Investigating and recording Whitechapel

Historians learn the history of the past from sources. From these of they construct their view of historical events that took place in Whitechapel in the late 19th century. When studying crime and policing in Whitechapel, historians have access to official documents, such as records of trials at the Old Bailey and local police records.

Historians use a range of sources because different types of sources give them different information.

Local sources

Local sources cover the history of Whitechapel in the late 19th century. These include housing and employment records, council records, census returns, a survey conducted by Charles Booth in 1889, workhouse records, local police records, ’ reports, photographs. The strengths and weaknesses of these sources will be influenced by the nature of the enquiry that they are being used for.

Housing and employment records

Strengths	Weaknesses
Give details of where individuals stayed and worked in Whitechapel.	Homeless people in Whitechapel would not be able to be traced.
Employers, such as sweatshop owners, kept records of their workers.	Relies on individuals using the correct name and employers keeping records up to date.
Lodging houses kept records of who rented a room for a night.

Strengths	Give details of where individuals stayed and worked in Whitechapel.
Weaknesses	Homeless people in Whitechapel would not be able to be traced.

Strengths	Employers, such as sweatshop owners, kept records of their workers.
Weaknesses	Relies on individuals using the correct name and employers keeping records up to date.

Strengths	Lodging houses kept records of who rented a room for a night.
Weaknesses

Council records

Strengths	Weaknesses
Provide information about council meetings, public demonstrations, building inspections, and housing stock, sewers, toilets and street lighting.	Unlikely to provide information about the views and experiences of individuals, especially those of poorer residents in Whitechapel, including migrants.
Give historians information about the details of events in Whitechapel.

Strengths	Provide information about council meetings, public demonstrations, building inspections, and housing stock, sewers, toilets and street lighting.
Weaknesses	Unlikely to provide information about the views and experiences of individuals, especially those of poorer residents in Whitechapel, including migrants.

Strengths	Give historians information about the details of events in Whitechapel.
Weaknesses

Census returns

The census takes place every 10 years. Census records are now digitised and available online so that anyone can access them. It can provide a snapshot of the population in the Whitechapel area every ten years.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Show who was living where at the time the census was taken.	Not completely accurate. Individuals in Whitechapel moved around a lot and can be difficult to trace using a census.
Provide people’s names, ages, sexes and occupations.	Some people may have used false names, and in some cases the people who wrote out the records made mistakes.
Historians can find out how many people lived in a house and see evidence of overcrowding.	Lodging house residents may not have been listed in records if their stay, of eight hours, did not take place overnight.

Strengths	Show who was living where at the time the census was taken.
Weaknesses	Not completely accurate. Individuals in Whitechapel moved around a lot and can be difficult to trace using a census.

Strengths	Provide people’s names, ages, sexes and occupations.
Weaknesses	Some people may have used false names, and in some cases the people who wrote out the records made mistakes.

Strengths	Historians can find out how many people lived in a house and see evidence of overcrowding.
Weaknesses	Lodging house residents may not have been listed in records if their stay, of eight hours, did not take place overnight.

Charles Booth’s survey, 1889

In 1889, Charles Booth employed 80 researchers to record poverty and living conditions across London. The researchers also interviewed many of London’s policemen to find out their views on districts in London. From this research, Booth produced a series of maps to show how poor each area of London was.

Strengths	Weaknesses
The maps show where the poor lodging houses were in Whitechapel and where Jewish migrants settled in ghettos.	Do not give any detail about housing or living conditions.
The key to each map shows how the residents of each area were viewed. For example, the poorest areas of Whitechapel were described as “vicious, semi criminal”.	Do not record the experiences of individuals who lived in the different areas of London.
	Do not give the reasons or causes of wealth or poverty.

Strengths	The maps show where the poor lodging houses were in Whitechapel and where Jewish migrants settled in ghettos.
Weaknesses	Do not give any detail about housing or living conditions.

Strengths	The key to each map shows how the residents of each area were viewed. For example, the poorest areas of Whitechapel were described as “vicious, semi criminal”.
Weaknesses	Do not record the experiences of individuals who lived in the different areas of London.

Strengths
Weaknesses	Do not give the reasons or causes of wealth or poverty.

A map of London showing the levels of poverty in differnet areas from 1889 — Image caption,
Descriptive map of London poverty, 1889. Black areas show where the poorest people lived and orange shows where the wealthier people lived

Workhouse records

Strengths	Weaknesses
Tell us where workhouses were located, who stayed in them, how long for and the work carried out.	Do not tell us about individual experiences of inmates or how they came to find themselves in need of a workhouse.
Tell us who sought help at the workhouse and their illnesses and physical state, and whether any residents needed the infirmary.	Do not tell us what happened to people after they left the workhouse.
	Some individuals may have used a false name to register in a workhouse because many found it humiliating.

Strengths	Tell us where workhouses were located, who stayed in them, how long for and the work carried out.
Weaknesses	Do not tell us about individual experiences of inmates or how they came to find themselves in need of a workhouse.

Strengths	Tell us who sought help at the workhouse and their illnesses and physical state, and whether any residents needed the infirmary.
Weaknesses	Do not tell us what happened to people after they left the workhouse.

Strengths
Weaknesses	Some individuals may have used a false name to register in a workhouse because many found it humiliating.

Local police records

Strengths	Weaknesses
Provide information about crimes committed in Whitechapel, witness statements and information about victims.	Not all information about the conditions leading up to a crime would be recorded.
Reveal the numbers of police officers working in the area compared to the population, who was recruited, how long they served, where they came from.	Witnesses might not have told the full story (eg if they were drunk), and the policeman may not have recorded all details.
Shows what was expected of officers in terms of conduct and duties, and beat maps.	Police records may not include reasons why officers left the force or any records of negative conduct.

Strengths	Provide information about crimes committed in Whitechapel, witness statements and information about victims.
Weaknesses	Not all information about the conditions leading up to a crime would be recorded.

Strengths	Reveal the numbers of police officers working in the area compared to the population, who was recruited, how long they served, where they came from.
Weaknesses	Witnesses might not have told the full story (eg if they were drunk), and the policeman may not have recorded all details.

Strengths	Shows what was expected of officers in terms of conduct and duties, and beat maps.
Weaknesses	Police records may not include reasons why officers left the force or any records of negative conduct.

Coroners’ reports

Coroners’ inquests are official meetings where a coroner reports back on an investigation into a suspicious death. Although was not well developed, coroners’ reports were useful in the Whitechapel murder investigations.

Question

What are the strengths and weaknesses of coroners’ reports in the Whitechapel murder investigations?

	Strengths	Weaknesses
Coroners’ reports	Provide information about the condition of bodies found in Whitechapel and the reasons for the death.	Would not provide information about the events leading up to the death.

	Coroners’ reports
Strengths	Provide information about the condition of bodies found in Whitechapel and the reasons for the death.
Weaknesses	Would not provide information about the events leading up to the death.

Photographs

Question

What are the strengths and weaknesses of using photography in the Whitechapel murder investigations?

	Strengths	Weaknesses
Photography	Provide a visual image of history, for example the living and working conditions in Whitechapel, and an accurate record of crime scenes.	Can be staged to show a more positive image and so may not be completely reliable.

	Photography
Strengths	Provide a visual image of history, for example the living and working conditions in Whitechapel, and an accurate record of crime scenes.
Weaknesses	Can be staged to show a more positive image and so may not be completely reliable.

Investigating and recording Whitechapel

Immigration

Crime and punishment in Whitechapel, c.1870-c.1900 - EdexcelInvestigating and recording Whitechapel