Martha Tabram is widely considered, but still hotly debated, to be the first victim of the infamous “Jack the Ripper”.
| Name | Born-Died | Description / Note |
| Victim | ||
| Tabram, Martha née White aka Turner | 1849-1888 | x |
| Suspects | ||
| “Jack the Ripper” | ? | unidentified |
| Family of Victim | ||
| Tabram, Berta née Seifert | 1878-? | daughter-in-law; after Martha’s death |
| Tabram, Charles Henry | 1872-1956 | son |
| Tabram, Frederick | 1871-? | son |
| Tabram, Henry | 1861-? | step-son |
| Tabram, Henry Samuel | 1836-? | husband |
| Turner, Henry | ? | partner, lived together in 1876 |
| White, Charles Samuel | 1807-1865 | father |
| White, Elizabeth née Dowsett | ? | mother |
| Law Enforcement & Lawyers | ||
| Barrett, Thomas | x | #226H, constable on the beat at George-yard Buildings, first called to the scene |
| Collier, G. (Mr) | x | Deputy Coroner for the South-Eastern Division of Middlesex, held the inquest |
| Cotton, A. W. (Mr) | x | Adjutant, office in command of the Guards of the tower |
| Ellison, (Mr) | x | Inspector of the Commercial Street Police Station |
| Killeen, Dr. Timothy Robert (aka Keeling/Keelene) | x | first called to attend to the body, pronounced it a “brutal murder”, of 68 Brick Lane |
| Reid, (Mr) | x | Detective-Inspector (H Division) of the Criminal Investigation Department |
| Witnesses & Other People | ||
| Bousfield, (Mrs) | x | Martha lived with her up to three weeks before the murder |
| Bryan, Mary | x | falsely identified as the victim |
| Connolly, Mary Anne “Pearly Poll” | x | friend of Martha, was with her the night she died, witness of the soldiers |
| Crow, Alfred George | x | cabdriver, living at 35 George-yard Biuldings, gave evidence for time table |
| Hewitt, Francis | x | Superintendent, 37 George-yard Buildings |
| Hunt, Thomas | x | man who thought Martha may have been his missing wife |
| Mahony, Elizabeth | x | 47 George-yard Buildings, did not see the body at 2 am. |
| Reeves, John Saunders | x | resident at 37 George-yard Buildings, found the body and alerted police |
| Withers, (Mrs) | x | falsely identified as the victim |
[Gallery]
Timeline
- 1849 – Martha White is born to Charles Samuel White and Elizabeth Dowsett
- 1869 – Martha White married Henry Samuel Tabram at Trinity Church in Southwark, Surrey
- 1871 – son Frederick John Tabram is born
- 1871 – Henry and Martha Tabram with son Frederick; and step-son Henry age 10
- 1872 – son Charles Henry Tabram is born
- 1875 – Martha and Henry separate
- 1879 – Martha begins a relationship with Henry Turner, the live together off and on for the next 9 years until her death.
- 1887 (Feb) – Henry last sees his fie alive in the Whitechapel Road.
- 1888 (Mar) – Martha meets Mary Anne Connolly but gives the name of Emma.
- 1888 (Jul) – Martha separates from Henry Turner.
- 1888 (Sat, Aug 4) – Henry Turner last sees Martha alive, runs into her by chance in Leadenhall-street.
- 1888 (Mon, Aug 6) – Bank Holiday, that night Martha and Mary Anne Connolly (Pearly Poll) go out drinking at several pubs including the Princess Alice near George’s-yard Buildings. They are accompanied by two soldiers
- 1888 (Tue, Aug 7 – 2 am) – Elizabeth Mahony, resident of 47 George’s-yard buildings, notes the landing is clear when she and her husband arrived home just before 2 am. She went out again to get supper from the chandler’s shop and when she returned again the stairs were still clear. She confirmed that although there was no light in that part of the stairs, and it was the wide part of teh stairs, she was sure that there was no body there.
- 1888 (Tue, Aug 7 – 2 am) – Constable Barrett tells a loitering soldier to move on, he said he was waiting for a friend who was with a woman nearby.
- 1888 (Tue, Aug 7 – 3:30 am) – Alfred George Crow, notices that someone is lying on the first floor landing but thinks nothing of it.
- 1888 (Tue, Aug 7) – Martha Tabram aka Emma aka Martha Turner, is killed at 47 George’s-yard Buildings, Whitechapel
- 1888 (Tue, Aug 7 – 5 am) – John Saunders Reeves finds the body of Martha Tabram and alerts the police.
- 1888 (Thu, Aug 9) – Coroner’s inquest is opened in the afternoon by George Collier. Testimony by Elizabeth Mahoney, Alfred B. Crow, John Saunders Reeves, and Dr. Keelene.
- 1888 (Fri, Aug 10) – Two soldiers placed under arrest at the Tower according to the Morning Post of the 11th, they are not named.
