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Census gives insight into lives of Ripper victims
Ben Bailey15 Sep 2009
Census records have shed new light on the victims of one of Britain's most infamous serial killers - Jack the Ripper.
After more than a century of speculation, rumour and legend about the killer, historians have ploughed through census records to gain insight into the lives of the women he targeted.
Studies of the 1881 census have shown that far from being the young, lifelong prostitutes that modern cinema has them portrayed, the victims were often older and married with children.
Two of Jack the Ripper's victims, Elizabeth Stride, who was 37, and Catherine Eddowes, 38, are recorded in the 1881 census as married and living with their husbands seven years prior to their deaths, while 40-year-old Annie Chapman was residing with her parents before relocating to be with her husband, a stud groom, in Berkshire.
According to newspaper reports when they were murdered in 1888, none of the victims were living with their husbands at the time of their deaths.
It is thought they may have turned to prostitution after their marriages broke up.
The census confirmed the only victim who was in her 20s at the time of death was Mary Jane Kelly.
The first and last of the so-called "Canonical five" victims, Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols and Mary Jane Kelly, are not found in the 1881 census and may well have been street walking on the night the census was taken.
The research was carried out by findmypast.com which, from today, has made available scanned images of the 1881 census to view online.
Debra Chatfield, marketing manager at findmypast.com, said: "The 1881 census records give us a small window onto the past to help us shed new light on the lives of people of historical interest, as well as to build up a picture of our own ancestors' lives."
The 1881 census took a snapshot of the lives of the 29 million people living in England and Wales on the night of April 3, 1881.
Each census record includes the name, age, address, occupation and relationship to the head of household of every citizen.
Reader views (3)
Just as a correction: Findmypast.com's report that Mary Jane Kelly was in her 20s is based on witness reports and not census data.
She has never officially been identified in the census record. There are several candidates who are in their 30s.
Some people believe she is the key to solving the case because of the mystery of her identity and the overkill. If she is the key, the census could solve it.
P.S. I unfortunately have to agree with Mr. Pastry about his assessment of JtR in the greater scope of things...
- Roslyn, Canada, 17/09/2009 16:56
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What the census does not tell us is the appaling way the lower class of society was treated by the upper/middle class.
The disease/squalour/prostitution/infant mortality/extreme poverty/starvation was ignored until Jack the Ripper brought the plight of the poor to light.
The Ripper murders caused a social revolution that nearly toppled the government of the time.
In a funny sort of way , Jack The Ripper caused great social change ,and a great deal of good by his appalling actions.He was in my book ,and totally by accident ,one of the greatest social reformers of the 19th century.
21st century people have cannot even begin to imagine the squalour and horror of the east end of london in 1888.
Most major cities in the uk were no better either.
Im Afraid saucy jack was by dint of his actions both hero and villain.
- Mr Pastry, london, 17/09/2009 15:56
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This is all very interesting but hardly breaking news, is it? Is it relevant to present day crime detection?
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 17/09/2009 15:56
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