at the time

At the time of the murders, the east of London, where Whitechapel is situated, was nothing more than a slum. The area had vast economic problems and crime was rife. The parish itself became increasingly overcrowded, especially with an influx of immigrants from Ireland and Eastern Europe. 55% of children born in the East End died before the age of 5 and poverty drove people into sex work or crime. Alcohol dependency was also a huge issue at the time.

There were a large number of murders and attacks against sex workers taking place in the East End at the time and it is uncertain how many victims can be attributed to one individual. From 3^rd April 1888 until 13^th February 1891, there were eleven separate murders which the police collectively referred to as the Whitechapel Murders, but opinions vary over which murders were committed by the individual known as Jack the Ripper.

The Whitechapel Murders

The Whitechapel Murders refers to 11 murders that took place in the Whitechapel area of London and all featured deep slash wounds, mutliation and removal of organs. These were all part of the modus operandi of the figure known as Jack the Ripper, however, only five of the Whitechapel Murders are attributed to Jack the Ripper, these victims are known as the Canonical Five. The first two cases in the Whitechapel Murders are the most heavily debated when it comes to whether Jack the Ripper was responsible, however, as there were some differences to the later crimes, they are not included in the Canonical Five. 

Aside from the Canonical Five, the other women who were victims in the Whitechapel Murders include: 

Emma Elizabeth Smith.
Smith was robbed and assaulted in Osborn Street, Whitechapel in the early hours of 3^rd April 1888. She was beaten around the face, assaulted with a weapon and received cuts to her head. She claimed to have been attacked by three men and later died in hospital.

Martha Tabram
Tabram is often considered to be an early victim of Jack the Ripper, as her murder was most like those attributed to the killer. She was murdered on a staircase in George Yard, Whitechapel on 7^th August 1888. She suffered 39 stab wounds and mutilations to her feminine areas but was not sexually assaulted. Her murder matches the savagery of the Canonical Five but differs because she was stabbed rather than slashed.

Rose Mylett
Mylett was strangled to death in Clarke’s Yard, Poplar, in December 1888.

Alice McKenzie
McKenzie was murdered around midnight on 17^th July 1889 in Castle Alley, Whitechapel. Her throat was cut and she was beaten and her breasts were slashed.

The Pinchin Street Torso
The Pinchin Street Torso are the remains of an unidentified woman who was discovered in Pinchin Street, Whitechapel on 10^th September 1889. The victim had been extensively beaten and mutilated, though her genitals were left intact.

Frances Coles
Coles was discovered at 2.15am on 13^th February 1891. Her throat had been cut but her body was not mutilated, she was alive when discovered but died soon after.

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