- 1888 (Mon, Aug 13) – Constable Barrett reviews a parade of soldiers at the Tower and identifies the man he saw at 2am, but the soldier refuses to give an account of himself.
- 1888 (Wed, Aug 15) – Another parade schedule at Wellington Barracks for both Constable Barrett and Mary Anne Connolly. On the 23rd the coroner noted that Mary Anne picked out two men at the Wellington Barracks whom she believed were the men they had gone out with the night of the murder. No further mention is made, why they weren’t arrested, or if one of them was the same man identified by Constable Barrett or if Barrett had joined them as intended for this second parade.
- 1888 (Wed, Aug 23) – Coroner’s inquest is continued at the Working Lad’s Institute. Witnesses called – Henry Samuel Tabram, Henry Turner, Mary Anne Connolly
Testimonies
- Barrett, (Mr) – police-constable 226H, on 2 am noticed a soldier loitering. Barrett remarked that it was quite time he was in barracks, and the soldier replied that he was waiting for a comrade who had accompanied a woman to one of the buildings close at hand.
- Connolly, Mary Anne – aka “Megg” and “Pearly Poll”, of a lodging house on Dorset street. Inspector Reid asked that she be cautioned prior to her testimony, which the coroner did. She had known Martha for four or five months but by the name of “Emma”. She went out the night of the Bank Holiday with Martha accompanied by two soldiers, one a private and the other a corporal – she didn’t know of which regiment but that they had white bands around their caps. She didn’t notice if either had any side arms. The party drank together at several public houses before separating. “Emma” walked away with the private up George-yard. Before they parted, Mary Anne had quarrelled with the corporal and he hit her with a stick.
- Crow, Alfred George – cabdriver, at half past 3 he saw somebody lying on the first landing, but as it was not an unusual thing to see he passed on and went to bed. He did not know whether the person was dead or alive when he passed.
- Keelene, Dr. – examined the body and found 39 puncture wounds with no fewer than 9 in the throat and 17 in the breast. He later made a post-mortem examination and found the left lung punctured in five places. The heart, too, had been penetrated. He did not think the wounds had been caused by a sword-bayonet or dagger, and the others by a penknife. It was impossible for the whole of the wounds to have been self-inflicted. Death was due to loss of blood consequent on the injuries.
- Mahony, Elizabeth – resident of 47 George’s-yard Buildings. At 2 a.m. the stairs were perfectly clear of any obstacle, and that she and her husband heard no noise during the night. They learned only at 10 a.m. that a murder had been committed.
- Reeves, John Saunders – waterside labourer, left home on Tue morning at 5 am to search for work. On the first floor landing he saw a woman lying in a pool of blood. She was on her back, and seemed dead. He at once gave notice to the police. The woman was a perfect stranger to him. Her clothes were disarranged, as if she had had a struggle with some one. He did not notice any instrument lying about.
- Tabram, Henry Samuel – of 6 River-terrace, East Greenwich, a foreman packer in a furniture warehouse. Husband of Martha Tabram, he last saw her alive 18 months before in the Whitechapel-road. They had been separated for 13 years on account of her intemperate habits. He originally gave her an allowance of 12s per week, but afterwards, finding how she was living, he only gave her 2s, 6d per week.
- Turner, Henry – residing at the Working Man’s Home, Commercial-street, carpenter but lately a hawker. He had been living with Martha up to 3 weeks before her death – they had lived together off and on for 9 years. He had last seen her by chance on the Saturday before her death. He said she was a woman who would rather have a glass of ale than a cup of tea, but she did not get drunk. She was greatly in his debt, and left him without notice. After they split she returned, forced the window open, and stayed that night without him knowing.
Documentation
Burial Records:
- City of London Cemetery & Crematorium: Newham, Greater London, England
- Tabram, Martha née White (1845-1888)
Census Records:
- 1851 England Census: St. George, London – Charles & Elizabeth White (Martha age 1)
- 1861 England Census: St. George, London – Henry & Matilda (first wife) Tabram with son
- 1871 England Census: St. George, London – Henry & Martha Tabram with sons
Crime Scene Location:
- Address – home of
Newspaper Articles
- Illustreated Police News (London):
- 1888, Aug 11: “Tragedy in Whitechapel”
- 1888, Aug 18: “Tragedy in Whitechapel”
- Morning Post (London):
- 1888, Aug 10: “The Whitechapel Murder”
- 1888, Aug 11: “The Whitechapel Mystery”
- 1888, Aug 15: “The Whitechapel Mystery”
- 1888, Aug 24: “The Whitechapel Murder”
- New York World, Evening Edition:
- 1891, Apr 24: “The Ripper’s Crimes”
- Times (London):
- 1888, Aug 10: “The Murder in Whitechapel”
Vital Records:
