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This was initially posted on the Origional Blogg which was sadly lost, so here it is again folks!!
I awoke 15 minutes before my alarm went off, and excitedly jumped from the bed, only to hear the wind and rain against the window!
After my wife and I got ready the Taxi arrived (she was sharing a cab into town) as we set off we went via the backstreets, passing both the former site of Willows House and Charles Street were RDS was born. How weird that several hours later I would be at a place were he spent his final years Islington.
The train was on time and the journey was smooth and at a total cost of £80 for a return ticket a good buy.
We arrived in London on time and I made my way for the Taxi rank, and chartered a Taxi to Islington Local Studies/Archives.
The sun was shining and the day was looking up.
On arriving at the Archives I was greeted and sat down at a microfilm reader, to view the Trade Directories I had asked for. (all my findings will be posted on the RDS Suspect Threads)
I was suprised at the speed these guys work and it was a pleasure to be in there. They helped me with locations, descriptions and maps.
As I left after several hours I purchased some maps covering Islington, Highbury and Upper Holloway. I also bought a book on London Victorian Crime.
My idea was to visit the sites that RDS had lived at but was informed in the Archives that they are now none exsistant!! A park covers one of the sites, and the Workhouse is now private housing.
As I left I noticed the wind and the rain had arrived in London, but continued my trek onwards.
I had no problems hailing a cab, and was taken to the Royal London Hospital Archives, via Whitechapel.
Upon arriving I was suprised that the Archives are not a part of the Hospital but stand just off Lemen Street, as I was early I visited Lemen Street to get some pictures of RDS alleged Bolthole!!
I also got a quick Chicken Tikka Sandwhich, before entering into the Archives.
The Archives are situated in a giant of a building with the Ground Floor Devoted to a bank, this threw me as I wasn’t sure I was in the right place. A couple of calls from the reception, a visitors pass, and a security escort (yes really!!) and I was ushered into the basement, which was a labrynth of corridors and doors, which could be opened with either a keycard or a code!!
Eventually I found myself in the search room which was suprisingly relaxed were I met Jonathon Evans, the senior archivist.
He was a tall, bearded fellow and a extremly pleasant. I sat and talked about what I was looking for and he presented me with several items as well as other items to search through.
Searching everything I wanted to and more I decided enough was enough and left in search of London Hospital and Whitechapel High Street.
I was suprised at how busy the High Street was, an Indian Street market was in full swing, and I felt strangley out of place.
I got a front shot of the Hospital but as I tried to get a pic of the gates to give an idea of scale a parcelforce van pulled up!!
I noticed the chained up entrance to Wood’s Buildings and headed further up the High Street so that I may double back onto Durward Street (Bucks Row).
I was helped by Police Officers who were busy watching kids leave the local school, as the entrance opens just opposite the murder site!!
I noticed two more officers stood by the murder site and asked if i may take some pictures. At this point one of the officers made a remark along the lines of “Your not a perv are you?”
“No!!” I smiled, then asked him HIS wereabouts 120 years ago!!
Instead of finding it funny he looked at me like i was vermin but the second officer found it funny and made light of it!!
Good job really!!
I got some good pictures in this area and was almost run over trying to get some pictures of the whole length of Bucks Row.
I headed back onto Whitechapel High Street and walked along until i came across Gunthorpe Street, I entered the dark alleyway and took a coupel of pictures but soon hurried back onto Whitechapel High Street as a group of youths were eyeing up my digicam.
I continued up the High Street and decided to turn off towards Mitre Street and Mitre Square, which was smaller than I expected, but as the sun was setting quite an eerie place. I didn’t see the ghost of Mary Kelly! Nor did any pavements glow!!
I left the Squre via what would have been Church Passage and headed in the direction of St Botolph’s Church but the wind was getting up and it was becoming late.
As i had been on my feet all day i decided to call it a night and set off in search of Kings Cross, eventually getting the Tube from Liverpool Station, which was like being a sardine stuck in a tiny tin!!
I found no shops selling any books or merchandise related to the ripper, nor did i find any shops selling London related memoribillia, but i thorughly enjoyed my adventure.
On returning to Kings Cross, i made way for Burger King and sat on the platform going over the day.
The train was ontime and on the way home i took out my notes, and began reading through them, when the lady sat opposite told me her and her father were both born in Whitechapel. He used to run a stall in the Spitalfields Market and would often tell tales of the Ripper.
