Poverty & Crime in Whitechapel (Edexcel GCSE History)

Why was There a Link Between Poverty & Crime in Whitechapel? - Summary

In Whitechapel, there was a strong link between poverty and crime. Charles Booth was a shipowner and social reformer. He created a series of poverty maps of London between 1881 and 1903 to show the link between living conditions and crime. To highlight his findings, Booth colour-coded each street in London. Bright colours of pink and red indicated wealth whereas dark colours of black and navy showed poverty. 

His map of Whitechapel showed some areas of wealth on Whitechapel Road and Commercial Road. Vast areas of Whitechapel around Flower and Dean Street contained black colouring. This indicated ‘Lowest classes, vicious and semi-criminal’. These areas were notorious for crime. Theft was common in the rookeries of Whitechapel. Criminals often used children to pickpocket people’s purses and pocket watches. More serious crimes like robbery and murder also occurred.

Issues such as poverty, alcoholism and unemployment meant that the people of Whitechapel were more likely to commit crimes than in other areas of Britain and London.

What Caused Poverty in Whitechapel?

• Between c1870 and c1900, there were many causes of poverty in Whitechapel

Causes of poverty in Whitechapel

The Environment of Whitechapel and Crime

• The construction of Whitechapel increased crime in the area

How was Whitechapel a perfect place for crime?

The Residuum

• The Residuum is the term for the unemployed or ‘idle poor’ in the 1800s

  • The Residuum was a collective term for the people who had no or irregular income

• Society feared the Residuum

  • Victorians believed that the Residuum were the criminal underworld of towns and cities

  • They accused the Residuum of being supported and paid for by the hardworking people in society

    • Due to this attitude, people were reluctant to support the ‘idle’ poor in society

    • Victorians had a laissez faire attitude. This meant that they believed that people should work themselves out of poverty rather than rely on charity or crime

The Impact of Lodging Houses and Pubs on Crime in Whitechapel

Lodging houses

• Criminals recruited in lodging houses

  • They offered an alternative to the workhouse

• Lodging houses concerned wealthier residents of Whitechapel

  • They became scared of becoming the victims of crime

• Lodging houses were not permanent houses for people

  • Many migrants only had casual work and could not afford a home

    • Lodging houses did not create a sense of belonging or community

    • Whitechapel’s population fluctuated as people moved out of the area to find work

    • Criminals often travelled between lodging houses. This made tracking down criminals very difficult for the police

• Conditions in lodging houses also contributed to high crime rates in Whitechapel

  • Lodging houses offered low-quality and unhygienic shelter for the poor

  • To escape these conditions, some people pursued a life of crime

Pubs

• Alcohol was a significant problem in Whitechapel

  • Alcohol was affordable 

  • Gin was a popular drink for the poor

  • Many people became alcoholics to forget how poor their quality of life was

• There were many pubs in Whitechapel

  • In one mile in Whitechapel, there were 45 pubs and gin palaces

• Alcohol led to crime

  • Drunkenness often led to violent crimes such as assault

  • People would steal to afford to buy more alcohol

• Prostitution became a serious concern in Whitechapel

  • Some women worked in brothels

    • This provided them with some protection

    • There were roughly 62 brothels in Whitechapel

  • Other women walked the streets looking for customers

    • These women were vulnerable to rape and assault

  • Prostitution was not illegal. People saw prostitution as a social issue

    • Society called prostitutes ‘unfortunates’ 

    • Most middle-class people had minimal sympathy for prostitutes and did not understand why a woman would prostitute herself

    • There were approximately 1,200 prostitutes in Whitechapel

The impact of poverty and crime in Whitechapel