Mary Ann Nichols
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Mary Ann Nichols, known as Polly Nichols (née Walker; 26 August 184531 August 1888), was the first
canonical The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean 'according to the canon' the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, ''canonical exampl ...
victim of the unidentified
serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
known as
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer who was active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer was also ...
, who is believed to have murdered and
mutilated Mutilation or maiming (from the ) is severe damage to the body that has a subsequent harmful effect on an individual's quality of life. In the modern era, the term has an overwhelmingly negative connotation, referring to alterations that rend ...
at least five women in and around the
Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...
district of
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
from late August to early November 1888. The two previous murders linked to the Whitechapel murderer are unlikely to have been committed by Jack the Ripper. When the murder of Mary Ann Nichols was initially linked to this series, it increased both press and public interest into the criminal activity and general living conditions of the inhabitants of the East End of London.


Early life

Mary Ann Nichols was born Mary Ann Walker on 26 August 1845 in either Dean Street, off Fetter Lane in London, or Dawes Court, Shoe Lane (off
Fleet Street Fleet Street is a street in Central London, England. It runs west to east from Temple Bar, London, Temple Bar at the boundary of the City of London, Cities of London and City of Westminster, Westminster to Ludgate Circus at the site of the Lo ...
), London. She was the second of three children born to Edward Walker, a
locksmith Locksmithing is the work of creating and bypassing locks. Locksmithing is a traditional trade and in many countries requires completion of an apprenticeship. The level of formal education legally required varies by country, ranging from no formal ...
(later a
blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
), and Caroline (née Webb), a
laundress A washerwoman or laundress is a woman who takes in laundry. Both terms are now old-fashioned; equivalent work nowadays is done by a laundry worker in large commercial premises, or a laundrette (laundromat) attendant, who helps with handling wa ...
.Begg, ''Jack the Ripper: The Facts'', p. 39 Little is known of her early life, although she is known to have been christened by the year 1851. At age 18, Walker married a printer's machinist named William Nichols. The ceremony was conducted on 16 January 1864 at Saint Bride's Parish Church in the
City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
and was witnessed by two individuals named Seth George Havelly and Sarah Good. Following their marriage, the couple briefly lodged at 30–31
Bouverie Street Bouverie Street is a street in the City of London, off Fleet Street, which once was the home of some of Britain's most widely circulated newspapers as well as the Whitefriars Priory. The offices of the '' News Chronicle'',''Liberal Democrat News ...
before residing with Mary Ann's father at 131 Trafalgar Street. Between 1866 and 1879, the couple had five children: Edward John (b. 1866), Percy George (b. 1868), Alice Esther (b. 1870), Eliza Sarah (b. 1877), and Henry Alfred (b. 1879). Nichols was tall, had brown eyes, high cheekbones and, at the time of her death, greying dark brown hair.


Separation

On 6 September 1880, the couple moved into their own home at 6 D-Block, Peabody Buildings, Stamford Street,
Blackfriars Road Blackfriars Road is a road in Southwark, SE postcode area, SE1. It runs between St George's Circus at the southern end and Blackfriars Bridge over the River Thames at the northern end, leading to the City of London. Halfway up on the west side ...
, paying a weekly rent of 5 s. 9d. Shortly thereafter, the couple separated, with William later relocating with four of his children to an address near
Old Kent Road Old Kent Road is a major thoroughfare in South East London, England, passing through the London Borough of Southwark. It was originally part of an ancient trackway that was paved by the Romans and used by the Anglo-Saxons who named it Wæcel ...
. Nichols's father accused William of leaving his daughter after he had conducted an affair with the nurse who had attended the birth of their final child,Evans and Rumbelow, p. 61 though William Nichols claimed to have proof that their marriage had continued for at least three years after the date of this alleged affair, claiming their marital troubles had been caused by his wife's heavy drinking, and that he had embarked upon an affair only after Nichols had left him. He later maintained to authorities that his wife had deserted him and was practising prostitution.Fido, p. 20 Over the following years, Nichols amassed a lengthy police record, although all of her arrests were for minor offences such as drunkenness,
disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions, such as the United States and China. Typically, "disorderly conduct" is a term used to refer to any behavior that is considered unacceptable in a formal, civilized or controlled environment. ...
, and prostitution.


