The Yards

[Bridewell]

How many of the Whitechapel Murders have a connection to yards? Leaving aside Scotland Yard we have:
Martha Tabram killed in George Yard Buildings in George Yard.
Mary Ann Nichols killed in the gateway of Brown's Yard
Annie Chapman in the rear yard of 29, Hanbury Street
Liz Stride in Dutfields Yard
Kate Eddowes outside the yard of Heydemann & Co in Mitre Square
Mary Kelly killed in Millers Court which was not called a yard but could be likened to one.
This could be accounted for, in part, by that fact that yards were plentiful in the area, but could there be any advantage /significance for the killer in the choice of such locations? It wouldn't apply in the case of Dutfields but if an athletic man could scale a yard gate he would get into a secure area and buy himself some time. Any thoughts?

Regards, Bridewell.

[Monty]

Or it could be to do with the fact prostitute take their clients to such spots. Either using the yard or its entrance as cover.

Monty

[Bridewell]

Fair Enough

Or it could be to do with the fact prostitute take their clients to such spots. Either using the yard or its entrance as cover.

Monty

Fair comment, but weren't there better locations - for Polly's purposes - on and around Bucks Row, than the gateway to Browns Yard?

Regards, Bridewell.

[Rubyretro]

A very interesting question, Colin...

I would agree with Monty, on the surface of it -in front of the yard gates was in a recess (?) (at least hidden by the school), and obviously not directly under/in front of any householder's windows.

Still, your idea of scaling the gates is a good point. I was going to pooh-pooh it at first, but then I remembered coming home after a short holiday, turning the key in the lock, and hearing the sound of someone leaving my house at high speed via the roof.

Infact, I was in the process of having an attic convertion , and there was a hole in the roof where a stairwell was destined (covered by plastic). In the
'stairwell' there were yet to be stairs, the ladder had been taken away, and there was a fair straight drop.

Infact a thief, had got onto the rooves of the row of terraced houses via an empty house further along, and had moved the plastic aside and jumped down the hole ! (he had apparently been 'living' in the house since). The point is -when the bloke heard voices by the front door and the scrabbling for keys, he climbed up a seemingly impossible height in seconds and was away. When I heard the man leaving, I actually ran at full pelt into the road behind and saw the back of him make away....he wasn't even very tall ; He just must have been very athletic...wiry.

So -I know that your scenario is a possibility.

[Lechmere]

George Yard Buildings wasn't a yard.
I don't think brown's Stable yard had an opening above tge yard door to scramble over and the gate wasn't recessed much from the house frontage. Bucks row was fairly bare.
The 'yards' at mitre square didn't opened into an escape route.
Miller's Court was similarly something of a one way rat trap.
There may have been fence hopping options at Hanbury Street.
I have seen it said that the Stride murder scene offered no escape route except Berner Street. I am not entirely convinced of that for a very agile culprit, looking at detailed maps.

[Bridewell]

George Yard Buildings wasn't a yard.

Hi Lechmere,

George Yard Buildings was in George Yard which wasn't a yard either. The connection, in some cases, is simply the name. I just thought the (loose) connection of so many murders with yards was interesting, if ultimately irrelevant.

I don't think Brown's Stable yard had an opening above the yard door to scramble over and the gate wasn't recessed much from the house frontage

I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the info. What was above the yard gate?
Regards, Bridewell.

[vals]

In a dimly lit world, I imagine that the yards, which weren't main thoroughfares, would be darker still, with pools of total blackness, where wickedness could be done - or, if needs be, hidden in, temporarily. Even if there was only one way in and out, if a passer by was to hear something or see something going on, a perpetrator could probably hide themselves for a short while. If the 'discoverer' wanted to raise the alarm they would have to go off to find a policeman and this would give an opportunity for the person hiding to make their escape.

[Phil H]

The range of places which are CALLED a "yard" is surely just sympomatic of the nature of Whitechapel/Spitalfields. It was a term - like "docks" or the American use of the word "yard" as in (backyard - every homee has one). In the UK we perhaps don't refer to things as "yards" now - builders' yards etc maybe, but less generically.

I think the key factor in the locations - and you have of course chosen selectively - is that the women knew them to be dark, relatively private but accessible places. Also there qwere wooden fences, gates etc there against which they could lean and which would "give" rather more than a brick wall.

The stable entry in which Nichols was killed was just the shallowest of recesses where the double gates were set back a few inches.

I wonder what common parlance was for the communal area behind 29 Hanbury St?

Mitre Square it seems to me was Mitre SQUARE - the "yard" connection is very obscure.

Miller's Court was neither referred to as a "yard" nor looks like one - more like an alley or cul-de-sac.

But then probably "Jack" had a grudge against Scotland YARD and wanted to make a point.

Phil H

[DGB]

I vaguely remember an article by Wolf Vanderlinden in RN, where he quoted a book about Victorian prostitutes, which said that they preferred 'completing their transactions' against a softer surface such as a wooden gate or fence.

Therefore yard entranceways would offer double the attraction given the cover mentioned above.

[Monty]

Heydemanns Yard, Mitre Square.

Monty

[Robert]

Police described the murderer as "unhinged."

[moonbegger]

Hello Bridewell ,

I had much the same thoughts , only along different lines ..

Each of the victims were found positioned with a their head close to a Door and a gate at their feet !

Polly .. Front door of New Cottage ( Head ) Browns Gate (Feet).

Annie .. Yard door ( Head ) wooden gate (feet).

Liz .. Club door (Head) Dutfields Yard gates (feet) .

Kate .. Heydemanns Yard door ( head ) BishopsGATE ( feet )

Mary .. Room door ( Head ) fire GATE (feet)

Is this why Mary was moved , and the fire started ?

I would have included Martha , but i run out of my moon logic

cheers

moonbegger .

[Wickerman]

Mitre Square it seems to me was Mitre SQUARE - the "yard" connection is very obscure.

Eddowes body lay outside a large gate, the rear entrance to another yard and several houses.

Regards, Jon S.

[Bridewell]

and you have of course chosen selectively

Martha Tabram and the five chosen by Sir Melville MacNaghten.

Regards, Bridewell.