Whitechapel Flashcards
when was the first professional police force created? What was the name of the Act?
The Metropolitan Police Act 1829
who created the first professional police force?
Robert Peel
how was policing in London organised?
17 districts in London each had their own police division with inspectors and constables
what was a ‘beat’?
a set route that were walked at regular intervals
what were ‘rookeries’?
overcrowded slum areas characterised by dirt, disease and crime
what were lodging houses?
houses also known as a ‘doss’ house which offered a bed, often in dormitory style bunks for just a few pence a night
what were workhouses?
offered free accommodation to orphans, elderly, poor and chronically ill, they expected to earn a bed by doing hard labour
what was a Peabody Estate?
apartments were called ‘model dwellings’ - they were meant to provide better living conditions, they had more living space and shared yards and laundry facilities
what was the population in Whitechapel in 1881?
just over 30,000
what were the main problems associated with housing in Whitechapel?
crowding, unsanitary and disease
how many lodging houses were there?
estimated 200
why did the Peabody Estate not create better living conditions as a whole in Whitechapel?
rents were to high for people to afford and tenants who got behind on payments got thrown out
what was a ‘penny hang’?
having to pay a penny to hang over a rope to sleep on
what was the name of the government Act that attempted to clear some of the slums?
1875 Artisans Dwellings Act
what diseases were associated with poor housing in Whitechapel?
dysentery and cholera
what was a ‘sweated trade’?
a form of work - long hours, often sleeping on site, for low pay and manual labour
why was pay for many in Whitechapel so variable?
unreliable work (seasonable work)
why were jewish immigrants segregated in Whitechapel?
many jewish immigrants lived on only a few streets meaning they found it harder to integrate
when did a radical group of Irish nationalists known as ‘Fenians’ begin a bombing campaign in London?
1884
what police division was Whitechapel covered by?
H division
who was the metropolitan police commissioner between 1886-1888?
Sir Charles Warren
what did Sir Charles Warren introduce into policing?
Warren was an ex-army officer and introduced more military style training to police as well as introducing ex-soldiers into the police force
what were the standards for recruits into the police which were made tougher under Sir Charles Warren?
-they had to be aged 21-32
-5 foot 9 inches tall
-able to read and write well
-banned from owning a business or from having 2 children
what training were new recruits to the police given?
basic training - 2 weeks of military training style drills e.g marching
how long was the beat - day/night?
-day: 30 minutes
-night: 15 minutes
why was the ‘beat’ system not always an effective way to prevent crime?
often open to corruption
how many police officers were there in H division?
575 officers
how many prostitutes operated in Whitechapel?
1200 by 1888
why did the environment of Whitechapel make it hard to police?
Whitechapel was a maze of alleys, doss houses, rookeries and criminals with local knowledge could escape the law easier
why was the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee created?
local people in Whitechapel became frustrated that the police hadn’t caught Jack the Ripper
who was the leader of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee?
George Lusk
what did the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee do?
the committee patrolled the streets at night to look for the murderer and to protect the community - the committee were untrained, noisy and amateurish
