Was Whitechapel really any worse than other areas of London?

[The Station Cat]

Islington Gazette

Tuesday 3rd July 1900 EX CONSTABLE.

An ex-constable Walter LOCKNEY 27 address and occupation refused, was charged with disorderly conduct and assaulting Police Constable Wagg 328G at Pentonville Road, Islington.On being arrested for disorderly behaviour the prisoner threw the officer to the ground and kicked him on the right knee.Prisoner has been in the force himself and has often been before the court for offences similar to the present one. It took four officers to remove the prisoner from the charge room to the station cell and he assaulted two of them on the way one of them being Constable WAGG, when he again attacked striking him about the head and chest.The alledged disorderly conduct consisyed of pushing people from the pavement by pretended drunkeness.Prisoner on oath denied the allegations against him and said the police made a dead set against him because he had formerly been a constable. His throwing WAGG to the gorund was the result of accident. He had only been fetched out of prison by his wife just before this occurred. Mr Chapman said he could not overlook the conduct of the prisoner who ought to have known so well how to behave himself towards the police. He would go to prison for one month's hard labour.

[The Station Cat]

Islington Gazette Tuesday

24th August 1897

Ann Straines, aged 40, a machinist, of no fixed abode, was charged with sleeping in the open air without visible means subsistence and with exposing her two children, Emma, aged eight years, and Daisy, aged six years, in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to health at James’swalk. Police-constable Allen, 292 G, said that morning he saw the prisoner with two children asleep a doorstep in Sutton street, roused them and they walked away. A little later he saw the prisoner and her children asleep in St. Jamea’s-walk, roused her and asked her if she had any money. She replied that she had none, and that she left the workhouse week ago. The constable added that the children were very cold and very tired. Joseph Wilkes, officer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said his attention was called to the prisoner as early as May last. She then had two other children with her, and had been found sleeping on the stairs of model buildings. She was widow, and had seven children. Two were in the Mitcham parochial schools, one on the ship Shaftsbury, one living with its grandfather, and one service. The other two she took with her from place to place. Early in the year she met with accident one her knees, and was unable to work. She had said she would rather die than to the workhouse. Mr. Horace Smith— Then you'll have to go to prison, and your children will be taken care of someone else. The prisoner (weeping)—What have I done to sent prison. Mr. Windebank (School Board officer)—She wants the parish authorities to look after her children and allow her out of the workhouse, but they won’t do that. Mr. Horace Smith (to the prisoner.)—Will you go to the workhouse ? The prisoner—No, I won’t. Mr. Horace Smith—Then you will have to be charged with neglecting your children. You can’t allowed to drag them through the streets all night long. I’ll remand you now for week.

[miss marple]

And the Cholera epidemics that decimated the London population in the early 19th century. The last one was 1854. They thought cholera was caused by a 'miasma' bad air, Dr John Snow in Soho discovered the connection between infected water and cholera in the 1850s in an infected water pump.

[Pcdunn]

Probably smellier, too, with the Thames being so close.

Remember the Great Stink of 1858?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Stink

Sometimes it takes a sewer engineer to make a city civilized.

[miss marple]

It's the East End including Bethnal Green that was was regarded as the worst part of London in terms of poverty and desperation.Old Nichol was notorious. Seven Dials in Covent Garden was pretty bad in Dickens day [he died 1870] but was improving by the late 80s.

The East End was the centre of the sweated trades, such as tailoring and of course the docks, so it was more industrialised than other parts of london.


Miss marple

[The Station Cat]

Just thought I'd throw this question out there...............

Was Whitechapel really any worse then any other area of London?

Let's just say for the sake of argument (and putting Jack's crimes to one side for a minute), what made Whitechapel any worse than other parts of London?

I've been doing some research, which incorporated the Clerkenwell area of London and have discovered some truly awful cases that give Whitechapel's reputation a good run for it's money (am happy to share if anyone takes up this discussion).

There's also "The Old Nichol" area of Bethnal Green which by all accounts was horrendous!!

So what made Whitechapel so bad?