1881–1887

By 1881, Nichols is known to have resided at
Lambeth Workhouse The Lambeth Workhouse was a workhouse in Lambeth, London. The original workhouse opened in 1726 in Princes Road (later, Black Prince Road). From 1871 to 1873, a new building was constructed in Renfrew Road, Lambeth. The building was eventually t ...
, where she described herself as a
charwoman Charwoman, chargirl, charlady and char are occupational terms referring to a paid part-time worker who comes into a house or other building to clean it for a few hours of a day or week, as opposed to a maid, who usually lives as part of the ho ...
. She left this workhouse on 31 May. Her movements over much of the following year are unknown, although on 24 April 1882, she again returned to the Lambeth Workhouse. She is known to have lived with her father in
Walworth Walworth ( ) is a district of South London, England, within the London Borough of Southwark. It adjoins Camberwell to the south and Elephant and Castle to the north, and is south-east of Charing Cross. Major streets in Walworth include the ...
for several months in 1883 before leaving his residence following a quarrel. Legally required to support his estranged wife, William Nichols initially paid her a weekly allowance of five
shillings The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence ...
until the spring of 1882, when he received word that she was working as a prostitute.Reports of Inspector Joseph Helson, 7 September 1888, and Superintendent
Donald Swanson Chief Inspector Donald Sutherland Swanson (12 August 1848 - 24 November 1924) was a senior police officer in the Metropolitan Police in London during the notorious Jack the Ripper murders of 1888. Early life The son of John Swanson, a brewer, ...
, 19 October 1888, quoted in Evans and Skinner, pp. 24, 29
Upon hearing this news, he ceased making these payments, causing Nichols to send summons via the Lambeth Union requesting the continuance of this weekly allowance. When parish authorities attempted to collect the maintenance money, William explained his wife had deserted her family, leaving their children in his care, and was living with another man, earning money through prostitution. As he was not legally required to support his wife if she was earning money through illicit means, Nichols no longer received any maintenance payments from her husband. Nichols spent the majority of her remaining years in workhouses and boarding houses, living off charitable handouts and her meagre earnings as a prostitute, although she frequently spent her earnings on alcohol. By 1887, she had formed a relationship with a widower and father of three named Thomas Stuart Drew, although the couple separated on 24 October. By December 1887, Nichols had begun sleeping rough in
Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was established in the early-19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the Royal Navy, ...
, although a clearance of the area on 19 December resulted in her returning to Lambeth Workhouse. On this occasion, she remained at this workhouse for less than two weeks.


1888

In April 1888, the matron of Lambeth Workhouse, a Mrs Fielder, found Nichols employment as a domestic servant to a Mr and Mrs Cowdry in
Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its name ...
. Shortly after taking this employment, Nichols is known to have written a letter to her father describing her general contentment with the position, stating: "I just write to say you will be glad to know that I am settled in my new place, and going on all right up to now. My people went out yesterday, and have not returned, so I am in charge. It's a grand place inside, with trees and gardens back and front. All has been newly done up. They are
teetotallers Teetotalism is the practice of voluntarily abstaining from the consumption of alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler (US) or teetotaller (UK), or said to be ...
, and religious, so I ought to get on. They are very nice people, and I have not too much to do. I hope you are all right and the boy has work. So goodbye for the present. From yours truly, Polly."Begg, ''Jack the Ripper: The Facts'', p. 42 Possibly because Nichols was an alcoholic and her employers were teetotallers, she left this employment after three months of service, stealing clothing worth £3 10s. and absconding from the premises. Her father was informed of this fact via postcard on 12 July, in response to his attempted return correspondence with his daughter. By the summer of 1888, Nichols resided in a
common lodging-house "Common lodging-house" is a Victorian era term for a form of cheap accommodation in which the inhabitants (who are not members of one family) are all lodged together in the same room or rooms, whether for eating or sleeping. The slang terms ''doss ...
at 18 Thrawl Street,
Spitalfields Spitalfields () is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in East London and situated in the East End of London, East End. Spitalfields is formed around Commercial Street, London, Commercial Stre ...
, where she shared a bed with an elderly woman named Emily "Nelly" Holland. She relocated to an alternative common lodging-house at 56 Flower and Dean Street, Whitechapel, on 24 August.


