The Unfortunates

[Limehouse]

Personally, I don't think it matters what these women's objectives were when they were killed. They had a right to live. No one had the right to decide their lives were worthless and to strike them down and rip them open, to be found without dignity or mercy.

It's interesting that, although someone could write the word 'fallen' or 'unfortunate' next to the census return of women who sold sexual favours, nothing would be written next to the name of a man who paid for sex from perhaps several hundred women during his adult lifetime.

Finally, despite the so-called Victorian 'sensibilities' about sex, there were all kinds of 'prostitutes' around. Some, reduced by circumstances, sold themselves to buy a bed for the night or a meal or their next desperately-needed drink. Others were the up-market play things of men in high places. In return for a nice suite of rooms, jewellery and a regular income, they provided 'comfort' to a few well-chosen men.

Sadly, nothing much has changed. Twenty minutes walk from where I live, in a leafy avenue with the houses of the prosperous just yard away, women - some of them as young as 15, sell their bodies to get money for drugs. About two years ago, one of them was dragged into a car park and stabbed to death.

[protohistorian]

whether or not these women were selling sexual favours is irrellevent, the fact stands that individually each was forced by some reality of their individual circumstances to avail themselves to the public domain at hours that their contemporary's associated with the working class and marginalized. In Victorian London, a marginalized, woking class women frequently fell under the rubric of prostitute. The association appears unduly harsh only if one brings modern understandings of whore or prostitute to bear. In the context of 1888 the term unfortunate probably did not carry the negative connotations of the modern definition of whore or prostitute, it was probably not a pejoritive term, and as such would not have implied a concept similar to evil, rather marginalized.

[Brenda]

I did some quickie Google research:

"Interestingly the term 'prostitute' does not appear in the occupational dictionaries used to abstract data in the Census Office. Another euphemism for prostitute 'unfortunate' seems to have been struck out of the census returns, although one enumerator, in 1871, described every prostitute as 'fallen' in the occupational column." [Making Sense of the Census by Edward Higgs]

"How sexual mores affected Ireland’s ‘unfortunate girls’" - an article I found online about prostitution, regarding a book "Prostitution and Irish Society, 1800-1940. By Maria Luddy, Cambridge University Press"

"Another Unfortunate was responding to a fellow-prostitute who, in two letters signed 'One More Unfortunate' ( had described herself as a well-brought up ex-governess deeply ashamed of her fallen condition."
from "The Moving Pageant, A Literary Sourcebook on London Street Life 1700 - 1914." By Rick Allen


Interestingly, I cannot locate any thesaurus that offers "Unfortunate" as an alternative to "Prostitute" or vice versa. Maybe someone has an 1800's dictionary or thesaurus out there?

It seems that "unfortunate" was most definitely a euphemism for "prostitute" in the 1800's. If a woman were simply in bad circumstances, she would more often be described as "poor".

I'm sorry, perrymason, but if its any consolation, the plight of our ladies who fell victim to JTR really bothers me a lot too. One desperately wants to believe that they didn't have to resort to prostitution, but being rational, we have to conclude that this is most likely what they were up to on the nights/mornings they were killed.

Also as another consolation, I also read that the majority Victorian prostitutes weren't "on the game" 24/7 - most of them did pick up odd jobs when they could. These women weren't "evil whores" - they were among the most unlucky people the world has ever known. Yet they were surviving somehow - they were strong women, determined to keep on living no matter what. Till Mr. Ripper came along - he was the one who was "evil"

I would be proud if any of those unfortunates were my ancestor.

Keep a smile in your heart, perrymason!
Brenda

[Supe]

Michael,

I would say it is you who have a confusion with the term "unfortunate." It is abundantly clear from all the contemporary evidence we have that in 1888, at least, "unfortunate" was a common euphemism for casual prostitute, That you think the term has has another meaning really isn't important here because its usage speaks for itself.

And having said that I am sure I will again be accused of "bullying." Really, Michael, your resort when challenged of making yourself out to be a victim is as tedious as your dragging in to any thread Kelly's activities on the night of her death.

Bur dinna greet laddie, I shan't bother answering any of your posts in the future as I have no intention of continuing to play your game. One last question though: Why do you so revel in the term "street whore"? Whore is a particularly ugly pehorative, but you do seem to enjoy throwing it around. Why?

Don.

Michael,

It seems to me that at some point in time many began to feel that the the term "Unfortunate" is synonymous with "Prostitute", or "Street Whore".

