The Worst Street in London
AMID the bustling streets of Spitalfields, East London, there is a piece of real estate with a bloody history. This was once Dorset Street: the haunt of thieves, murderers and prostitutes; the sanctuary of persecuted people; the last resort for those who couldn’t afford anything else – and the setting for Jack the Ripper’s murderous spree. So notorious was this street in the 1890s that policemen would only patrol this area in pairs for their own safety. This book chronicles the rise and fall of this remarkable street; from its promising beginnings at the centre of the seventeenth-century silk weaving industry, through its gradual descent into iniquity, vice and violence; and finally its demise at the hands of the demolition crew. Meet the colourful characters who called Dorset Street home.
"1015648314"
The Worst Street in London
AMID the bustling streets of Spitalfields, East London, there is a piece of real estate with a bloody history. This was once Dorset Street: the haunt of thieves, murderers and prostitutes; the sanctuary of persecuted people; the last resort for those who couldn’t afford anything else – and the setting for Jack the Ripper’s murderous spree. So notorious was this street in the 1890s that policemen would only patrol this area in pairs for their own safety. This book chronicles the rise and fall of this remarkable street; from its promising beginnings at the centre of the seventeenth-century silk weaving industry, through its gradual descent into iniquity, vice and violence; and finally its demise at the hands of the demolition crew. Meet the colourful characters who called Dorset Street home.
24.99 In Stock
The Worst Street in London

The Worst Street in London

by Fiona Rule
The Worst Street in London

The Worst Street in London

by Fiona Rule

Paperback

$24.99 
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Overview

AMID the bustling streets of Spitalfields, East London, there is a piece of real estate with a bloody history. This was once Dorset Street: the haunt of thieves, murderers and prostitutes; the sanctuary of persecuted people; the last resort for those who couldn’t afford anything else – and the setting for Jack the Ripper’s murderous spree. So notorious was this street in the 1890s that policemen would only patrol this area in pairs for their own safety. This book chronicles the rise and fall of this remarkable street; from its promising beginnings at the centre of the seventeenth-century silk weaving industry, through its gradual descent into iniquity, vice and violence; and finally its demise at the hands of the demolition crew. Meet the colourful characters who called Dorset Street home.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780750989848
Publisher: The History Press
Publication date: 11/27/2018
Pages: 240
Product dimensions: 5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

FIONA RULE is a London historian. After completing a local history diploma at the University of Oxford she began to specialise in historical writing and research. Her previous books include London’s Docklands (Ian Allan, 2009) and The Oldest House in London (The History Press, 2017).

Table of Contents

Foreword Peter Ackroyd 9

Introduction 11

Part 1 The Rise and Fall of Spitalfields 17

1 The Birth of Spitalfields 19

2 The Creation of Dorset Street and Surrounds 25

3 Spitalfields Market 28

4 The Huguenots 30

5 A Seedier Side/Jack Sheppard 32

6 A New Parish and a Gradual Descent 48

7 The Rise of the Common Lodging House 53

8 Serious Overcrowding 56

9 The Third Wave of Immigrants (The Irish Famine) 60

10 The McCarthy Family 69

11 The Common Lodging Houses Act 72

Part 2 The Vices of Dorset Street 79

12 The Birth of Organised Crime in Spitalfields 81

13 The Cross Act 84

14 Prostitution and Press Scrutiny 89

15 The Fourth Wave of Immigrants 95

16 The Controllers of Spitalfields 98

Part 3 International Infamy 105

17 Jack the Ripper 107

Part 4 A Final Descent 145

18 The Situation Worsens 147

19 A Lighter Side of Life 152

20 The Landlords Enlarge their Property Portfolios 167

21 The Worst Street in London 170

22 The Murder of Mary Ann Austin 174

23 The Beginning of the End 186

24 Kitty Ronan 189

25 World War One 195

26 The Redevelopment of Spitalfields Market 205

Part 5 A Walk Around Spitalfields 223

Bibliography 231

Index 235

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