AUG 26, 1845
Polly was born as Mary Ann Walker in Dean St, Fetter Ln to Edward Walker and his wife, Caroline.1
JAN 16, 1864
Polly married William Nichols at St Bride's Church (the printer's church), Fleet St. The service was performed by Vicar Charles Marshall and witnessed by Seth George Havelly and Sarah Good.2
Polly and William lived for a time in Bouverie St and then moved to 131 Trafalgar St, Walworth with her father.3
1866
Polly and William had their first child, Edward John.4
1868
Their second son, Percy George, was born.5
1870
Alice Esther, Polly's and William's first daughter, was born.6
c.1874
They then lived at 6D Peabody Bldgs, Stamford St, Blackfriars Rd, Lambeth.7
1877
Polly and William had their second daughter, Eliza Sarah.8
Marital problems began.9
1879
Polly and William had their last child, Henry Alfred.10
1880
William and Polly separated. William retained custody of the children. William paid Polly an allowance of 5/- (25p) a week.11
SEP 6, 1880
Polly entered Lambeth Workhouse.12
MAY 31, 1881
Polly left Lambeth - whereabouts unknown.13
APR 24, 1882
Polly re-entered Lambeth.14
1882
William heard Polly was earning an immoral living and stopped her allowance. Polly went to Lambeth Parish who summonsed William for restoration of maintenance. William sufficiently proved his case, and the charges were dropped. William no longer had to pay the allowance.15
JAN 18-20, 1883
Polly admitted to Lambeth Infirmary.16
MAR 24, 1883
Polly left Lambeth to live with her father.17
21 MAY 1883
Polly returned to Lambeth after an argument with her father over her drinking.18
JUN 2, 1883
Polly left Lambeth to live with Thomas Stuart Drew in York St, Walworth.19
1886
Edward John voluntarily left William to move in with his grandfather, Edward Walker.20
JUN 1886
Polly attended her brother's funeral in respectable dress. (He was burned to death in a paraffin lamp explosion.)21
OCT 25, 1887
Polly left Drew and spent the day at St Gile's Workhouse, Endell St.22
OCT 26, 1887
Polly entered the Strand Workhouse, Edmonton. (The central London area was completely built up. Land was scarce and very expensive. Some of these Workhouse Unions therefore acquired land outside the centre for their purposes, i.e., Strand acquired Westminster land at Edmonton in north London.)23
NOV 13, 1887
Bloody Sunday.24
DEC 2, 1887
Polly left the Strand and possibly camped out in Trafalgar Sq.25
DEC 19, 1887
The Square was cleared of vagrants and Mary Ann was readmitted to Lambeth.26
DEC 29, 1887
Polly left Lambeth - whereabouts unknown.27
JAN 4, 1888
Polly entered Mitcham Workhouse (Holborn) and spent some time in the Holborn Infirmary (Archway Hospital). (The central London area was completely built up. Land was scarce and very expensive. Some of these Workhouse Unions therefore acquired land outside the centre for their purposes - i.e., Holborn acquired land at Mitcham.)28
APR 16, 1888
Polly was transferred from Mitcham to Lambeth Workhouse.29
MAY 12, 1888
Polly left Lambeth and became employed by Samuel and Sarah Cowdry. While there, she wrote the following letter to her father, dated April 17, 1888:
REFERENCES
The following abbreviations apply:
MEPO=Scotland Yard files, HO=Home Officie files
DT=The Daily Telegraph, T=The Times , IPN=The Illustrated Police News
A-Z=The Jack the Rippper A to Z, 2nd ed, (Begg, Fido, Skinner),
JTRUF=Jack the Ripper: The Uncensored Facts (Begg),
CHJTR=The Complete History of Jack the Ripper (Sudgen),
JTRCC=Jack the Ripper: The Complete Casebook, US ed (Rumbelow)
1 A-Z, p329; JTRCC, p43; CHJTR, p42 |
77 A-Z, p318 |