All We Know About Jack The Ripper's First Victim

If there’s one thing we will probably never know, it’s the true identity of Jack the Ripper. London was gripped by the criminal in 1888 - until he was suddenly gone as fast as he arrived. Still, there are some things we know about his crimes, such as the five unfortunate women who met their end.

Mary Ann Nichols was the first to lose her life to Jack the Ripper, with a friend last seeing her at 2:30 am on Whitechapel Road on August 31, 1888. No one knew that she was about to cross paths with someone who would go down in history. Just one hour later, Mary Ann’s body was discovered, and the rest is history. While we might never know who the criminal was, there is still all we know about Jack the Ripper’s first victim.

Mary Ann Nichols was married and had five children

Mary Ann Nichols was born on August 26, 1845, meaning she had just turned 43 years old when she lost her life to Jack the Ripper. Although her official name was Mary Ann, many local residents merely knew her as Polly by the time she passed away, leaving her family behind. From a very early age, Mary Ann was sent to work, helping her mother wash and press clothes as a means of getting by. Her high cheekbones and light-hearted demeanor made her a favorite among the locals, but things sadly took a turn. When she was 19, Mary Ann married Willian Nichols, a printer’s machinist. The pair lived with his parents before they moved in with her father and eventually their own house in the Peabody Buildings. This was no easy place to stay as it was for the working lower class. Eventually, Mary Ann and William welcomed five children, but there were plenty of cracks in their relationship.

She eventually left her husband, but life wasn’t easy

As time went on, it seemed that Mary Ann and William Nichols were living far from perfect lives. Cracks in their marriage began to show, and it’s reported she turned to drink as a way to cope. There were also plenty of rumors that William was unfaithful to his wife, with Mary Ann supposedly threatening to leave more than one. In fact, she even moved into a workhouse, where it’s believed she picked up the nickname Polly. Life in the workhouse was far from easy during Victorian times. They typically had to start work at 5 am and would work all through the day and night, spending their off hours divided by gender. Although Mary Ann eventually returned to William, the marriage was over for good in 1880. As a result, Mary Ann was forced to find work as a cleaning woman while she bounced around several lodging houses just to find a place to stay.

Jack the Ripper’s first victim may or may not have been a lady of the night

Sources differ when it comes to what Mary Ann Nichols did for a living. At the time, it was believed that they were all ladies of the night, but there was little evidence that at least three others were in the trade. Then there’s Mary Ann. A lot of the rumors that she worked as a lady of the night come from William Nichols, who apparently spread this rumor so that he could stop financially supporting his ex-wife. However, we know that she didn’t have enough money for a place to stay the night she crossed paths with Jack the Ripper. There’s every chance that she didn’t lose her life because she was working, but merely because Mary Ann was sleeping in a doorway when she was attacked. In the end, she had her throat cut and was left to be found almost out in the open.

While Mary Ann Nichols was the first to lose her life to Jack the Ripper, she was unfortunately far from the last. At least four more women lost their lives at the hands of the criminal before he vanished into the night. Still, learning all we know about Jack the Ripper’s first victim helps to keep Mary Ann’s memory alive and reminds us of the tragedies these women faced before they were taken too soon.