Jack the Ripper Timeline

Welcome to the Jack the Ripper Timeline. Here you can see the imprtant dates that pertain to the Jack the Ripper murders and investigation.

Easter Monday April 1888 Emma Smith, a local prostitute was attacked by a gang of youths at the junction of Osborn Street and Brick Lane. Although she most certainly was not a victim of Jack the Ripper it was with her death that the police opened the file on the Whitechapel Murders, a file that encompassed the killings by Jack the Ripper.

5 April 1888 Emma Smith dies of her injuries in the London Hospital

7 August 1888 Martha Tabram, another common prostitute was found on a first floor landing of George Yard Buildings. She had been stabbed 39 times and two knives had been used to inflict the injuries she had sustained.

31 August 1888 At 3.40am the body of Mary or “Polly” Nichols was discovered in Bucks Row. She is considered by many to have been the first victim of Jack the Ripper and so the timeline should, perhaps begin with her?

1st -4th September. The police interview the local prostitutes and are told of a character called “Leather Apron” who has been threatening them for about a year.

5th September. The Star newspaper publishes an article about Leather Apron.

8 September 1888 Annie Chapman, now acknowledged as Jack the Ripper’s second victim is murdered at between 5.30am and 6am.

10 September 1888 Mr George Lusk and a group of local business men form the Mile End Vigilance Committee, to aid the police in their attempts to catch the killer.

10 September 1888 John Pizer, whom Sergeant Thick maintains is known as "Leather Apron" is arrested

27 September 1888 A letter addressed to ‘Dear Boss” is delivered to the Central News Agency. It is signed JACK THE RIPPER, a anme that will catapult the murders into the ralmof legend.

30 September 1888. The killer commits two murder in less than an hour. At 1am Elizabeth Stride’s body is discovered; and at 1:45am Catharine Eddowes is found dead in Mitre Square in the City of London. This brings another Police force, the City Police, into the hunt for Jack the Ripper.

1st October 1888. The police release the Jack the Ripper letter and a legend is born.

6th October1888. The Central News Agency receive another letter purporting to come from Jack the Ripper. At the request of the police they do not make its comments public.

16 October 1888 . Mr George Lusk receives a letter addressed "FROM HELL" and containing half a kidney. Speculation if rife that it was taken from Catharine Eddowes.

21st October 1888. A ‘respectable’ woman aged 21 named Maria Coroner is charged in Bradford with sending letters signed Jack the Ripper. She is the only one of the hundreds of Jack the Ripper letter writers to be prosecuted.

9th November 1888. 25 year Old Mary Kelly is murdered in Dorset Street Spitalfields. It is generally accepted that she was the last victim of Jack the Ripper.

The jack the Ripper Timeline Ends with the death of Mary Kelly.