30–31 August

At approximately 11:00 p.m. on 30 August, Nichols was seen walking along
Whitechapel Road Whitechapel Road is a major arterial road in Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. It is named after a small chapel of ease dedicated to St Mary and connects Whitechapel High Street to the west with Mile End Road to the east ...
. She visited the Frying Pan public house in
Brick Lane Brick Lane () is a street in the East End of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, borough of Tower Hamlets. It runs from Swanfield Street in Bethnal Green in the north, crosses the Bethnal Green Road before reaching the busiest, mo ...
, Spitalfields, leaving at 12:30 a.m. on 31 August. By 1:20 a.m., she had returned to the kitchen of her Flower and Dean Street lodging-house. Fifty minutes later, she was seen by the deputy lodging house keeper, who asked her for the 4d required for her bed. When Nichols replied she did not have the money, she was ordered to leave the premises. Unconcerned, Nichols motioned to her new black velvet
bonnet A bonnet is a variety of headgear, hat or cap. Specific types of headgear referred to as "bonnets" may include Native American *War bonnet, feathered headgear worn as an earned military decoration by high-ranking Plains Indians United King ...
, replying: "I'll soon get my doss money. See what a jolly bonnet I've got now."Begg, ''Jack the Ripper: The Facts'', p. 43 She then left the lodging-house with a likely intention of earning the money to pay for a bed via prostituting herself. Nichols was last seen alive by Emily Holland, walking alone down Osborn Street at approximately 2:30 a.m. (approximately one hour before her death). To Holland, Nichols seemed notably drunk, at one stage slumping against the wall of a grocer's shop. Holland attempted to persuade Nichols to return to her Thrawl Street lodging-house, but Nichols refused, stating: "I have had my lodging money three times today, and I have spent it." Holland noted Nichols seemed unconcerned about her prospects of earning the 4d. required to pay for her bed. The two parted company, with Nichols walking towards Whitechapel Road.


Murder

At 3:40 a.m., a carman named Charles Allen Cross (birth name Lechmere) discovered what he initially believed to be a tarpaulin lying on the ground in front of a gated stable entrance in Buck's Row (renamed Durward Street in 1892), Whitechapel, as he walked to his place of employment in Broad Street. The location was approximately 150 yards from the
London Hospital The Royal London Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is part of Barts Health NHS Trust. It provides district general hospital services for the City of London and London Borough of Tow ...
(now renamed Royal London Hospital) and 100 yards from
Blackwall Buildings Blackwall Buildings were housing blocks built in 1890 in Thomas Street, Whitechapel. Its first tenants were rehoused from an area that had been cleared during railway construction work, and they paid a nominal rent. By the late 1960s the buildings ...
. Upon inspecting the object, Cross discovered the tarpaulin was actually the body of a woman. She lay on her back with her eyes open, her legs straight, her skirt raised above her kneesHoneycombe, ''The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870–1970'', p. 55 and her left hand touching the gate of the stable entrance. Another passing cart driver on his way to work, Robert Paul, approached the location and observed Cross standing in the road, staring at her body. Cross called him over, and both men walked towards the body, which they examined. Cross touched the woman's face, which was still warm, then her hands, which were cold. He expressed his opinion to Paul that the woman was dead, but Paul was uncertain and thought she may simply be
unconscious Unconscious may refer to: Physiology * Unconsciousness, the lack of consciousness or responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli Psychology * Unconscious mind, the mind operating well outside the attention of the conscious mind a ...
. The two pulled her skirt down to cover her lower body, then went in search of a policeman. Upon encountering PC Jonas Mizen at the corner of
Hanbury Street Hanbury Street is a street running from Commercial Street in Spitalfields to Old Montague Street in Whitechapel located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The eastern section is restricted to pedal cycles and pedestrians only. History Th ...
and Baker's Row, Cross informed the constable of their discovery, adding: "She looks to me to be either dead or drunk, but for my part, I believe she's dead." The two men then continued on their way to work, leaving Mizen to inspect their discovery. Shortly before Mizen reached Buck's Row, PC John Neil approached the street from the opposite direction on his beat, illuminating Nichols's body with his
lantern A lantern is a source of lighting, often portable. It typically features a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle, a oil lamp, wick in oil, or a thermoluminescence, thermoluminescent Gas mantle, mesh, and often a ...
. By flashing this lantern, Neil attracted the attention of PC John Thain, as his beat passed the entrance to Buck's Row, shouting: "Here's a woman with her throat cut. Run at once for Dr Llewellyn." Neil then inspected the crime scene to look for blood trails with his lantern. He saw none. He also examined the road, but saw no marks of wheels.Begg, ''Jack the Ripper: The Facts'', p. 48 PC Thain fetched surgeon Dr Llewellyn, who arrived in Buck's Row at 4:00 a.m. Llewellyn observed that two deep knife wounds had been inflicted to the woman's throat, and quickly pronounced her life extinct, determining through the fact her body and legs were still warm that she had been dead for approximately 30 minutes. He then ordered PC Neil to remove the body to the Old Montague Street Mortuary upon a handcart Mizen had fetched, stating: "Move the woman to the mortuary; she is dead. I will make a further examination of her." As news of the murder spread, many individuals converged on the scene. Among them were three horse slaughterers from a neighbouring
knacker A knacker (), knackerman or knacker man is a person who removes and clears animal carcasses (dead, dying, injured) from private farms or public highways and renders the collected carcasses into by-products such as fats, tallow ( yellow gre ...
's yard in Winthrop Street named Harry Tomkins, James Mumford and Charles Britten. Each had been informed of the murder by PC Thain as he walked past them to fetch Dr Llewellyn. All three were interrogated, with Tomkins and Britten admitting to having left their workplace at 12:20 a.m. for approximately thirty minutes, possibly for a drink at the nearby Roebuck public house. All three were eliminated as suspects. Police questioning of all tenants of Buck's Row—including the residents of the property closest to where Nichols's body was discovered—revealed that although several residents had been awake in the early hours, none had seen or heard anything amiss. All police officers patrolling along or near Buck's Row in the early hours of 31 August also reported hearing and seeing nothing suspicious before the discovery of Nichols's body.


