What social class did Jack the Ripper belong to?

[Michael W Richards]

If I am making a Hollywood film he is a West End surgeon with top hat and cape, driving a black carriage through the streets of Whitechapel; clicking down the cobblestones, a giant black steed snorts steam from its nostrils. When not at his trade (of butchering whores) you can find him in Leicester Square rubbing elbows with the theater crowd.

But if I actually want to find him I am looking for a horse slaughterer or hog butcher living south of Commercial Street (I don't buy Stride as a victim; south of Commercial Street was his safe zone, he didn't kill there.) He lived a site better than the poverty to his north; employed full time he lives alone, a recent widow, or if never married, he has just lost his mother, with whom he had been living.

He was working class!

The evidence suggests a local man, someone non-descript, and someone likely in a trade involving butchering animals. At least that's most peoples view...despite the fact that in September the police looked at medical practitioners and students. Either way, he likely had work, and as a butcher, he was already out every night preparing his meats...like Isenschmidt.

[John G]

Probably working-class class. Almost certainly a local, otherwise the focus on such a tiny geographical area makes no sense whatsoever.

[Christian]

Working class for sure Someone who would blend in not stand out on some rough dangerous streets and courts and therefore if needed would be quite handy in a fight or cornered !! Also without a doubt a long standing local who knew every alley - road- court-dead end back in 1880s area was a warren and labyrinth unlike today’s east end that’s my thoughts

[seanr]

I voted 'None of the above' as I'm not sure he'd even fit within the terms of what would be called working class. Charles Booth described, somewhat unkindly, the population of some of the impoverished areas of London as a 'criminal class'. I tend to think the Ripper was one of those.

Although, the question of what he did with the stolen organs (if indeed he took organs with him to his home) does rather trouble me, as on the face of it he would have to have some place of privacy, where the presence of human organs would not be questioned and concerning. Owning such a space does somewhat suggest someone of the working class or upper working class, as a minimum.

[John Wheat]

Working class.

[Abby Normal]

How so? There's nothing to suggest that he couldn't have been a casual worker.

hi sam
i think the ripper needed a place of his own and did have one, a bolt hole of some sort to bring his goodies back, clean up etc. this suggests steady employment. so as i said, probably upper working class. also to lure and have money to entice his victims he probably had money in his pocket. and the witness descriptions tend toward upper working class with steady employment as opposed to poor and or casual employment. so:

1. place of own, however modest for bolt hole
2. money in pocket, ease in convincing victims hes legit.
3. witness descriptions-seems to be a bit higher in class/ employment than his victims.

all point toward he was steady (upper)working class and not poor or casual worker.

and btw im arguing against my favored subject hutch in this case as hutch seems to be in the casual worker lower working class category. so if anyone ever accuses me of interpreting evidence to suit my favored candidate you can **** off because obviously I dont. : )