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John Pizer 1850-1897
The following article gives some details about Pizer and his background:
From The Scotsman
"At No 22 Mulberry Street there lives a Mrs Piser, a woman of seventy, who is stepmother to John Piser, the alleged Leather Apron, and her married brother Gabriel, who lives at the house. It is stated that John Piser did not reside at his stepmother's, although he frequented the street. He appears to have slept at common lodging houses, and picked up a living at the slipper trade, at which he was an adept. He was not in regular employment, but two men who have occasionally given him work testify to his good character as a workman. One of these, a Mr Cohen, says that Piser put in an appearance in Mulberry Street on Thursday last, and remained there without showing any signs of uneasiness. H read the papers closely, for he was an active politician. Piser, some of his friends say, was aware that he was supposed to be Leather Apron and that there was a strong feeling growing up against him. On Friday night at 10 o'clock he was seen in the street; and Mr Cohen again met him on Saturday morning, when his appearance betrayed nothing of a suspicious character.....
His relatives, when questioned about the incident, gave a few meagre particulars. The stepmother says he is thirty five or thirty six years of age, and had been at her house since Thursday. He was unmarried, and not very bright in his intellect. He was always welcome, but he was never asked where he had been when he came. The sister declared that Piser was not a man to commit murder, and she was accustomed to trust her children to his charge. He had been ill, and was treated at some hospital, and was afterwards sent to a Convalescent Home. He had never heard of the name of Leather Apron, but, of course, he had one. Mr Nathan, the father of Mrs Piser, jun., had given the man work.....
He lost his father some sixteen years ago. Piser is a dark man of slight build, with small moustache and side whiskers, and his hair is turning grey. There is no foreign accent about his talk, and it is said that he was born in England. Piser is not able to do heavy work by reason of physical infirmity. The owner of a public house in the street says he has known the man for twenty six years. He had the name of being a wastrel but he wore his leather apron whether working or not. He is said to be fond of the society of women.
John Pizer's name at birth was Jacob Pizer, his birth being registered as follows:
Jacob Pizer 1850 Quarter 4
City of London
His parents were Israel and Abigail Pizer, whose maiden name was Abigail Moss. John's parents married in 1842 in City of London, listed as Abigail Moss and Israel Pizer
John's mother died in 1853, listed as follows:
Abigail Pizer City of London
She would have been 42 years of age
John's father, Israel, appears to have remarried in 1854 at St Luke's. The name of his second wife, Augusta, appears to be an Anglicised form. In the 1861 census her name is given as Gusta, but from the marriage record her real name appears to have been Gosta Chlebonski.
The Scotsman article says Piser's father died 16 years before the murders, i,.e. 1872. We know from the 1871 census that his father's forename was Israel. The father's death was listed in 1871 under a variant spelling as follows:
Peiser, Israel
Aged 57
Whitechapel 1c 235
Pizer's own death occurred in 1897 as follows:
John Pizer
Aged 47
Whitechapel 1c 205
Augusta Pizer died in 1903, her age given as 88
Census listings for the family are as follows:
1851:
24 Mitre Street, St James Duke Place
Head: Israel Piza aged 38 born Poland - General dealer
Wife: Abigail Piza aged 40 born St Saviours, Surrey
Child: John aged 7 months born St James
Mother in Law:
Elizabeth Moss aged 63 born St james - Seamstress
1861:
32 Gowers Walk, Whitechapel
Head: Israel Pizer aged 48 born Poland - General dealer
Wife: Gusta Pizer aged 39 born Poland
Children:
Janet aged 4 born Stepney
Samuel aged 7 months born Whitechapel
Mother in Law:
Leah Cohen aged 65 born Poland
It seems odd that at the time of the 1861 census, when John would have been only 8 or 9 years of age, he is not listed with the family at Gowers Walk.
However, what appears to be him (allowing for a slight difference in his age as calculated by the family in 1888) is listed as follows in 1861:
German Jews Hospital, Stepney
Inmate:
John Piser aged 10 born Aldgate.
1871:
22 Mulberry Street
Head: Israel Pizer aged 58 born Poland - Traveller
Wife: Augusta Pizer aged 50 born Poland
Child:
Samuel G aged 10 born Stepney
Mother in Law: Leah Cohen aged 76 born Poland
1881:
22 Mulberry Street
Head: August Pizer (Widow) aged 61 born Germany
Children:
Jeanette aged 27 born Germany
Gabriel aged 25 born Germany
Barnett aged 21 born Germany
Lodgers:
Jacob Joseph aged 30 born Germany
Isaac Leechman aged 21 born Germany
1891:
22 Mulberry Street
Head: Samuel Pizer aged 30 born St George E - Cabinet manufacturer
Wife: Judith Pizer aged 26 born Poland
Children:
Leah aged 7
Israel aged 6
Bernard aged 5
Florence aged 2
Ethel aged 1
All born in Stepney
Mother:
Augusta Pizer aged 60(?)
1901:
10 Sutton Street, St George East
Head: Samuel Pizer aged 40 born Whitechapel - Cabinet maker
Children:
Leah aged 17
Israel aged 16 - Clerk in Boot factory
Bernard aged 15
Florence aged 12
All born in Stepney
Mother:
Augusta Pizer aged 83 born Germany
Of course there are still gaps to fill - principally, the whereabouts of Pizer himself, especially in 1881 and 1891. If I find anything on these I will post them here.
