Frank Cater-Bethnal Green Road

[Sluggo]

Hello,
I would like to enlist some help regarding any information about Frank Cater of Bethnal Green Road, other than the press report of the Times (London, October 1888). I have scoured the Casebook and I am unable to find any further information about Frank Cater other than he has an ancestor.
Can anyone please tell me if it has been confirmed that he did indeed live at Bethnal Green Road in 1888? If so, what was his occupation?

Thank you in advance,

Best Regards,

D. Chavira (Sluggo)

Quote: "One of the first principles of solving crime is, never to disregard anything! No matter how trivial...

[MrBarnett]

Hi,

Are you looking for a cheesemonger by any chance? There was a Frank Cater of that occupation living at 400 B. Green Road in 1891. Born in Dalston, aged 29, married to Lydia, 3 kids... could this be your man?

Oh, and a servant Amelia Spooner, but she probably knew him as Crank Fater.

MrB

[Sluggo]

Hi,

Are you looking for a cheesemonger by any chance? There was a Frank Cater of that occupation living at 400 B. Green Road in 1891. Born in Dalston, aged 29, married to Lydia, 3 kids... could this be your man?

Oh, and a servant Amelia Spooner, but she probably knew him as Crank Fater.

MrB

Hello Mr. Barnett,
I am actually not sure. The Frank Cater I am referring to is in reference to the Hand Bill found with Catherine Eddowes at the crime scene in Mitre Square. I cannot seem to find any additional information regarding this man. Seems curious to me that no-one at the time thought to investigate this hand bill and the persons name upon it. The press editions, The Times (London), People (London) October 1888 report this hand bill as one of Kate's possessions.
I appreciate any information regarding this subject.

Best Regards,

D. Chavira (Sluggo)

[Robert]

This Frank Cater seems to have subsequently had a fourth child and died Finchley 1950, leaving £149. Lydia died Bromley 5 years later.

[MrBarnett]

Do you know what happened to the cheese???

But seriously, Cater is not a common name and the address is close enough to suggest it is the same person or at least a family member. A grocer of some sorts who may well have handed out a few flyers to potential customers.And Kate may have been carrying it as emergency toilet paper or to wrap something in. Nothing obviously suspicious there - unless you know something we don't, Sluggo???

Regards,

MrB

[Sam Flynn]

But what happened to the cheese???

It somehow got a-whey

[Robert]

Re the cheese, I have always had strong opinions regarding a certain mouse, and the more I think the matter over, the stronger do these opinions become. The truth however will never be known, and did indeed at one time lie at the bottom of the Thames, if my conjectures be correct.

[Ginger]

The Frank Cater I am referring to is in reference to the Hand Bill found with Catherine Eddowes at the crime scene in Mitre Square.

Hi Sluggo;

Have you thought of applying to London-area dealers in paper ephemera? If Cater conducted a lot of advertising through handbills, and especially if they were funny, had attractive illustrations, etc., then some examples may be known.

[MrBarnett]

Imagine the scene: Abberline leans over the terrified witness and screams: 'Tell me what you saw. '

Witness: 'I saw a mouse'

Abberline: 'Where?'

Witness: 'There on the stair.'

Abberline: 'Where on the stair?'

Witness: 'Right there. A little mouse with clogs on.'

MrB

[Robert]

Abberline followed the trail to old Hamsterdam but the cheese was terribly old and even Walter Mildew couldn't help.

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Slugg. I researched Frank and his brother way back in the day. Even had a photo of them at one point. There was apparently no connection between them and the murder. The handbill was simply one of many pieces of rubbish in the square.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[MrBarnett]

In October, 1891 Frank Cater was summoned to Worship Street Police Court on the charge of having sold margarine as butter. He was fined £14 with 31s 6d costs (Lloyds Weekly 8th November, 1891).

As sentence was passed, a voice cried out from the gallery: ' I see you've got the ripper at last'.


MrB

Sluggo,

Apologies for the mixture of the serious and the silly. The court case is genuine. As to whether Abberline was there, I can only surmise. It had been a quiet few years for him, though, so perhaps he would have been keen to get stuck into some real police work!

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Mr. B. Yes, the margarine incident was highly suspicious, but upon trailing the suspect for days, the police discovered that he did in fact muzzle his dog, so naturally all suspicion was removed from Cater. However, he was told to 'Keep your handbills to yourself!' and received a reprimand for littering.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Lechmere]

I can't believe it's not butter

[MrBarnett]

Hi Tom,

For this newbie it is an honour to receive a direct response from a 5000+er (genuinely).

As for the reprimand handed out to Frank for 'littering' - I hope that means dropping rubbish on the floor and has nothing to do with him muzzling his dog....

MrB