11 mark
Who established the Metropolitan Police in 1829?
Edmund Henderson.
Robert Peel.
Sir Charles Warren.
George Lusk.
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Policing Whitechapel (Edexcel GCSE History)
Exam Questions
13 mins13 questions21 mark
When was a detective department added to the Metropolitan Police?
1829
1842
1878
1886
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31 mark
When the Metropolitan Police was created, what requirements did the Met outline for new police constables?
They had to be between the ages of 20 and 30.
New male and female recruits had to be over 5’7 tall (1.7 metres).
They must be able to reach level 5.4 of the bleep test.
They must be able to read and write.
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41 mark
Which division of the Metropolitan Police was responsible for policing Whitechapel?
H Division.
N Division.
P Division.
W Division.
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51 mark
Which of the following was not a responsibility held by a beat constable?
Stopping residents and questioning them.
Investigating serious crimes by gathering evidence.
Having an in-depth knowledge of their beat, including alleyways, pubs and shops.
Reporting to the beat sergeant at specific times and places in their patrol.
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61 mark
Why did the people of Whitechapel have a negative view of the Metropolitan Police?
The police attempted to make a relationship with the residents of Whitechapel, which was not well received by the general public.
The police were often very violent towards ordinary and innocent people in Whitechapel during and after the 'Jack the Ripper' murders.
Gangs often attacked the beat constables of H Division. They were seen as unable to effectively manage and stop crime.
Whitechapel’s population was mainly middle-class people. They saw the police as interfering and became anti-government protestors.
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71 mark
How did rookeries create issues with law and order in Whitechapel?
Brothels were often found in rookeries. They attracted crime and housed prostitution.
Illegal boxing matches often happened in rookeries. People would drink at these matches and this often led to crime.
Criminals recruited people from rookeries to steal. Criminals promised people a better life if they worked for them.
All of the 'Jack the Ripper' murders happened in Whitechapel rookeries.
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81 mark
Which of the following was not a contributing factor towards alcoholism in 19th-century Whitechapel?
Alcohol was easily available as it was cheap. There were hundreds of pubs and gin palaces in Whitechapel.
The drinking water in Whitechapel was unsanitary. Alcohol was considered to be safer than the drinking water.
Many people in Whitechapel relied on alcohol as it helped them to forget about their issues such as unemployment, poverty and poor living conditions.
Alcohol was needed to control tensions in Whitechapel. When tensions increased between the Irish community and the Jewish community, the two communities were offered alcohol by the police in an attempt to calm the tension.
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91 mark
How were the prostitutes of Whitechapel treated by H Division?
H Division was unsympathetic towards prostitutes. They believed a crime against a prostitute was not as serious as crimes committed against other people.
H Division supported the prostitutes of Whitechapel, giving them extra support and protection. This happened especially during the 'Jack the Ripper' murders.
Most members of H Division treated prostitutes with respect. They understood that women became prostitutes because they were desperate.
Prostitution was illegal so H Division treated prostitutes as criminals.
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101 mark
Study Source A. What is the origin of Source A?
Source A: A drawing entitled The Bull’s-eye by Gustave Doré. It was painted in 1872 for a book called London: A Pilgrimage. Doré drew 180 sketches of London and was accompanied by a plain-dressed police officer during his tour of London. It shows three constables walking down the narrow streets in a rookery in Whitechapel
A drawing from a book entitled London: A Pilgrimage.
Gustave Doré, 1872.
The drawing shows three constables walking down the narrow streets in a rookery in Whitechapel.
Doré drew 180 sketches of London and was accompanied by a plain-dressed police officer during his tour of London.
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11 mark
Study Source A. Using Source A and your own knowledge, what challenges did H Division face when policing Whitechapel?
Source A: A drawing entitled The Bull’s-eye by Gustave Doré. It was painted in 1872 for a book called London: A Pilgrimage. Doré drew 180 sketches of London and was accompanied by a plain-dressed police officer during his tour of London. It shows three constables walking down the narrow streets in a rookery in Whitechapel
The image shows that there were plenty of people willing to support the police. The people of Whitechapel often became involved and their support overwhelmed H Division.
The image shows how overcrowded workhouses were. There were a lot of workhouses in Whitechapel and they often housed criminals.
The image shows three police constables walking together. Gangs in Whitechapel often attacked policemen. Police constables often ignored crimes, believing it was better to let the gangs fight each other.
The image shows a group of drunk people outside of a pub. Alcoholism was a problem in Whitechapel which resulted in crime and anti-social behaviour.
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21 mark
Study Source A. How does Source A support the following inference:
‘The police were resented by the local people of Whitechapel’
Source A: A drawing entitled The Bull’s-eye by Gustave Doré. It was painted in 1872 for a book called London: A Pilgrimage. Doré drew 180 sketches of London and was accompanied by a plain-dressed police officer during his tour of London. It shows three constables walking down the narrow streets in a rookery in Whitechapel
The image shows a group of people outside a rookery who are not engaging with the police as they flash a light on them.
The image was created for a book about London in 1872.
The local people believed that the priorities of the police were wrong. They believed that the police focused on forcing good manners, rather than catching criminals.
The police are shining a light on the poor people in the middle of the night. They do not like it when the police do this as it hurts their eyes.
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11 mark
Study Source A. How does the provenance of Source A impact how helpful the source is for the historian’s enquiry into the difficulties of policing in Whitechapel?
Source A: A drawing entitled The Bull’s-eye by Gustave Doré. It was painted in 1872 for a book called London: A Pilgrimage. Doré drew 180 sketches of London and was accompanied by a plain-dressed police officer during his tour of London. It shows three constables walking down the narrow streets in a rookery in Whitechapel
Gustave Doré was from Whitechapel which makes the source more useful. Doré knew Whitechapel well and understood the difficulties of policing in Whitechapel.
The drawing was published in a book about London in 1872.
The drawing was created in 1872. This is helpful to a historian as it is less likely to have been altered or influenced by other people's experiences about Whitechapel.
Gustave Doré was accompanied by a plain-dressed police officer as he toured London. He would have had a first-hand experience of the difficulties that police faced in Whitechapel as he witnessed them himself.
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