Cost of living

[iris84]

Was wondering if anyone had any details on the price of living in Whitechapel 1888? So far, I have the following:

4d for a bed at a lodgings house (Based on Mary Ann Nichols having left Thrawl Street to get this money, and John Kelly's statement at Catherine Eddowes's inquest)

Approx 1d for a stamp

6d approx for a days work, again based on John Kelly's statement of that being what he'd earned on Friday before Eddowes death.

Eddowes and John Kelly had pawned John Kelly's boots for 2s 6d.

Does anyone know how much basic essentials would have cost in the area? And also how much drinks such as gin would have cost?

[Pinkerton]

People of the Abyss

I believe if you read the online version of Jack London's "People of the Abyss" he has a really good breakdown of the cost of the various necessities of the day in London. Here's a link to the chapters I had in mind:

http://london.sonoma.edu/Writings/PeopleOfTheAbyss/chapter18.html

http://london.sonoma.edu/Writings/PeopleOfTheAbyss/chapter25.html

Of course Jack London spent the year 1902 in the East End, so you would have to adjust the figures slightly for 1888. I'm not sure how the cost of living would have changed in 14 years during this period. My instinct tells me that it probably didn't change very much but perhaps someone else has more information about this.

[iris84]

Thanks Pinkerton. I'll give it a go as a starting point. Thank you!

[Sam Flynn]

6d approx for a days work, again based on John Kelly's statement of that being what he'd earned on Friday before Eddowes death.

John Kelly had probably done some very menial job to earn that, Iris. For example, he might have done some minor repairs or washed dishes, that sort of thing, perhaps helping out in the lodging-house.

Wages in that part of town were indeed very low, but even costermongers and hawkers, who were among the lowest paid "professionals" in the district, averaged 15s 4d per week, which (assuming a 6-day week) was about 30d per day. Hardly an astronomical sum, but much more than sixpence. (Figures based on Government survey of wages in the East End, September 1887.)

[The Grave Maurice]

John Kelly had probably done some very menial job to earn that....

That's right. Liz Stride got 6d to do a bit of cleaning on the afternoon prior to her murder.