Post-mortem

Nichols's body was moved into the Old Montague Street Mortuary at 5:20 a.m. The injuries to her abdomen were discovered by an Inspector Spratling, who immediately sent for Dr Llewellyn, who had initially returned to his home.Begg, ''Jack the Ripper: The Facts'', p. 49 Upon further examination of Nichols's body, Dr Llewellyn discovered that both sides of her face had been bruised by either a fist or the pressure of a thumb before her throat wounds had been inflicted from left to right. One of these two wounds measured eight inches and the other four inches in length; both reached back to her
vertebral column The spinal column, also known as the vertebral column, spine or backbone, is the core part of the axial skeleton in vertebrates. The vertebral column is the defining and eponymous characteristic of the vertebrate. The spinal column is a segmente ...
. Her
vagina In mammals and other animals, the vagina (: vaginas or vaginae) is the elastic, muscular sex organ, reproductive organ of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vulval vestibule to the cervix (neck of the uterus). The #Vag ...
had been stabbed twice, and her abdomen had been mutilated with one deep, jagged wound two or three inches from the left side. Several incisions had also been inflicted across her abdomen, causing her
bowels The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The tract is the largest of the body's systems, after the cardiovascular system. T ...
to protrude through the wounds, and three or four similar cuts ran down the right side of her body. These cuts had also been inflicted with the same knife, estimated to be at least 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) long, and possibly a cork-cutter or shoemaker's knife. Each wound had been inflicted in a violent and downward thrusting manner. Llewellyn further opined his belief the murderer possessed some anatomical knowledge. No organs were missing. Llewellyn estimated the injuries would have taken four to five minutes to complete, and also expressed his surprise at the small amount of blood at the crime scene, "about enough to fill two large wine glasses, or half a pint at the outside". He believed Nichols had been facing her attacker when he had held his hand across her mouth before cutting her throat. Death would have been instantaneous, and all her abdominal injuries, which would have taken less than five minutes to perform, were made by the murderer after she was dead. Llewellyn was able to determine this fact because wounds inflicted to an individual's body after death do not result in blood spattering and may not result in an extensive amount of blood loss from the body.


Identification

An examination of Nichols's possessions revealed she carried no form of identification at the time of her death, with her sole possessions being a white pocket handkerchief, a comb, and a piece of mirror. However, her petticoats were marked 'Lambeth Workhouse P.R.' indicating she may have resided at the workhouse on Princess Road, which had only opened in 1887. Although the matron of this workhouse was unable to identify the body, a workhouse inmate named Mary Ann Monk positively identified the body as that of Mary Ann Nichols at 7:30 p.m. on 31 August. Earlier the same afternoon, Emily Holland also identified the deceased as "Polly" Nichols. This identification was later corroborated by William Nichols the following day. Reportedly, upon confirming Nichols's identity, William had exclaimed: "I forgive you, as you are, for what you have been to me."


Inquest

The official
inquest An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a cor ...
into Nichols's death was opened at the Working Lads' Institute on Whitechapel Road on Saturday, 1 September. This inquest was presided over by the
Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
coroner, Wynne Edwin Baxter. The first day of the inquest saw the jury duly sworn before being taken by the coroner's assistant to view Nichols's body at the mortuary in Pavilion Yard before reconvening at the Working Lads' Institute. The first day of the inquest heard testimony from three witnesses. The first witness to testify was Nichols's father, who stated his daughter had been separated from her husband for "about seven or eight years", and that he had not seen his daughter since Easter, and that she had no enemies. Also to testify was PC John Neil, who testified to his discovery of Nichols's body, adding the actual location of the murder was dimly lit, adding the closest source of illumination was "a street lamp shining at the end of the row". Describing the crime scene and his summoning of assistance, Neil stated: "Deceased was lying lengthways along the street, her left hand touching the gate. I examined the body by the aid of my lamp, and noticed blood oozing from a wound in the throat. She was lying on her back, with her clothes disarranged. I felt her arm, which was quite warm from the joints upwards. Her eyes were wide open. Her bonnet was off and lying at her side, close to the left hand. I heard a constable passing Brady Street, so I called him." In response to questioning from the coroner, Neil conceded Whitechapel Road was "fairly busy" even at the time of his discovery of Nichols's body, and that her murderer could have escaped in that direction. The final witness to testify on the first day of the inquest was Dr Llewellyn. His testimony, as reported in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' on 3 September, is as follows: Following the testimony of Dr Llewellyn, hearings were adjourned until 3 September.


