George Henry Matthews 1894

[Debra A]

I'd forgotten about this 13 year old thread I started.


What struck me at the time was the location of the 'brothel' so close to Buck's Row and the fact that Matthews was able to wander through the streets of Whitechapel covered in blood after the crime, without being stopped.

George H Matthews died in Broadmoor 10 September 1896 btw.

[Debra A]

Hi Debs, Robert

An interest bit of information is that in the 1882 directory at number 5 Thomas Street is a Charles Reeve, Wardrobe Dealer. He is listed in the 1881 Census at the same address as 'Comedian, Actor'. This is the same person who later joined the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee and who's daughter Ada Reeve wrote in her memoirs 'Take it for a Fact' that her father was a member of the Vigilance committee. She was 7 in 1881 and listed as Adelaide. In 1891 they and the rest of the family are living at 209 Jubilee Street where she is listed as Ada Reeve, Burlesque actress.

Rob

'Little Ada Reeve' was advertising from the same address in 1883.
Obviously she'd hit the big time, having appeared at the Theatre Royal, Huddersfield!

The Era - Saturday 28 July 1883
LITTLE ADA REEVE, the most talented Child Actress on the Stage, Eight Years of age, in conjunction with Mr Charles Reeve appeared BRITANNIA (Great) THEATRE HOXTON, in an Original Sketch, great success. Specially Engaged by Messrs Hamilton and Overend Theatre Royal, Huddersfield, for Bank Holiday, Singing. Acting. Dancing. English. and American Solo Drum. Offers Invited for Christmas
Permanent address, 5 Thomas-street, Whitechapel.

[Observer]

In 1907 the then leaders of what would become the Bolshevik movement Lenin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev and Litvinov, also the prominent Russian writer Maxim Gorky took part in a congress at the Brotherhood Church in Hackney. They had to register, if they wanted to take part, at a building in the East End, namely what is now number 4 Fulbourne street, at the time a Jewish Socialist club. That little door, which welcomed those very large figures in history still stands. If you go to page 2 of this thread, third picture down, supplied by Rob Clack, you will see the door just peeping out above the white van.

[seanr]

Reynold’s Newspaper’s report on the case from the 2nd of December, 1894 reports on the evidence of a Miss Lizzie Grieg, who is not mentioned in many of the other reports. Her evidence was that she was occupying a room at the premises with a man named Sullivan. She had been shown to the room by Mr Matthews, the accused, at about twenty past 12. Shortly after she had heard a row upstairs and was called down by a shout from Mrs Matthews asking ‘Is anybody upstairs?’. She saw the body at the foot of the stairs.

This gives some insight perhaps into how the 'coffee shop as brothel' system may have worked with the 24 hour coffee shop providing a front for couples to visit respectably and private rooms available for hire. There’s no suggestion Miss Greig and the Matthews worked together in an organised way and perhaps the room was hired out when wanted with few questions asked of the couples using them.

Inspector John Pryke of J Division stated the house was known as a ‘disorderly house’.

The Weekly Despatch article from the 25th of November mentions the evidence of the victim’s son, William Barker who mentions that 5 and 7 Thomas Street were adjoining premises which communicated laterally, with a coffee shop on the ground floor of one and a wardrobe shop on the other. The rooms of the upper floors were used in Barker’s words as ‘a convenience’.

The coroner Wynne Baxter asked probing questions around the meaning of ‘a convenience’. Witness answered that by this he meant ‘living there’ and denied ever knowing of lodgers or any other men and women using those rooms. The coroner remarked that more would be said about the character of that house later. Presumably this refers to the inquiry which later led to Mrs Matthews prosecution for brothel keeping.

[Debra A]

Reynold’s Newspaper’s report on the case from the 2nd of December, 1894 reports on the evidence of a Miss Lizzie Grieg, who is not mentioned in many of the other reports. Her evidence was that she was occupying a room at the premises with a man named Sullivan. She had been shown to the room by Mr Matthews, the accused, at about twenty past 12. Shortly after she had heard a row upstairs and was called down by a shout from Mrs Matthews asking ‘Is anybody upstairs?’. She saw the body at the foot of the stairs.

.

Yes, this is also included in one of the clips that Rob posted at the beginning of the thread (#9) from The Illustrated Police News, Saturday 8 December 1894