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Chris Scott
Detective Sergeant
Username: Chris
Post Number: 65
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, April 27, 2003 - 9:57 am: |       |
Hi all
I have been looking recently at some of the writings of Charles Booth. For those not familiar with him he was the compiler of the famous Poverty Map in which he coded by colour the streets of London depending on the degree of deprivation. But he also kept a log of walks he took accompanied by police officers in some of the streets that are of interest to us!
On 17 March 1898 he was accompanied by Sergeant French of H Division on a visit to Dorset Street.
This is what he had to say on that occasion:
"Into Dorset Street. black in map. still black. (this refers to the colour coding mentioned above, black being the worst) the worst street I have seen so far, thieves, prostitutes, bullies, all common lodging houses. some called 'doubles' with double beds, for married couples, but merely another name for brothels; women, draggled, torn skirts, dirty, unkempt, square jaws, standing about in street or on doorsteps. The majority of the houses are owned by Jack McCarthy."
I found the last comment interesting for two reasons:
1) On the assumption that the McCarthy mentioned is the John McCarthy who was Kelly's landlord, he certainly had expanded his business "empire" in 10 years if he owned the majority of the houses.
2) Booth refers to him as "Jack" Mccarthy - I wonder if this was a nickname he acquired in light of the Kelly murder?
On 3rd November 1898 Booth interviewed Inspector Miller of E Division (Bethnal Green) and these are his comments on Dorset Street:
"The lowest of all prostitutes are found in Spitalfields, on the benches round the church, sleeping in the common lodging houses of Dorset Street, women who have often found their way there by degrees from the streets of the West End! He (i.e. Inspr Miller) spoke of Dorset St. as in his opinion the worst street in respect of poverty, misery, vice, of the whole of London. A cesspool into which had sunk the foulest & most degraded. Notting Dale is not so bad as this. Notting Dalers he said were very poor, shiftless & shifting; always on the move, poor tramps who might stay a month in the Dale and then move on doing the round of the London casual wards & ending up again inthe Dale. Dorset St. might be stirred but its filth will always sink again in the same spot."
Just for info the area he refers to as Notting Dale is the area now known as Notting Hill.
Chris S |
Marie Finlay
Inspector
Username: Marie
Post Number: 154
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, April 27, 2003 - 4:42 pm: | |
Thanks so much for posting this, Chris! It's really very interesting. Especially the two points you made:
"1) On the assumption that the McCarthy mentioned is the John McCarthy who was Kelly's landlord, he certainly had expanded his business "empire" in 10 years if he owned the majority of the houses.
2) Booth refers to him as "Jack" Mccarthy - I wonder if this was a nickname he acquired in light of the Kelly murder?"
There are a few things that seem dodgy to me regarding the death of Kelly. Like McCarthy not having a key to her door, and Mary herself being so behind in rent.
I just can't shake the feeling that he was somehow complicit in her murder.
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