Police testimony

Inspector John Spratling gave evidence on the second day of the inquest. Spratling testified to having first heard of the murder at 4:30 a.m., by which time Nichols's body had been transferred to the mortuary, and confirmed that only PC Neil's beat required him to walk through Buck's Row. His subsequent questioning of several residents revealed none had seen or heard anything amiss. Also to testify was horse slaughterer Harry Tomkins, who testified he had not left his place of work after 1:00 a.m. on 31 August and that he and his colleagues had not heard anything untoward. Questioned as to the noise level in his workplace, Tomkins stated his workplace was "very quiet", although he conceded he had been too far from the crime scene to have heard any cries for help. Two police officers followed Tomkins to the stand. Inspector Joseph Helson testified to his opinion the decedent had not been carried to the spot where her body was found. PC Jonas Mizen testified to having been informed of a woman lying in Buck's Row by a carman at 3:45 a.m. on Friday morning and that when he had arrived at the scene, PC Neil immediately ordered him to fetch a handcart. Charles Cross followed PC Mizen to the stand. He testified to having discovered Nichols's body en route to his workplace, and that he had initially assumed her body to be a tarpaulin, before realising the figure was a woman. He had then heard the footsteps of Robert Paul approaching behind him, and had motioned to him, stating, "Come and look over here; there is a woman lying on the pavement." Cross testified Paul had touched Nichols's heart, stating, "I think she is breathing, but very little, if she is." As both men were late for work, they had then left the woman, resolving to report their discovery to the first policeman they encountered. Questioned as to why neither man had noted the wounds to Nichols's throat, Cross stated Buck's Row was poorly illuminated.


Character testimony

William Nichols also testified on the second day of the inquest. He confirmed he had not seen his wife for approximately three years, and that she left him of her own accord due to her alcoholism. He further testified he had no knowledge of his wife's whereabouts or activities in the years immediately before her murder. Two women who had known Nichols in the years following her separation from her husband then testified before the jury. Emily Holland testified she had resided at the same common lodging-house as Nichols in the summer of 1888, and had observed her to be a "quiet woman" who mostly kept to herself. She stated she had not seen Nichols for about ten days prior to encountering her by chance on Osborne Street in the early hours of 31 August, stating she would soon be back at her lodging house. Mary Ann Monk then testified to having observed Nichols entering a pub in New Kent Road at approximately 7:00 p.m. on the evening prior to her murder. Monk also testified she had no knowledge of how Nichols earned her living.


Day three

The third day of the inquest was held on Monday 17 September. Eight witnesses testified on this date, including Mrs Emma Green, a widow who lived with her three children in the cottage immediately alongside the stable entrance where Nichols's body was found. Green stated she had heard nothing unusual on the night of the murder and that, although rowdy individuals often walked along Buck's Row, all the houses were occupied by hardworking individuals. Also to testify was PC John Thain, who stated his beat typically took him past Buck's Row every thirty minutes, and that he had been signalled onto Buck's Row by PC Neil at 3:45 a.m. Thain testified he had been immediately dispatched to fetch Dr Llewellyn and that the body was taken to the mortuary as he remained in Buck's Row. He had then searched Essex Wharf, the Great Eastern Railway arches, and the District Railway for evidence, but had found nothing. Two of the final witnesses to testify on 17 September were the keeper of the Old Montague Street Mortuary, Robert Mann, and an inmate of the Whitechapel Workhouse named James Hatfield. Mann testified to placing the body inside the mortuary at 5:00 a.m., adding her clothes were not cut before he and Hatfield cut them from her body. Hatfield then testified he and Mann—contrary to instructions given by a Sergeant Enright—had removed all Nichols's clothing in preparation for the arrival of Dr Llewellyn. Following Hatfield's testimony, the coroner adjourned proceedings until 22 September.