Well that "point in time" must have predated November 9, 1888, because in her police statement Mary Cox referred to herself as an "unfortunate." And she had a place to live and permanent address at that moment--and was not going out that night in the rain hawking umbrellas.

Otherwise, I must admit to confusion understanding what your post was about, though you once more return to your "King Charles's Head": whether Mary Jane Kelly went out after entertaining the gentleman with the carroty moustache. Give it a rest.

Don.

Hi Don,

Ill ignore the tone of your post, as I believe its you who have a problem with how things are presented and what entrenched dogmas are being shunned when I post.....but Mary Ann Cox was a woman in unfortunate circumstances, she was not the ideal of the term regardless of who used it in application to her...as you note, she had her own room...not just a bed to pay for each night. It does seem to me that she, along with Mary Jane, might be considered Street Whores more legitimately.

As to my example of a Street Whore that is not an Unfortunate by definition being assumed to have been working clientèle without evidence of it, the same goes for the case I made with the actual Unfortunates Liz and Kate. There is no evidence that any of these 3 women were soliciting the night they are killed. There are many assumptions to that effect...some embraced by you I gather.

Since Annie and Polly openly acknowledge they are seeking clients, not so much speculation there.

I posted this so people would remember that despite assurances from people like you and others that Mary Jane, Liz and Kate were soliciting when they meet their killers, there is in fact no proof of that anywhere in sight. I can take the insults from you and others who say that they must have been...but maybe some newer members might accept that position with some skepticism too if they read this first.

That you dont like what I suggest is abundantly clear, that you can prove it to be incorrect is another matter.

Enough bullying opinions Don...the facts are, we dont know why Liz was there, we dont know why Kate went to Mitre Street, and we have no accepted evidence that Mary went out whoring after 11:45pm November 8th. Like it or not....which is a joke, because I know you hate that kind of idea.

So I posted the thread....reminding people that opinions on what Unfortunates did when we have no records or explanations for their activities are like armpits, we all have them, and some stink.

Regards Don.

[Supe]

Michael,

It seems to me that at some point in time many began to feel that the the term "Unfortunate" is synonymous with "Prostitute", or "Street Whore".

Well that "point in time" must have predated November 9, 1888, because in her police statement Mary Cox referred to herself as an "unfortunate." And she had a place to live and permanent address at that moment--and was not going out that night in the rain hawking umbrellas.

Otherwise, I must admit to confusion understanding what your post was about, though you once more return to your "King Charles's Head": whether Mary Jane Kelly went out after entertaining the gentleman with the carroty moustache. Give it a rest.

Don.

[perrymason]

Hello all,

It seems to me that at some point in time many began to feel that the the term "Unfortunate" is synonymous with "Prostitute", or "Street Whore".That thinking then taints how the person in question views circumstances where the activities of the "Unfortunate" cannot be determined.

For example.....when assessing what the Unfortunate known as Liz Stride is doing near the mens club, or why Kate Eddowes, another unfortunate, heads to Mitre Square that fateful night...or in another example, what a woman... who is not an Unfortunate by definition.... might do at 2am when its raining and she is at home fed and drunk.....assuming their main role is actually that of a prostitute and so their behavior would likely be the same, is not always prudent or warranted.

An Unfortunate to my understanding is a woman who is homeless, or without a permanent address, without work or means to support herself, and has no family, husband or friends caring for her financially.

In order to survive many Unfortunates turned to Prostitution as a sole means of acquiring food, drink and shelter,...but as we can see some Unfortunates made money in ways that are considered legitimate and acceptable even in Victorian times...Liz cleaned rooms, Kate could knit and sew, Maria Harvey takes in laundry. Kate pawned clothing...ok, not hers, but the point is made.

When considering why certain events transpired in the lives of these women, and what may have transpired when we cannot know for sure, I believe its in everyones best interest....including the deceased women, to remember that the life that included prostitution was not necessarily devoid of other ways to earn, nor is it something that they would have automatically embraced willingly, and that when we dont know why they were at certain locations or what they were doing, the suggestion that they were then selling themselves might be dependent on whether they had a bed paid for that night already, whether they had eaten that day or for some days in a row, and in many cases whether their taste for drink was sated. Or even how they felt about doing it on that night....let alone as a forced means of survival.

We can not assume that in periods when activities by the victims are unclear, that they were prostituting themselves. These were after all multi-dimensional people, not characters in a tall tale, and their lives and emotions could be as complex as we could imagine.

All the best folks.