1872 Licensing Laws

[Chava]

In 1872 the licensing laws changed--after a lot of opposition. After that date, pubs and gin palaces had to close at midnight. However at least two victims were lost to sight after midnight and did not surface until their bodies were found. Nicholls and Chapman were both drunk when last seen. What happened to them between the last sighting and the killing? I wonder if the Ripper carried a flask of gin with him and that's how he got them on-side ahead of the murders as they could not have bought liquor in a public house. I'm sure that pubs did serve customers after hours but I doubt they would have taken a chance on serving confirmed drunks like these women. Also I cannot help but mark that my favourite suspect Mr Blotchy was seen with a can of ale or beer as he went up Millers Court with MJK.

[Cogidubnus]

Lock Ins

When I was growing up in Brighton the pubs shut (officially) at 11pm...However, if you were a reasonably responsible drinker (if such isn't a contradiction in terms) and knew where to go, then you could certainly still be drinking most nights at 1am, if not later at weekends...ok perhaps the tray would be out of the till and the cloths officially over the pumps...but service continued as normal...

The same pattern follows today even in a far less urban setting...show me a pub with an official closing time of 11 or 12...I'll show you a place where weekends at least you can still get a drink and a game of brag at 2am...and these aren't night clubs...just pubs (such as survive) off the beaten track...

I've no reason to believe the 1888 backstreets of Whitechapel were any less liberal in their interpretation of the law...

All the best

Dave

[Chava]

I think the laws may have been interpreted very liberally indeed. But I doubt they served too many whores if only because having them in the pub could lead to problems if they were raided. A bloody-minded copper might do them for keeping a disorderly house as well as breaking the licensing laws. I imagine, if you were known to the publican, you could probably get a quiet drink any time until he went to bed. But it would have been for regular customers only. Annie Chapman et al were too ambulatory, I think, to be 'regulars' in that sense. And MJK for sure was out of the pub at chucking-out-time with Mr Blotchy and that pail full of ale.

[miss marple]

Pubs near Markets such as Billingsgate and Smithfield were open 24 hours a day.
There were also beer houses that were licensed to sell beer only[ carried away in jugs aka Mr Blotchy] these were domestic houses, There would have been a lot of flexibility as regards the licence in terms of the hours in working class areas according to need plus of course lock ins.

Alcohol was probably available round the clock if you knew where to go.

Miss Marple