Lodging House Kitchens

[DirectorDave]

How did these operate?

I recall Annie Chapman with her baked potato, I'm assuming that the residents could use them as they please, even people who were known to use that house and not paid their doss money like Annie?

Would there have been pots, pans there for the residents to use? Also the possibility of other cooking implements as cutlery including knifes?

If the murderer was a resident of a lodging house could he "borrow" a knife from the kitchen, returning it after the murders?

Any thoughts on this appreciated.

[GUT]

How did these operate?

I recall Annie Chapman with her baked potato, I'm assuming that the residents could use them as they please, even people who were known to use that house and not paid their doss money like Annie?

Would there have been pots, pans there for the residents to use? Also the possibility of other cooking implements as cutlery including knifes?

If the murderer was a resident of a lodging house could he "borrow" a knife from the kitchen, returning it after the murders?

Any thoughts on this appreciated.

Yep residents could use the kitchen.

Annie must have, I think, been pretty regular there for them to let her use the kitchen, but she probably used it before they knew she couldn't afford her doss.

I doubt from what I've read that cutlery would be provided, too easy to walk off with.

[DirectorDave]

Hi GUT, thanks for the reply.

I doubt from what I've read that cutlery would be provided, too easy to walk off with.

Yes, that's my thinking too. Perhaps stamping cutlery would mean they couldn't be pinched to sell at least. If that's the case, although it wouldn't be "the family silver" perhaps there would be examples of such cutlery survived today.

I'm thinking there may be a old rusty spoon somewhere stamped "Crossingham's LH".

[DirectorDave]

I found some info on the cutlery, from "The Secret World of the Victorian Lodging House" by Joseph O'Neil.

"the better Kitchens provided most things required to cook and eat a meal with the exception of cutlery, which was easily stolen and too dangerous to make available to lodgers. Each lodger had to have his own crockery or utensils or else hire them and those who could not afford such luxuries ate with their hands from newspaper."

[Wickerman]

In many lodging-house kitchens there was just a huge fireplace/range at one end of the room for lodgers and outsiders to cook on, and benches/tables filling the rest of the room. No cutlery, that would be a luxury, and soon go missing.
Kitchen is rather a grand description for a large waiting room with a fireplace. However, these rooms were inspected regularly and cleaned (swilled and swept) nightly. During cleaning the kitchen was closed to everyone.