Case Study 8: Jack the Ripper Flashcards
What were the names of the 5 women who were murdered by Jack the Ripper?
- Mary Ann Nichols
- Annie Chapman
- Elizabeth Stride
- Catherine Eddowes
- Mary Kelly
When were these women murdered?
In Autumn of 1888.
What investigative techniques did the police use to capture the murderer?
- Photography and sketches
- Interviews
- Post mortems + coroners’ reports
- Appealing for information
- Going undercover
How did the police use photography and sketches to track down Jack the Ripper?
Photographs were taken at the scene of Mary Kelly’s murder and crime scenes were sketched.
How did interviews help the police investigate the Ripper murders?
Police visited houses, pubs and opium dens and interviewed more than 2000 people.
How did post mortems and coroners’ reports give the police more background on the murderer?
The mutilated bodies showed that Jack the Ripper had good anatomical knowledge.
How did the police appeal for information from the public?
They set up soup kitchens and distributed 80,000 leaflets about the Ripper case.
How did the police go undercover to catch Jack the Ripper?
Some policemen were even sent to the streets disguised in female clothing in the belief they may be able to lure the Ripper into a trap.
What three problems led to the police’s failure of catching Jack the Ripper?
- Rivalry between police forces
- Media
- Vigilance Committee
How were problems in the Ripper case caused by the rivalry between police forces?
At first, the Met and the City of London didn’t cooperate. On the night of one of the murders, anti- Semitic graffiti was found by City of London officers. Warren made a copy of the graffiti and washed it off the wall to prevent a riot against Jews. However, some believe he did this so they could capture the killer first.
What problems did the media cause for the Jack the Ripper case?
Attracted thousands of hoax letters such as the ‘Leather Apron’ which wasted the police’s time. Newspapers also criticised the police and stirred up racial hatred towards migrants.
Who was the leader of the Vigilance Committee?
George Lusk.
What did the Vigilance Committee do?
- Offered a small reward for information leading them to the killer
- Patrolled streets every night with torches
- Sent false leads and encouraged criticism of the police in local papers.
Why was the Vigilance Committee set up?
Due to the police’s lack of progress in catching the Ripper.
What is a local source in the context of Whitechapel?
Local sources cover the history of Whitechapel in the late 19th century.
Name some local sources used in Whitechapel.
- Housing and employment records
- Council records
- Census returns
- Charles Booth’s surveys
- Workhouse records
- Local police records
- Coroners’ reports
- Photographs
What is a strength of using housing and employment records as a source?
- Details where individuals stayed and worked
What are two weaknesses of using housing and employment records as a source?
- Homeless people in Whitechapel would not be able to be traced
- Relies on individuals using the correct name
What is one strength and one weakness of using council records as a source?
- Provides information about the details of events in Whitechapel
- Doesn’t document the experiences of individuals
What are two strengths of using census returns as a source?
- Historians can find out how many people lived in the area (overcrowding)
- Shows who was living where at the time the census was taken
What are two weaknesses of using census returns as a source?
- Individuals moved around a lot, making it difficult to trace their whereabouts
- Can be mistakes in the census
What was Charles Booth’s work centred around?
In 1889, he employed 80 researchers to record poverty and living conditions across London.
What are two strengths of using Charles Booth’s surveys as a source?
- The maps show where the poor lived and where Jewish migrants settled in ghettos
- Dedicated to his job
What are two weaknesses of using Charles Booth’s surveys as a source?
- Doesn’t give reasons for poverty
- Doesn’t provide any detail about living conditions
What is one strength of using workhouse records as a source?
- Tell us the type of people who sought help at the workhouse
What are two weaknesses of using workhouse records as a source?
- Do not tell us what happened to people after they left the workhouse
- Doesn’t record the individual experiences as inmates
What are two strengths of using local police records as a source?
- Shows what duties were expected of police officers
- Provide information about victims and the crimes committed in Whitechapel
What are two weaknesses of using local police records as a source?
- Witnesses might not have told the full story (if they were drunk)
- Might not include details leading up to an arrest
What is a coroners’ report?
Information recorded by a coroner for investigations into a suspicious death.
What is one strength and one weakness of using coroners’ reports as a source?
- Documents the condition of the body when found
- Doesn’t provide information about events causing the death
What is one strength and one weakness of using photography as a source?
- Provides an accurate, visual image of history
- Doesn’t provide context to situation
What is a national source?
A source that covers the whole history of Britain.
What is a strength of using national newspapers as a source?
- Provides information about notorious crimes in London
What are two weaknesses of using national newspapers as a source?
- Reported news in a sensationalist (exaggerated) style
- Only extreme crimes made the national news
What is one strength and one weakness of using records of crimes and police investigations as a source?
- Contain information about criminal offences across the country
- Petty crime was unlikely to be recorded
What is the Old Bailey?
Was London’s most important criminal court.
What are two strengths of using Old Bailey records as a source?
- Official documents that provide detail infromation about crimes
- Were created by someone who was impartial
What are two weaknesses of using Old Bailey records as a source?
- Defendants may not have had good representation by lawyers
- Records can lack context of crime
What was the Punch Magazine?
It was a weekly humorous magazine in the 19th century.
What is one strength and one weakness of using Punch cartoons as a source?
- Shows events in a simplfied way
- Might show the views of the artist, so it lacks typicality