As we pulled into Hull it was approaching 9.30 and i was knackered, i hailed a taxi and headed home.
I had a great time in London and I am returning soon, hopefully in the Summer, this time im taking the missus!!
Here are brief notes of the findings,
Robert D’Onston Stephenson went to the hospital on his own accord, this is established in the register under a referal section which is left blank if no one (such as a Dr) has sent you. (1)
Robert D’Onston Stephenson was at the Hospital without the approval of a hospital governor. This is ascertained by the “With or Without Ticket” heading on his admission and discharge papers. (2)
Davis ward was a private ward, in the sense that four beds were partitioned off from the rest of the wards, there is no record of anyone else staying with him in that room. (3)
To gain admittance to the hospital he had to attend a pre admission meeting, if succesful he could gain entrance, which we know he did. (4)
Curry ward was a ward with about 20 beds in. (5)
Both wards were on the 3rd floor, and at nights the gates were locked. The only way in was through the lodge at the front, or for emergancies. (6)
The gates stand at around 7ft high!!! (7)
There are no daily records in existance before 1900!!!
From 1900 they are on microfilm but are not massive documents, they are similar to the registers stating when the patient was admitted and when they were discharged. More detailed documents didn’t come into play for a some time after Robert D’Onston Stephenson was in the care of the Hospital. (8)
There are yearly review books but these covered finances and not individual patients. Other information recorded was the names of Wards and how big they were, names of those who donated, names of those who left money to the hospital in their last will and testament. (9)
There were meeting minutes, covering 1888, 1889 with some notes regarding patients, but alas No Robert D’Onston Stephenson. (10)
There is also no mention of there being an investigation into Dr Davis activities during this period. (11)
Islington,
There were No entries for either Stephenson in the Trade Directories, putting to rest the fiction about him Robert D’Onston Stephenson being a DR!! (12)
There are no entries in the Burgess Rolls for either of the Stephenson brothers. (13)
I got some maps of Hollingsworth Road North, and it is almost slum like, the archivist told me that these houses were the lowest class. I will post these maps up later. Much of this area was destroyed in the slum clearance and the blitz, the spot were Robert D’Onston Stephenson lived is now a childrens park. (14)
Gibson Square were Richard Stephenson Jnr resided is however a large, gardened property, in a High Class district!! Gibson Square still stands and is part of a Conservation Scheme. (15)
I also got a map of the Islington Workhouse were Robert D’Onston Stephenson was reported in the 1901 Census, the place no longer exists and is now private housing. (16)
I will post the transcribed register entries in full with explainations for each field later.
I will also post maps and photo’s later.
References to brief notes
1, 1888 and 1889 Patients Registers
2, 1888 and 1889 Patients Registers
3, 1888 and 1889 London Hospital Yearly Review Books
4, 1888 and 1889 Patients Registers
5, 1888 and 1889 London Hospital Yearly Review Books
6, Maps of London Hospital, and conversation with Archivist Jonathan Evans
7, This is evident in several pictures of the hospital and even today
8, I asked to search these records and Jonathan Evans told me they did not exist during that period
9, 1888 and 1889 London Hospital Yearly Review Books
10, Minutes of Meeting’s Book covering 1888-1894
11, Minutes of Meeting’s Book covering 1888-1894
12, I searched from 1870 to 1912
13, I searched from 1870 to 1912
14, Hollingsworth Map showing location now and then.
15, Gibson Square map, showing location past and present.
16, Islington Map, showing location of Workhouse, cross referenced with modern map of the same location.
Entrance was granted via a caretaker at the front of the hospital who lived in the lodge, he granted access to Staff and emergancies.
This obviously poses a problem as RDS was a patient and would not have had the authority to enter or leave.
The yearbooks show that the hospital was under fiancial strain, now if RDs was given a pass to enter and leave, surely he would be discharged altogether, to save the hospital finacially.
It is also of note that patients suffering were sent to convelescant homes again to free the hospital of finacial burden.
One entry in the Yearbooks made me sit up and take note and regarded the length of time that patients are to stay, and the least time in hospital the better. Only serious cases are to stay under the watchful eye of the staff.
RDS was there for 134 days, befire being discharged as “Relieved” and not “Cured” as the 1889 register states.
