91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Person    | Female  Born 14/4/1842  Died 30/9/1888

Catherine Eddowes

Categories: Tragedy

Catherine Eddowes

Believed to be the fourth victim of the unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. Born in Graisley Green, Wolverhampton. Her family moved to London, but by 1857, both her parents had died and she was living in a workhouse in Bermondsey. She had two so-called 'common law' husbands, but after taking to drinking she left her first partner and children in 1880, and her life went into decline. On the evening of Saturday 29 September, 1888, she was found lying drunk in the road. She was taken into custody until she was sober enough to leave and discharged at 1am the following morning. She was last seen alive at 1:35am by three witnesses, and at 1:45am her mutilated body was found in the south-west corner of Mitre Square. This was about an hour after the body of Elizabeth Stride was discovered.

has been erected for her in Wolverhampton.

Text from an information panel installed in Mitre Square:
"In the early hours of 30 September 1888, the body of Catherine Eddowes - victim of the notorious Whitechapel Murders {sic}, more commonly known as 'jack the Ripper' - was discovered in Mitre Square.

"In the Summer of 1888, Eddowes had been casually employed hop-picking in Kent. Back in London, on the night before her death, she is recorded as staying in a workhouse. the following day she was arrested for drunkenness in Aldgate High Street, giving her name as "nothing". Within an hour of her release, she was found murdered."

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Catherine Eddowes

Commemorated ati

Catherine Eddowes

This plaque has replaced this one.

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Mitre Square information panel

This 2025 photo (with someone seated) shows the new information panel, about ...

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Other Subjects

Kenneth Edwards

Kenneth Edwards

Killed in the Moorgate tube disaster.

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
Gerry Paul Francis

Gerry Paul Francis

Our colleague, Andrew Behan, has researched this young man: Gerry Paul Francis was born on 21 August 1963 in Lewisham, the son of George P. Francis and Rosilia Y. Francis née Titre. He died, aged 1...

Person, Tragedy

2 memorials
Alexander Wilson

Alexander Wilson

Role on the lost expedition: Petty officer on SS Terror. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial
George Chambers

George Chambers

Role on the lost expedition: Boy on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial