The Murder of the Whitechapel Mistress

Victorian London's Sensational Murder Mystery

Neil Watson

• Publisher: Pen and Sword True Crime
• Year: 2023
• eBook ISBN:
  9781399049788
• Subtopic: Modern British History

This is the true story about a respected businessman, Henry Wainwright, who had everything he needed in 1871. A wife and 5 children and a delightful London townhouse home. But in 1872, Henry fell in love with attractive Harriet Lane. He then embarked on a risky affair with Harriet coupled with gambling and flirtations with ballet girls from the Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel. Harriet produced two children as Henry sets her up in lodgings with an allowance as they pretended to be husband & wife. Henry's finances then tumbled out of control and bankruptcy loomed. What happened next was a scandalous conspiracy which ended in murder, and a plot which fooled everyone into thinking that the victim had gone abroad. Henry Wainwright got away with murder for a year before a schoolboy error led to his capture. The case ruined the lives of three families. This fast-moving story will transport to a world of polite, East End society in the mid 1870's of Victorian London, but with a seedy underbelly. 14 years before the infamous Jack the Ripper Murders, it was the original, 'Whitechapel Mystery' which was probably the most sensational criminal case of the 1870's and involves a chase through the city and across London Bridge. This story also involves Henry's younger brother Thomas who was also involved in the conspiracy to murder Harriet Lane. The case paints a vivid picture of Victorian London. The police investigation and Old Bailey trial is revealed in glorious detail. It's a story of love, weakness and devious, desperate liars. It's a rollickingly good Victorian scandal. Written in an entertaining style, the book contains a huge amount of fascinating detail, not only of the murder but about the lives of so many of the characters in the story. It's a huge slice of London life, 1875 style. This story deserves to be much better known and will be fascinating to anyone interested in Whitechapel or Victorian Crime.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Book Title page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• Dedication
• About the Author
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Chapter One The Main Players
• Chapter Two The Affair
• Chapter Three The Murder
• Chapter Four In Search of Harriet
• Chapter Five Henry’s Arrest
• Plates Section
• Chapter Six The Investigation
• Chapter Seven Criminal Hearings
• Chapter Eight Harriet Lane’s Funeral
• Chapter Nine Alice Day
• Chapter Ten The Old Bailey Trial
• Chapter Eleven Day 2 of the Trial
• Chapter Twelve Day 3 of the Trial
• Chapter Thirteen Day 4 of the Trial
• Chapter Fourteen Day 5 of the Trial
• Chapter Fifteen Day 5 Continues: Medical Evidence from the Prosecution
• Chapter Sixteen Day 6 of the Trial
• Chapter Seventeen Day 6 Continues: Medical Evidence from the Defence
• Chapter Eighteen Day 7 of the Trial: The Defence’s Final Day
• Chapter Nineteen Day 8 of the Trial: The Prosecution’s Speech to the Jury Regarding Henry
• Chapter Twenty Day 8 of the Trial: The Prosecution’s Speech to the Jury Regarding Thomas
• Chapter Twenty-One Day 9 of the Trial: The Judge Sums Up
• Chapter Twenty-Two Day 9 of the Trial: Conclusion and Sentencing
• Chapter Twenty-Three Ellen Wilmore
• Chapter Twenty-Four After the Trial
• Chapter Twenty-Five The Wainwright Brothers’ Joint Interview
• Chapter Twenty-Six Thomas Wainwright’s Interview by Visiting Magistrates (48007/13 – Document D)
• Chapter Twenty-Seven Henry Wainwright’s Prison Statement: The Truth and Nothing But the Truth?
• Chapter Twenty-Eight The Execution: Tuesday, 21 December 1875
• Chapter Twenty-Nine Thomas Wainwright Serves His Sentence
• Chapter Thirty Reviewing the Evidence
• Conclusion
• Appendix I Assorted Subjects
• Appendix II A Modern-day London Cab Journey in thefootsteps of Henry Wainwright
• Appendix III Letters from Harriet Lane to her Parents
• Appendix IV What Happened to Caroline Wainwright, Thomas’ Wife, and his Children?
• Appendix V List of Main Characters
• Appendix VI Timeline of Events
• Notes
• Selected Bibliography
• Index
• Back cover