The following article gives some details about Pizer and his background:
From The Scotsman
"At No 22 Mulberry Street there lives a Mrs Piser, a woman of seventy, who is stepmother to John Piser, the alleged Leather Apron, and her married brother Gabriel, who lives at the house. It is stated that John Piser did not reside at his stepmother's, although he frequented the street. He appears to have slept at common lodging houses, and picked up a living at the slipper trade, at which he was an adept. He was not in regular employment, but two men who have occasionally given him work testify to his good character as a workman. One of these, a Mr Cohen, says that Piser put in an appearance in Mulberry Street on Thursday last, and remained there without showing any signs of uneasiness. H read the papers closely, for he was an active politician. Piser, some of his friends say, was aware that he was supposed to be Leather Apron and that there was a strong feeling growing up against him. On Friday night at 10 o'clock he was seen in the street; and Mr Cohen again met him on Saturday morning, when his appearance betrayed nothing of a suspicious character.....
His relatives, when questioned about the incident, gave a few meagre particulars. The stepmother says he is thirty five or thirty six years of age, and had been at her house since Thursday. He was unmarried, and not very bright in his intellect. He was always welcome, but he was never asked where he had been when he came. The sister declared that Piser was not a man to commit murder, and she was accustomed to trust her children to his charge. He had been ill, and was treated at some hospital, and was afterwards sent to a Convalescent Home. He had never heard of the name of Leather Apron, but, of course, he had one. Mr Nathan, the father of Mrs Piser, jun., had given the man work.....
He lost his father some sixteen years ago. Piser is a dark man of slight build, with small moustache and side whiskers, and his hair is turning grey. There is no foreign accent about his talk, and it is said that he was born in England. Piser is not able to do heavy work by reason of physical infirmity. The owner of a public house in the street says he has known the man for twenty six years. He had the name of being a wastrel but he wore his leather apron whether working or not. He is said to be fond of the society of women.
John Pizer's name at birth was Jacob Pizer, his birth being registered as follows:
Jacob Pizer 1850 Quarter 4
City of London
His parents were Israel and Abigail Pizer, whose maiden name was Abigail Moss. John's parents married in 1842 in City of London, listed as Abigail Moss and Israel Pizer
John's mother died in 1853, listed as follows:
Abigail Pizer City of London
She would have been 42 years of age
John's father, Israel, appears to have remarried in 1854 at St Luke's. The name of his second wife, Augusta, appears to be an Anglicised form. In the 1861 census her name is given as Gusta, but from the marriage record her real name appears to have been Gosta Chlebonski.
The Scotsman article says Piser's father died 16 years before the murders, i,.e. 1872. We know from the 1871 census that his father's forename was Israel. The father's death was listed in 1871 under a variant spelling as follows:
Peiser, Israel
Aged 57
Whitechapel 1c 235
Pizer's own death occurred in 1897 as follows:
John Pizer
Aged 47
Whitechapel 1c 205
Augusta Pizer died in 1903, her age given as 88
Census listings for the family are as follows:
1851:
24 Mitre Street, St James Duke Place
Head: Israel Piza aged 38 born Poland - General dealer
Wife: Abigail Piza aged 40 born St Saviours, Surrey
Child: John aged 7 months born St James
Mother in Law:
Elizabeth Moss aged 63 born St james - Seamstress
1861:
32 Gowers Walk, Whitechapel
Head: Israel Pizer aged 48 born Poland - General dealer
Wife: Gusta Pizer aged 39 born Poland
Children:
Janet aged 4 born Stepney
Samuel aged 7 months born Whitechapel
Mother in Law:
Leah Cohen aged 65 born Poland
It seems odd that at the time of the 1861 census, when John would have been only 8 or 9 years of age, he is not listed with the family at Gowers Walk.
However, what appears to be him (allowing for a slight difference in his age as calculated by the family in 1888) is listed as follows in 1861:
German Jews Hospital, Stepney
Inmate:
John Piser aged 10 born Aldgate.
1871:
22 Mulberry Street
Head: Israel Pizer aged 58 born Poland - Traveller
Wife: Augusta Pizer aged 50 born Poland
Child:
Samuel G aged 10 born Stepney
Mother in Law: Leah Cohen aged 76 born Poland
1881:
22 Mulberry Street
Head: August Pizer (Widow) aged 61 born Germany
Children:
Jeanette aged 27 born Germany
Gabriel aged 25 born Germany
Barnett aged 21 born Germany
Lodgers:
Jacob Joseph aged 30 born Germany
Isaac Leechman aged 21 born Germany
1891:
22 Mulberry Street
Head: Samuel Pizer aged 30 born St George E - Cabinet manufacturer
Wife: Judith Pizer aged 26 born Poland
Children:
Leah aged 7
Israel aged 6
Bernard aged 5
Florence aged 2
Ethel aged 1
All born in Stepney
Mother:
Augusta Pizer aged 60(?)
1901:
10 Sutton Street, St George East
Head: Samuel Pizer aged 40 born Whitechapel - Cabinet maker
Children:
Leah aged 17
Israel aged 16 - Clerk in Boot factory
Bernard aged 15
Florence aged 12
All born in Stepney
Mother:
Augusta Pizer aged 83 born Germany
Of course there are still gaps to fill - principally, the whereabouts of Pizer himself, especially in 1881 and 1891. If I find anything on these I will post them here.
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