Before Jack the Ripper became a legend, Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols was a mother, a daughter, a wife, and a woman fighting to survive the brutal realities of Victorian London. In this deeply human opening to our Whitechapel series, we walk with her through workhouses, lodging houses, and the shadowed streets of 1888 — not to sensationalise her death, but to reclaim her life.
This episode honours her story with empathy, truth, and the recognition she was denied for more than a century.

PRIMARY SOURCES (Historical Records & Documents)

1. Coroner Wynne Edwin Baxter’s Inquest Report (1888)

• Proceedings from the official inquest into the death of Mary Ann Nichols
• Includes witness statements from Charles Cross, Robert Paul, Inspector Spratling, and others
• Accessible via:
  • The National Archives
  • The British Newspaper Archive
  • casebook.org (transcriptions)

2. Metropolitan Police Files (MEPO Series)

• Original police reports about the Buck’s Row murder
• Notes from Inspector Abberline and Superintendent Arnold
• Available at The National Archives (Kew), MEPO 3 and MEPO 6

3. 1881 Census & Parish Records

• Confirm addresses, employment, and the Nichols family composition
• Accessed via:
  • Ancestry
  • FindMyPast

4. Lambeth & Mile End Workhouse Admission/Discharge Books

• Records of Mary Ann Nichols’ stays in various workhouses
• Available via London Metropolitan Archives:
  https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/archives-and-city-history/london-metropolitan-archives

“The Complete Jack the Ripper” — Donald Rumbelow

A foundational text on the murders, with extensive research on the victims and the social conditions of Whitechapel.

“The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper” — Hallie Rubenhold

A groundbreaking, empathetic work focusing on the victims’ lives—not the killer.
Heavily informs the emotional framing and social context of this script.

“Jack the Ripper: The Facts” — Paul Begg

Provides detailed analysis of the police investigation, timelines, and victim biographies.

“Jack the Ripper and the London Press” — L. Perry Curtis Jr.

Examines Victorian newspaper sensationalism and the framing of the murders.

“Life and Labour of the People in London” — Charles Booth (1889–1903)

Maps and commentary on poverty in Whitechapel; used for socio-economic context.

“The Hooligan Nights” — Clarence Rook (1899)

A period account of life among the poorest Londoners.

1. Casebook: Jack the Ripper

https://www.casebook.org

2. The Whitechapel Society

https://www.whitechapelsociety.com

3. The National Archives (UK)

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

4. British Newspaper Archive

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

5. Victorian London.org

http://www.victorianlondon.org

6. Charles Booth’s Poverty Maps

https://booth.lse.ac.uk

7. The Workhouse: The Story of an Institution

https://www.workhouses.org.uk