1842
Catherine was born in Wolverhampton to George Eddowes Jr, a
varnisher or japanner.1
1844
Before Eddowes was 2 years old, the family moved to
Bermondsey.2
1855
Catherine's mother, Catharine Eddowes, died.3
Catherine's education at St John's Charity School, Patters
Field, Tooley St, ended.4
Most of Catherine's siblings entered Bermondsey Workhouse
and Industrial School. (Catherine eventually returned to finish
her education at Dowgate Charity School and to care for her aunt
in Biston St, Wolverhampton.)5
1861-1863
Catherine left home to be with Thomas Conway, who drew a
pension under the name Thomas Quinn from the 18th Royal Irish
Foot Regiment.6
1864
Catherine and Conway lived together in Wolverhampton.7
They earned a living by selling chapbooks, written by
Conway, in Birmingham and in the Midlands. They also wrote and
sold gallows ballads.8
Catherine claimed that they were legally married and that
his initials 'TC' were tatooed on her arm.9
c.1865
Annie, Catherine and Conway's first child and only daughter,
was born.10
JAN 1866
Catherine sold a gallows ballad at the hanging of her own
cousin,Christopher Robinson, at Strafford.11
c.1868
George, Catherine and Conway's second child and first son,
was born.12
c.1873
Their last child, a second son, was born.13
1880
Conway and Catherine separated. Catherine took Annie and
Conway had custody of the boys.14
Annie said the separation was due to her mother's drinking
and occasional leaving of home (Conway was a teetotaler).
Catherine's sister, Elizabeth Fisher, blamed the marital
breakdown on Conway's drinking and abuse.15
1881
Catherine met John Kelly, an Irish jobbing market porter,
frequently working for a fruit salesman, Lander.16
Catherine and Kelly moved in together at Cooney's common
lodging-house at 55 Flower and Dean St.17
1885
Annie saw Catherine and Kelly at Cooney's.18
c.SEP 1886
Annie was bedridden and paid Catherine to attend her.19
That was the last time Annie saw Catherine. Annie and her
husband, Mr Phillips, a lamp-black packer, moved from Bermondsey
and never gave Catherine their new address to avoid her asking
for money.20
Conway and his two sons moved in with the Phillips.21
c.MAR 1887
While at Acre St, Southwark Park Rd, Conway, being on
bad terms with his daughter and son-in-law, moved out and took
his two sons. This was the last time Annie would see her father
and two brothers.22
1887
Catherine was admitted to Whitechapel Infirmary for a burned
foot.23
AUG 7, 1888
c.4:50am
Martha Tabram was found dead at the George Yard Bldgs.24
AUG 31, 1888
3:40am
Polly Nichols was found dead in Buck's Row.25
SAT, SEP 8, 1888
c.5:55am
Annie Chapman was found dead in the back yard of 29 Hanbury
St.26
During SEP 1888
Catherine and Kelly went hop-picking in Kent. They earned
very little and returned to London on foot. During their trip
home, they met Emily Birrel, a vagrant, and her common-law
husband during their return trip. Birrel gave Catherine a London
pawn broker's ticket for a man's shirt, stating that Catherine
and Kelly were going to London while she and her man were going
to Cheltenham.27
THUR, SEP 27, 1888
That Day
Catherine and Kelly arrived in London, sleeping at the Shoe
Lane Casual Ward that night.28
The "Dear Boss" letter was posted to the Central News Agency
with a London EC postmark.29
FRI, SEP 28, 1888
That Afternoon
Frederick William Wilkinson, Deputy at Cooney's, saw
Catherine but not Kelly.30
Kelly managed to earn 6d (2 1/2p).31
FRI, SEP 28, 1888
That Night
Catherine went out, and despite Kelly's protests, it was
agreed that Catherine would use 2d and sleep at the Mile End
Casual Ward while Kelly used the remaining 4d to sleep at
Cooney's.32
Upon arrival at the casual ward, the Casual Ward Superintendent
asked Catherine where she had been in the interval, (Catherine was "formerly well-known" there but had not been at the casual ward for some time). The
superintendent was met with the reply, that she had been in the
country "hopping". "But," added the woman, "I have come back to
earn the reward offered for the apprehension of the Whitechapel
murderer. I think I know him." "Mind he doesn't murder you too"
replied the superintendent jocularly. "Oh, no fear of that,"
responded Catherine.33
SAT, SEP 29, 1888
8:00am
Catherine met Kelly at Cooney's, saying there had been some
trouble at the casual ward and was turned out early.34
It was agreed that Catherine would pawn a pair of Kelly's
boots at a broker, Smith or Jones, in Church St. Catherine
got 2/6d
SAT, SEP 29, 1888
10:00-11:00am
Wilkinson saw Catherine and Kelly eating breakfast in the
kitchen of Cooney's. Wilkinson noted that Catherine had on an
apron.36
SAT, SEP 29, 1888
That Day
The "Dear Boss" letter was given to Scotland Yard.37
SAT, SEP 29, 1888
2:00pm
Catherine and Kelly were in Houndsditch, broke.38
Catherine left Kelly on good terms in order to obtain money
from Annie, (whom Catherine believed was still in Bermondsey).
Catherine promised to return by 4:00pm.39
SAT, SEP 29, 1888
7:00pm
George James Morris, Metropolitan Police pensioner and night
watchman at Kearly and Tonge's warehouse, Mitre Sq, came on
duty.40
SAT, SEP 29, 1888
c.8:30pm
Catherine allegedly caused a drunken scene by imitating a
fire engine in front of a small crowd and then laying down to
sleep on the pavement.41
SAT, SEP 29, 1888
8:30pm
Police Constable Louis Robinson, 931City, was on duty in
Aldgate High St when he noticed a small crowd standing around
Catherine outside #29. PC Robinson tried to Stand Catherine up
against the house, but she fell.42
City Police Constable George Simmons assisted PC Robinson in
taking Catherine to the Bishopsgate Police Station.43
SAT, SEP 29, 1888
8:45pm
Catherine was brought to the station and gave her name as
"nothing." Sergeant James George Byfield, station sergeant,
Bishopsgate Police Station, had Catherine placed in a cell until
she sobered up.44
SAT, SEP 29, 1888
8:50pm
PC Robinson looked in on Catherine for the last time,
nothing that she was asleep and smelled very much of alcohol.45
SAT, SEP 29, 1888
(9:00pm)
Kelly heard of Catherine's incarciration from two women. He
told Wilkinson of the incident and took a single bed.46
SAT, SEP 29, 1888
9:45pm
Police Constable George Henry Hutt, 968City, came on duty to
oversee the prisoners in the Bishopsgate lock-up.47
Police Constable James Harvey, 964City, came on duty to
patrol the Houndsditch area:
References
The following abbreviations apply:
MEPO=Scotland Yard files, EI=Eddowes Inquest Records
DT=The Daily Telegraph, S=The Star, T=The TImes, ELO=The East London Observer
A-Z=The Jack the Rippper A to Z, 2nd ed, (Begg, Fido, Skinner),
JTRCC=Jack the Ripper: The Complete Casebook, US ed (Rumbelow),
CHJTR=The Complete History of Jack the Ripper (Sudgen)
1 Ripperana, n12, p9; A-Z, p128 |
83 EIR, p9 |