Although no maps of the upper floors of the hospital are in exsistance there is a ground floor plan in the 1889 yearbook stating the size and location of both Davis and Curry Ward.
Jonathan Evans also mentioned that the Hospital was locked down at night for several reasons.
Theft was an issue,
The Homeless entering the hospital was an issue,
Patients escaping, especially those of an unstable manner were an issue.
Transcription of 1888 Patients Registry
Date July 26th
General Nos 1146
Without Ticket 5
With Ticket -
Name Roslyn Stephenson
Address Cricketers Inn, Brighton, Black Lion (illegible)
Age 47
Status M
Occupation Journalist
Recommended By -
Physchian Sutton
Ward Currie (which is crossed out) Davis (which is written over the top)
Neurasthenia
Discharge Dec 7 88
Condition Relieved
Notes on the above
With/Without ticket is a classification made by the hospital governors.
If they send a patient to the hospital they are sent With a Ticket.
Therefore RDS was not reffered to the hospital by a governor.
It also helps if the patient see’s a governor so they may back up his/her claim of illness.
The Recommended by field has entries on other patients of Doctors who have reffered this candidate to hospital, as RDS does not have one it appears he went to the hospital on his own accord and not through the regular avenue of a Dr.
Red Ink is fairly common in the registers, there were several entries with Red Ink alterations, and it was also used under the column for those who had died whilst in care.
The classifications under status fall into only two catagories,
Married——M
Single——-S
There is no U for unmarried in any of the registers entries (I looked at every male entry for both 1888 and 1889!!)
As mentioned earlier both Davis and Curry are third floor wards.
Transcription of patients Register 1889
Date May 13th
General Nos 713
Without Ticket 2
With Ticket -
Name Roslyn D’Onston
Address Burdell Cottage, Burdell Rd, Mile End
Age 50
Status S
Occupation Author
Recommended By -
Physchian Sutton
Ward Davis
Chloralism
Discharge July 25th 89
Condition Cured
Notes on the above
With/Without ticket is a classification made by the hospital governors.
If they send a patient to the hospital they are sent With a Ticket.
Therefore RDS was not reffered to the hospital by a governor.
It also helps if the patient see’s a governor so they may back up his/her claim of illness.
The Recommended by field has entries on other patients of Doctors who have reffered this candidate to hospital, as RDS does not have one it appears he went to the hospital on his own accord and not through the regular avenue of a Dr.
The classifications under status fall into only two catagories,
Married——M
Single——-S
There is no U for unmarried in any of the registers entries (I looked at every male entry for both 1888 and 1889!!)
Between 1888 and 1889 RDS has become unmarried.
As mentioned earlier both Davis and Curry are third floor wards.
Notes from Annual Report 1888/89
Davis Ward is named after william and John Davis, who were father and son and listed as VP’s. The naming took place in 1870, and consisted of 4 small wards for men, each consisting of 4 beds.
Currie Ward is named after Leonard Currie and Sir Edmund Hay Currie, who were again father and son and listed as VP’s. The naming took place in 1870 and the ward consisted of around 20 beds.
5 Physicians and 5 Surgeons have charge of the patients, ward nurses and sisters are also present, but usually move around no no specific number could be given.
The 1889 Annual report stated that DR Sutton visited his inpatients every Monday and Wednsday.
Cost per bed for 1888/1889 was listed as
Cost per bed per year was listed at £68, 15S and 4D
There was also a Classified Return of Results of Inspection carried out on Patients who stayed over a set period of usually 1 month.
Severe patients were usually expected to stay at least 2 months.
The information regarding the ward locations and floor they were situated on can be found in the book,
London Hospital Illustrated 250 Years, Claire Daunton, 1990.
I did ask for Workhouse Records at the Islington local studies centre and the archivist disapeared for a while, making me quite excited but then returned with a general file showing end of year figures instead of inividual entries.
He did remark that these workhouses were the end of the line for a lot of people, especially if they were struggling fiancially and with their health.
Hollingsworth Street North is just 5 minutes away from St James’s Church were RDS tied the knot.
Gibson Square is further away but again is minutes away from a Wesleayan/ Methodist Chapel, and a church called Holy Trinity Church.
Its like the advert
£80 Train Ticket
£25 Taxi Fares
£4 Tube Ticket
Memories of a walk around Whitechapel…..Priceless!!
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