Conclusion

On the final day of hearings, signalman Thomas Ede was recalled to expound upon previous testimony he had provided on the third day of hearings regarding having seen a man named Henry James walking with a knife protruding from his pocket at noon on the date of the murder of Annie Chapman. At the conclusion of this final day of hearings, coroner Baxter informed the panel the condition of Nichols's body appeared to prove conclusively that she had been murdered at the location where her body was found. Referencing the murderer's ability to escape detection, Baxter stated: "It seems astonishing, at first thought, that the culprit should have escaped detection, for there must surely have been marks of blood about his person. If, however, blood was principally on his hands, the presence of so many slaughterhouses in the neighbourhood would make the frequenters of this spot familiar with bloodstained clothes and hands, and his appearance might in that way have failed to attract attention while he passed from Buck's Row in the twilight into Whitechapel Road, and was lost sight of in the morning's market traffic." Baxter further referenced the two earlier
Whitechapel murders The Whitechapel murders were committed in or near the impoverished Whitechapel District (Metropolis), Whitechapel district in the East End of London between 3 April 1888 and 13 February 1891. At various points some or all of these eleven unso ...
and the 8 September murder of Annie Chapman, informing the jury: "We cannot altogether leave unnoticed the fact that the death that you have been investigating is one of four presenting many points of similarity, all of which have occurred within the space of about five months, and all within a very short distance of the place where we are sitting. All four victims were women of middle age, all were married, and had lived apart from their husbands in consequence of intemperate habits, and were at the time of their death leading an irregular life." Referencing the direct similarities between Nichols's murder and the murder of Annie Chapman as opposed to the earlier murders of
Emma Smith Emma Hale Smith Bidamon (July 10, 1804 – April 30, 1879) was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement and a prominent member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church) as well as the first wife of Josep ...
and Martha Tabram, Baxter elaborated: "The similarity of the injuries in the urders of Nichols and Chapmanis considerable. There are bruises about the face in both cases; the head is nearly severed from the body in both cases; there are other dreadful injuries in both cases; and those injuries again have in each case been performed with anatomical knowledge ... I suggest to you as a possibility that these two women may have been murdered by the same man with the same object." Baxter further dismissed the possibility of Nichols's murder being connected with the two previous Whitechapel murders, as the murder weapon used was significantly different in both cases, and neither of these victims had received slash wounds to the throat or any
disembowelment Disembowelment, disemboweling, evisceration, eviscerating or gutting is the removal of Organ (biology), organs from the gastrointestinal tract (bowels or viscera), usually through an incision made across the Abdomen, abdominal area. Disembowelm ...
. Following a 20-minute deliberation, the jury, having been instructed to consider precisely how, when, and by what means Nichols came about her death, returned a verdict: "Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown."


Press reaction

Nichols's murder had occurred within a 300-yard radius of the previous murders of Emma Smith and Martha Tabram, and all three murders had occurred in the space of less than five months. Although the ''modus operandi'' of all three murders differed, the geographical similarities led elements of the press to link the three murders. Newspaper editors also suggested Nichols's killing may have been perpetrated by a gang, as had earlier been speculated in relation to Smith's murder. In the days following Nichols's murder, some sections of the Radical press—in particular reporters within '' The Star''—capitalized on the brutal nature of the murders in an effort to vilify
Police Commissioner A police commissioner is the head of a police department, responsible for overseeing its operations and ensuring the effective enforcement of laws and maintenance of public order. They develop and implement policies, manage budgets, and coordinate ...
Sir
Charles Warren Sir Charles Warren (7 February 1840 – 21 January 1927) was a British Army officer of the Royal Engineers. He was one of the earliest European archaeologists of the Biblical Holy Land, and particularly of the Temple Mount. Much of his military ...
, falsely claiming as early as 1 September that widespread dissatisfaction against Warren existed within the Metropolitan Police. A reporter for ''The Star'' newspaper named
Ernest Parke Ernest Parke (26 February 1860–21 June 1944) was a political writer, editor, newspaper proprietor and local politician. In 1890, as the editor of ''The North London Press'', he was imprisoned for libel for his reporting of the Cleveland Stree ...
also suggested in the 31 August edition that a single killer was the culprit. Other publications soon adopted this narrative. Suspicions a serial killer may be at large in the East End led to the
secondment Secondment is the temporary assignment of a member of one organization to another organization. In some jurisdictions, .g., Indiasuch temporary transfer of employees is called "on deputation". Job rotation The employee typically retains their s ...
of Detective Inspectors
Frederick Abberline Frederick George Abberline (8 January 1843 – 10 December 1929) was a British chief inspector for the London Metropolitan Police. He is best known for being a prominent police figure in the investigation into the Jack the Ripper serial kille ...
,
Henry Moore Henry Spencer Moore (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986) was an English artist. He is best known for his semi-abstract art, abstract monumental Bronze sculpture, bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art. Moore ...
and Walter Andrews from the Central Office at
Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original ...
. The subsequent murders of Elizabeth Stride and
Catherine Eddowes Catherine Eddowes (14 April 1842 – 30 September 1888) was the fourth of the Jack the Ripper#Canonical five, canonical five victims of the notorious unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper, who is believed to have killed and Mutila ...
the week after the inquest had closed, and that of
Mary Jane Kelly Mary Jane Kelly ( – 9 November 1888), also known as Marie Jeanette Kelly, Fair Emma, Ginger, Dark Mary and Black Mary, is widely believed by scholars to have been the final victim of the notorious unidentified serial killer Jack the Ripper, w ...
on 9 November, were also linked by a similar ''modus operandi'', and the murders were blamed by the press and public on a single serial killer, known by October 1888 as "Jack the Ripper".


