MITRE SQUARE
It was in the southernmost corner of Mitre Square that the mutilated body of Catherine Eddowes was found at 1.45am on 30 September 1888. It represented the westernmost of the Whitechapel Murders and was the only crime committed in The City of London.
SEE THIS LOCATION ON OUR JACK THE RIPPER TOUR
What happened in Mitre Square in relation to the Jack the Ripper crimes?
Catherine Eddowes become the fourth victim of Jack the Ripper in the early hours of 30 September 1888. Catherine, otherwise known as Kate, had been arrested earlier that evening for being drunk and falling asleep on Aldgate High Street. She was taken to Bishopsgate Police Station and placed in a cell while she sobered up. At 12.55am the custody sergeant told her she could go home and she headed off in the direction of Mitre Square, which was an 8-minute walk away.
At around 1.30am, three men leaving the Imperial club on nearby Duke Street noticed a man and woman talking quietly together. Although one of the men, Joseph Lawende, did not see Kate’s face, he was almost certain the woman was Catherine Eddowes after being shown the clothes she had been wearing by the police.
Just 15 minutes later, PC Watkins strolled along Mitre Street and veered right into Mitre Square where he was greeted with the horrendous sight of Eddowes lying in a pool of blood. She was found in the darkest part of Mitre Square with her skirt thrown up over her waist and her throat cut.
Where is Mitre Square?
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Mitre Square is a small, quiet square just off Mitre Street in Aldgate in The City of London. The square has three entrances, one from Mitre Street, one from St James’s Place and the third leading down the narrow Church Passage from Duke Street. The closest tube station to Mitre Square is Aldgate, which is just a few minutes’ walk away.
Many of the buildings that make up London’s famous skyline are within a short walk of Mitre Square. That includes those affectionately known as the Gherkin, the Cheese Grater and the Walkie Talkie with its Sky Garden that provides panoramic views of the city. But there’s also plenty to do at ground level. The Whitechapel Art Gallery, the Tower of London and Christ Church Spitalfields are just a few of the attractions you can enjoy.
What is Mitre Square in the present day?
Mitre Square is a small square that can still be seen today. For the last few years, much of the square has been transformed into a building site with the construction of a major office development called One Mitre Square. However, we still visit the spot where the body of Catherine Eddowes was found on our tour.
How has Mitre Square changed since 1888?
In 1888, the northern side of Mitre Square was dominated by the premises of a tea merchant called Kearley and Tonge. There was also an arched passage in the north-east corner of the square which may have been the escape the Ripper used to flee the crime. Although these details have changed, the rest of the square remained much the same until 2013 when construction work began.