Jack the Ripper aside, the 19th century East End was the epicentre for some pretty major and horrific discoveries, several of which involved the finding of human remains.

In September, 1873, a ghastly discovery was made in the roof space of a house in Mill Yard, Whitechapel.

The Huddersfield Chronicle covered it in its edition of Saturday the 20th of September, 1873:-

HORRIBLE DISCOVERY AT WHITECHAPEL

An unpleasant discovery has been made at the east end of London.

Mr. Robert Bell, residing at 3, Mill Yard, Whitechapel, has found under the tiles on the roof of his house a basket containing a human skull. Half the scalp was attached, and there was apparent evidence that the flesh had been eaten by rats.

All that can be surmised is that the skull, from its dryness, may have lain where it was discovered, for a year or more. This supposition is strengthened by the fact that Mr. Bell had not visited his roof to examine its condition since 1871.

THE LOCATION

Mill Yard consists of a row of three-storied houses, better built than most labourers dwellings, but dirty, squalid, and neglected- looking.

It is situated slightly to the left of Leman Street, near the Blackwall Railway, immediately at the back of Messrs. Debbitt’s wool warehouse, and close to the German Protestant Reformed Church.

MR. PETERS AND MR. BELL

No. 3, Mill-yard, is the property of Mr. Peters, a sack manufacturer, and Mr. Bell, its occupant, is in the employ of Mr. Peters as carman.

Mr. Bell and his family occupy the ground floor only of the house. The rest of the rooms have for some time been used by the landlord as a warehouses for sacking stuff not made, because, in the words of Mrs. Bell, “the other tenants were such a rough lot that the landlord determined to get rid of them.”

WHERE THE HEAD WAS FOUND

Above the landing between the front and back garrets is a trap door, which a moderate-sized man can reach with his hand.

It was within an arm’s length of this door, above the ceiling, that Mr. Bell found the human head.

Accompanied by the policeman he called in, Mr. Bell minutely examined all the space between the garret ceiling and the roof, but without making any further discoveries.

THE OLD BONE PICKER

Until about a year ago the back attic was occupied by an old man, a bone picker, who was apparently an Irishman.

Since the ghastly discovery of Monday, it is reported the police have been endeavouring to ascertain his whereabouts.

NEAR NEIGHBOURS

A few doors from No. 3 is a common lodging house, and the immediate neighbourhood has altogether a disreputable appearance.

Near to No. 3 there was a German house of ill-fame, which was suppressed by the authorities about 12 months ago.