Butchers' Row, Aldgate

[Chris]

The retired City of London CID Inspector, Robert Sagar, is said to have referred to a suspect who worked in Butchers' Row, Aldgate. A detailed discussion can be found in Scott Nelson's dissertation here:

http://www.casebook.org/dissertations/rip-butchersrow.html

On another thread I posted a report from the Jewish Chronicle in 1877 on the award of prizes by the Shechitah Board to the employees of the best-conducted slaughterhouses in Aldgate, offered "with the view of encouraging the humane treatment of the animals by the men employed in the slaughter-houses used by Jews":

http://forum.casebook.org/showpost.php?p=124992&postcount=23

A less rosy picture of conditions in Butchers' Row is painted by this excerpt from "The Toynbee Record" of December 1899 (available at Google Books):


It's interesting that this description appears to imply that (at least in 1899) only the row of shops running eastwards from number 62 to the junction with Mansell Street was known as Butchers' Row. I believe that in 1888 all but two of these were the shops of butchers or meat salesmen. Scott's dissertation includes a photograph of number 62, showing the entrance to Harrow Alley.

[Chris]

Here is a photograph of Butchers' Row from "The Real Dickens Land", by H. Snowden Ward and Catharine Weed Barnes Ward (1904), which is available at Google Books. Unfortunately it hasn't scanned very well, but I reckon it shows numbers 43-55 (or thereabouts). For comparison, below is an image from Google Street View, showing the buildings that still survive today (seen in the centre of the old photo).

[Chris]

This picture taken from a different angle makes the comparison a bit clearer:

[Rob Clack]

Here's the 1889 Directory covering that section of Aldgate High Street:



And a couple of photos covering parts of that area.




Rob

[Suzi]

Hi Rob
Seen these wonderful pics when I was trawling for the 'Orse thing- Looking at this though there's a hell of a lot of 'carcass'- 'carcase' personages in a short area!! 50- 60 that's before you get to the 'Purveyors' !
Gawd in the front door and never came out of the back- or was it the other way round! Send it next door and flog it in the purveyor's business!!!

Looks like 11 'carcasers' and 3 'purveyors' - a purveyor and a half at each end!!!

There must have been a hell of a number of slaughter yard(s) running between 50-60 Aldgate to accommodate that number of 'carcasers'

Maybe just one HUGE one

Hmmmmmm (Bigger than Barber's Yard in Winthrop St could cope with I'm sure!)

- I feel an article coming on!!

Butcher's Row indeed- couldn't get a fag paper between 'em it seems!!!

[Chris]

And a couple of photos covering parts of that area.

Brilliant. Those photos are much clearer - to the extent that "CHRISTR HILL" can be made out in front of number 47 in the 1908 one, just as in the 1889 directory. (I think we can be pretty sure that Hill was not Sagar's man, though, as he seems to have lived at Wanstead and died in 1890 aged 76. In 1908 there is a reference in the London Gazette to Alexander Davies of 47, Aldgate High-street, London, E.C., trading as Christopher Hill, Wine and Spirit Merchant.)

[Suzi]

Brilliant. Those photos are much clearer - to the extent that "CHRISTR HILL" can be made out in front of number 47 in the 1908 one, just as in the 1889 directory. (I think we can be pretty sure that Hill was not Sagar's man, though, as he seems to have lived at Wanstead and died in 1890 aged 76. In 1908 there is a reference in the London Gazette to Alexander Davies of 47, Aldgate High-street, London, E.C., trading as Christopher Hill, Wine and Spirit Merchant.)

But still a hell of a lot of them slaughterers and them carcase men in between the 'proper shops' !!!!

[Chris]

There must have been a hell of a number of slaughter yard(s) running between 50-60 Aldgate to accommodate that number of 'carcasers'

Maybe just one HUGE one

Hmmmmmm (Bigger than Barber's Yard in Winthrop St could cope with I'm sure!)

This is actually something I don't really understand. There was a big one, but the description I posted earlier also says that there were small ones behind the shops. I'm not sure who ran the large one, as I haven't seen it listed in directories.

I hope Scott Nelson won't mind my reposting the map that accompanied his dissertation, which shows the large slaughterhouse behind the pub at number 47. Actually on that map he shows Butchers' Row extending only as far as no 62 - as in the description I posted earlier - though in the dissertation he does also cover the businesses further west, as far as the Minories.

[Rob Clack]

This is the Goad Map for that portion of the street. Dated October 1889.



Rob

[Monty]

Little threads like these are freakin awesome in my opinion.

Many thanks to Chris and Rob for the info.

Kudos to Scott Nelson for presenting his work into what is, in my most humblest of opinions, a fairly essential piece of the Whitechapel Murders long and elaborate story.

If any one hasnt read Scotts work my advice is to do so. Equally, if anyone comes across Chris's posts I suggest you read them. Rarely are they pointless and always informative.

Thanks for the work guys.

Monty

[Chris]

Rob

That's even more brilliant.

I almost asked earlier if you had the Goad Plan, but thought it was too much to hope for. I shall have to study the plan carefully, but at first sight the interesting thing is that the large slaughterhouse seems to be absent in October 1889 - there are only cattle pens, cattle sheds and stables. It is certainly indicated in that area on the 1873 O.S. map, but it seems that either that was an error, or things had been reorganised by the late 1880s.

Monty

Thanks for the kind words - though for an awful moment I thought you had written that my posts were "Rarely informative and always pointless" ...

[Monty]

Chris,

That is what I put didnt I? Let me re-read it.....

......oh bugger

Monty

[Pablito]

hi guys, i wonder if any of you know about any Irish butchers who were suspects or interviewed at the time, and may have worked in Butchers Row?

Fab photos by the way. The Hoop and Grapes is one of my favourite pubs, was there only last week!

Thanks

[Rob Clack]

Hi Chris,

I've got Goads for most of the area (the parts that one done anyway) And mostly the relevant years.

The next year I've got for it is 1939. I don't know if it will help comparing the two.



Rob

[Natalie Severn]

Splendid these Goad maps.Thanks for posting them Rob,
Best
Norma