Leather Apron

Local rumours that a local
Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
known as "Leather Apron" may have been responsible for the murders were investigated by the police. This individual was known to have carried a knife and to have frequently intimidated local prostitutes. Imaginative descriptions of "Leather Apron", using crude Jewish stereotypes, frequently appeared in the press in the days following Nichols's murder, although some sections of the London press dismissed this theory as "a mythical outgrowth of the reporter's fancy".
John Pizer John Pizer (21 September 1850 – 7 July 1897) was an English bootmaker in Whitechapel, London. He was the first person accused of being the perpetrator in the Whitechapel murders, but was cleared of suspicion after providing alibis for the two ...
, a Polish Jew who made footwear from leather, was known by the name "Leather Apron"e.g. Marriott, p. 251; Rumbelow, p. 49 Despite there being no
direct evidence In law, a body of facts that directly supports the truth of an assertion without intervening inference. It is often exemplified by eyewitness testimony, which consists of a witness's description of their reputed direct sensory experience of an ...
against him, he was arrested by a Sergeant William Thicke on 10 September. Although Pizer claimed to the contrary, Thicke knew of Pizer's reputation, and that he was known locally by this name. A search of Pizer's home recovered five long-bladed knives. Nonetheless, Pizer was soon released after the confirmation of his alibis on the nights of the two most recent Whitechapel murders. Pizer later successfully obtained monetary compensation from at least one newspaper that had named him as the murderer.


Funeral

Mary Ann Nichols was buried on the afternoon of 6 September 1888. She was laid to rest in the
City of London Cemetery The City of London Cemetery and Crematorium is a cemetery and crematorium in the east of London. It is owned and operated by the City of London Corporation. It is designated Grade I on the Historic England National Register of Historic Parks an ...
, located within the
east London East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...
district of Manor Park. Her body was transported to the cemetery in a hearse supplied by a Hanbury Street undertaker named Henry Smith. The funeral cortège consisted of the hearse carrying her coffin and two mourning coaches, which carried her father, estranged husband, and three of her children. Several thousand people observed the cortège travel from the mortuary to the cemetery.Begg, ''Jack the Ripper: The Facts'', p. 64 Nichols's coffin was of polished
elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus ''Ulmus'' in the family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical- montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ...
, with a brass plaque bearing the inscription, ''Mary Ann Nichols, aged 42; died August 31, 1888''. She was buried in a public grave numbered 210752 (on the edge of the current Memorial Garden). In late 1996, the cemetery authorities decided to formally mark Nichols's unmarked grave with a plaque.


Media


Film

* ''
A Study in Terror A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...
'' (1965). This film casts Christiane Maybach as Mary Ann Nichols. * '' Love Lies Bleeding'' (1999). A
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
directed by William Tannen. Nichols is portrayed by Nancy Bishop in this film. * ''
From Hell ''From Hell'' is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Eddie Campbell, originally published in serial form from 1989 to 1998. The full collection was published in 1999 by Top Shelf Productions. Set during the Whitechapel murders of ...
.'' (2001). Directed by
the Hughes Brothers In professional wrestling, TNT is a tag team consisting of twin brothers Terrell Hughes and Terrence Hughes (born February 25, 1995), the sons of TNA and WWE Hall of Famer Devon "D-Von Dudley" Hughes. Early lives Terrell and Terrence competed ...
, the film casts
Annabelle Apsion Jane Annabelle Apsion (born 17 September 1960 in Hammersmith, London) is an English actress best known for playing Monica Gallagher in the television comedy-drama '' Shameless'' (2004-2013), Joy Wilton in ''Soldier Soldier'' (1991-1995), and Vi ...
as Mary Ann Nichols.


Television

* ''The Real Jack the Ripper'' (2010). Directed by David Mortin, this series casts Stephne Haliburn as Mary Ann Nichols and was first broadcast on 31 August 2010. * ''Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Story'' (2011). A two-hour documentary which references original police reports and eyewitness accounts pertaining to the Whitechapel Murderer. Nichols is portrayed by actress Lorayne Constance in this documentary.


