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Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1169
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, April 19, 2004 - 4:07 pm: |       |
Ada Wilson
Born circa 1868.
The available evidence about Ada Wilson tells us a little about her, that she was a young woman in 1888 and was living at the time of the attack at 19 Maidman Street, Mile End.
Firstly, I had a look at the address and its residents from two sources i.e. the census data for 1881 and 1891. In the 1881 census return No 19 Maidman Street is listed as uninhabited. In 1891 there were only two residents listed at this address - a Metropolitan police officer and his wife.
19 Maidman Street, Mile End Old Town, London
Head;
George E Schulz aged 29 born Prussia (British Subject) - Metropolitan policeman
Wife:
Fanny R Schulz aged 27 born Milford, South Wales
Although the surname Wilson is obviously a reasonably common one, I have done extensive searches among the Wilson entries for family who had a family member named Ada who could reasonably be classed as a "young woman" at the time of the attack in 1888 and also had a documented link with the Mile End Old Town area. There emerged from this lengthy process only one family which fulfilled all these criteria. I cannot categorically and definitively saw that the Ada Wilson outlined below but I am satisified after the research that I have done that the balance of probability is that this individual is the one who was involved in the attack.
Ada Wilson was born circa 1868. I have as yet been unable to trace her birth record in the BMD registers and the ages given for her in the four census returns in which I traced her are very fluid and one is patently wrong. Her ages and extrapolated years of birth are as follows;
1871 Census - aged 3 i.e. born circa 1868
1881 Census - aged 17 i.e. born circa 1864
1891 Census - aged 22 i.e. born circa 1869
1901 Census - aged 32 i.e. born circa 1869.
So provisionally we can say she was born in 1868/69. The 1881 age is at such variance and I am not currently able to check the original return so I would suspect a transcription error. This date of birth means that at the time of the 1888 attack she would have been 19 or 20.
Ada was the daughter of Robert Wilson (born circa 1836) and Charlotte Wilson (born circa 1838).
In 1871 the family were living in Mile End Old Town. Unfortunately the original data is not currently available to view, but the information I do have at present lists them as follows:
1871 census:
Mile End Old Town, London
(exact address at present unknown)
Head:
Robert C Wilson aged 35 born London
Wife:
Charlotte Wilson aged 33 born London
Children:
Charlotte E aged 6
Ada R aged 3
Robert R aged 1
All children born in London
By the time of the 1881 census the family had moved to 56 Gill Street and their details are give as follows:
Head:
Robert Wilson aged 45 born Chelsea - Labourer (Docks)
Wife:
Charlotte Wilson aged 40 born Chelsea
Children:
Ada aged 17
Roland aged 9
James aged 7
John aged 5
William aged 3
All children born Limehouse
In the 1891 census the family are listed living in Limehouse at a house in Salter Street. Their listing is as follows:
20 Salter Street, Limehouse, London
Head:
Robert Wilson aged 54 born Limehouse - No occupation listed
Wife:
Charlotte Wilson aged 53 born Limehouse
Children:
Robert aged 20 - Carman
John aged 16 - Greengrocer's assistant
William aged 14 - Wire worker
Ada aged 22 - Twine spinner (Rope)
All children born in Limehouse
In 1901 the family were still living in Salter Street, Limehouse but had moved to a different house. Their details are:
6 Salter Street, Limehouse, London
Head:
Robert O Wilson aged 64 born London E. - Occupation NIL
Wife;
Charlotte Wilson aged 62 born Mile End
Children:
Ada aged 32 born Bromley - Packer in Jam Factory (Sweets)
Robert R aged 30 born Bromley - Carman
William aged 25 born Poplar - Blacksmith's assistant
Grandaughter:
Lilly Wilson aged 6 born Poplar
Apart from the age variances for Ada noted above, you will notice other discrepancies in the data principally in the places of birth. In all my census research I have found this to be the least reliable and consistent data field.
I hope the above is of interest - I accept, of course, that this cannot be put forward as a 100% authoritative identification but from the reasearch I have done I am confident that the Ada Wilson identified above was the young woman attacked in Maidman Street in 1888.
(Message edited by Chris on April 19, 2004)
(Message edited by Chris on April 19, 2004) |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 2375
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, April 19, 2004 - 4:27 pm: | |
Very much of interest, Chris, and great stuff as always.
Robert |
Frank van Oploo
Inspector
Username: Franko
Post Number: 273
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Monday, April 19, 2004 - 5:42 pm: | |
Hi Chris,
I’m unsure about Ada's address and age. The Casebook states Ada Wilson’s address as 19, Maidman Street, as do the East London Observer and the East London Advertiser of 31 March 1888. However, the Eastern Post of the same date, Sugden and Eddleston state 9, Maidman Street (Maidmans/Maidmens Street) as her address. And besides that, Sugden gives Ada’s age as 39.
According to the Eastern Post, a Rose Bierman lived at the same address as Ada Wilson. She occupied two upstairs rooms with her mother, while Ada Wilson lived downstairs in the front room.
I don’t know what to make of this and hope you can enlighten me.
Thanks,
Frank
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Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1172
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, April 19, 2004 - 6:55 pm: | |
Hi Frank
many thanks indeed for that info
I have checked 9 Maidman Street for 1891. There were two household, three residents:
1)
Head:
Lawrence Casioni aged 41 born Cambridgeshire - Mariner
2)
Head:
John Wetherall aged 39 born Cornwall - Gardener
Wife;
Philippa Wetherall aged 34 born Cornwall
The residents at No 9 for 1881 are:
1)
Head:
John Gate aged 34 born Islington - Bookmaker
2)
Head;
Charles Tanner aged 37 born Regents Park - Cooper
Wife;
Caroline tanner aged 28 born Bermondsey
Children;
Caroline aged 4
Alice aged 3
Elizabeth aged 1
3)
Head:
Alfred Green aged 39 born Bermondsey - Night watchman
Wife;
Eliza Green aged 41 born St Georges
Children:
Alfred aged 14
Ida aged 10
On the 1891 census there is only one Rose Bierman but she was only 11 and lived in Lancashire.
There were 4 females of the surname Bierman living in Mile End Old town but three of these were children. The only mature female was a married woman named Dora Bierman aged 31 who lived at 17 Bedford Square
the only possibility in the 1881 data is a Rose Beerman aged 17 born in Spitalfields who was living with her parents at 6 St Anns Place
Thanks again for the info
Chris |
Natalie Severn
Chief Inspector
Username: Severn
Post Number: 702
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 8:20 am: | |
Very interesting material Chris Thanks.i"m trying to piece together information on the attack at the moment.Best Natalie |
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