Worth a look?

[Herlock Sholmes]

Pearman wasn't a market Porter, he was a "Fellowship Porter"

This is evidenced by the baptism record of one of his daughters Beatrice in May 1887, when the family were living at 1 White Street (now Vallance Road) that runs from the eastern of Hanbury Street, and then runs North to South up to the Bethnal Green Road/Whitechapel Road.

The family were at 30 Hare Street (now Cheshire st) in 1891, which is practically the same location and may be the same house, but enumerated differently in the census.

A Fellowship Porter worked at the Docks and was responsible for dealing in "measured" quantities of "dry' goods coming in and out of the docks, I.e salt, coal, corn etc...
They were recognizable by their distinctive "white coats" that they wore when moving "clean" or "dry" goods.

Fellowship Porters were different from other Dock porters in that they were allowed to operate within the City of London Square Mile, for which they had the monopoly on.

However, over time; and as the docks expanded and organised labour groups came into the fold, and coupled with corruption, the Fellowship found themselves on the brink of extinction.

They were officially abolished by the City of London Commission in 1894, and as a result many of their former members fell into destitution and poverty.

It was reported that a former Porter after having lost all his work from the Fellowship being abolished, and being giving a final payment as a form of severance pay, purchased alcohol and drank himself to death in the Holborn Infirmary toilets.

I would suggest that seeing as Thomas Pearman had a wife (Ann) and at least 3 children, coupled with having lost his work as a former Fellowship Porter, that this may have been the catalyst for the impact on both his mental and physical health from the abolishment of the Fellowship in 1894 to his eventual demise in the infirmary in 1902.

Thomas was born in Stourbridge, but is not to be confused with another man of the same name also born in Stourbridge who was born a few years later, and who can be found in Wandsworth prison in 1901. He is a red herring.

Ultimately Thomas died of Atrophy, which is specifically a physical deterioration of the body, and despite being labelled as insane, it was his poor physical health that killed him.

Fascinating character indeed.

But for me, not the Ripper.

Thanks Chris.

Born in the same town as Bury.