Drama

* ''Jack, the Last Victim'' (2005). This
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
casts Marissa Merewood as Mary Ann Nichols.


See also

*
Cold case ''Cold Case'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series. It ran on CBS from September 28, 2003, to May 2, 2010. The series revolved around a fictionalized Philadelphia Police Department division that specializes in invest ...
*
List of serial killers before 1900 The following is a list of serial killers i.e. a person who murders more than one person, in two or more separate events over a period of time, for primarily psychological reasons''Macmillan Encyclopedia of Death and Dying'' entry o"Serial Killer ...
*
Unsolved murders in the United Kingdom This is an incomplete list of unsolved known and presumed murders in the United Kingdom. It does not include any of the 3,000 or so unsolved murders that took place in Northern Ireland because of the Troubles or any IRA attacks that took place ...


Notes


References


Bibliography

* Begg, Paul (2003). ''Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History''. London: Pearson Education. * Begg, Paul (2006). ''Jack the Ripper: The Facts''. London: Anova Books. * Bell, Neil R. A. (2016). ''Capturing Jack the Ripper: In the Boots of a Bobby in Victorian England''. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. * Cook, Andrew (2009). ''Jack the Ripper''. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Amberley Publishing. * Eddleston, John J. (2002). ''Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopedia''. London: Metro Books. * Evans, Stewart P.; Gainey, P. (2006)
995 Year 995 (Roman numerals, CMXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 17 May - Fujiwara no Michitaka (imperial regent) dies. * 3 June: Fujiwara no Michikane gains power and becomes Rege ...
''Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer''. New York: Kodansha. * Evans, Stewart P.; Rumbelow, Donald (2006). ''Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates''. Stroud: Sutton. * Evans, Stewart P.; Skinner, Keith (2000). ''The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook: An Illustrated Encyclopedia''. London: Constable and Robinson. * Fido, Martin (1987). ''The Crimes, Death and Detection of Jack the Ripper''. Vermont: Trafalgar Square. * Gordon, R. Michael (2000). ''Alias Jack the Ripper: Beyond the Usual Whitechapel Suspects''. North Carolina: McFarland Publishing. * Harris, Melvin (1994). ''The True Face of Jack the Ripper''. London: Michael O'Mara Books Ltd. * Holmes, Ronald M.; Holmes, Stephen T. (2002). ''Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool''. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc. * Honeycombe, Gordon (1982). ''The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870–1970'', London: Bloomsbury Books. * Lane, Brian (1995). ''Chronicle of 20th Century Murder'', Wiltshire: Select Editions. * Lynch, Terry; Davies, David (2008). ''Jack the Ripper: The Whitechapel Murderer''. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions. * Marriott, Trevor (2005). ''Jack the Ripper: The 21st Century Investigation''. London: John Blake. * Rumbelow, Donald (2004). ''The Complete Jack the Ripper: Fully Revised and Updated''. Penguin Books. * Sugden, Philip (2002). ''The Complete History of Jack the Ripper''. Carroll & Graf Publishers. * Waddell, Bill (1993). ''The Black Museum: New Scotland Yard''. London: Little, Brown and Company. * White, Jerry (2007). ''London in the Nineteenth Century''. London: Jonathan Cape. * Whittington-Egan, Richard; Whittington-Egan, Molly (1992). ''The Murder Almanac''. Glasgow: Neil Wilson Publishing. * Whittington-Egan, Richard (2013). ''Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Casebook''. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. * Woods, Paul; Baddeley, Gavin (2009). ''Saucy Jack: The Elusive Ripper''. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing.


External links

* 31 August 1888 '' Evening News'' articl
detailing the murder of Mary Ann Nichols
* 6 November 1888 ''
Maitland Mercury The ''Maitland Mercury'' is Australia's third oldest regional newspaper, preceded only by the ''Geelong Advertiser'' (estab. 1840) and the ''Launceston Examiner'' (estab. 1842). The ''Maitland Mercury'' was established in 1843 when it was called ...
'
news article
detailing the
inquest An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a cor ...
into the murder of Mary Ann Nichols * 2009 ''
Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was foun ...
'' articl
detailing the victims of Jack the Ripper
*
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
article pertaining to th
murders committed by Jack the Ripper


* The Whitechapel Murder Victims: Mary Ann Nichols a
whitechapeljack.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Mary Ann 1845 births 1888 deaths 19th-century English women Burials at City of London Cemetery and Crematorium English domestic workers English female prostitutes English murder victims Female murder victims Jack the Ripper victims People from the City of Westminster Women of the Victorian era