MRS CARTHY

MRS MARY MCCARTHY

Mary Kelly's Landlady, 1 Breezer's Hill, Pennington Street

"Mrs Carthy" is mentioned in many newspapers in mid-November, 1888 - albeit, her name is also given as Mrs M'Carthy and Mrs McCarthy.

In fact, her correct name was Mrs Mary McCarthy, and she lived at 1 Breezer's Hill, Pennington Street, St. George's-in-the-East. She may have been related to John McCarthy, Mary Kelly's landlord in Miller's Court.

Mary Kelly, is, and was, the most enigmatic of Jack the Ripper's victims, and nobody has ever really managed to trace her history with any degree of certainty. Indeed, virtually all that is known about her past life, prior to her arrival in the East End of London, is derived from information that she provided to various people whilst residing in the East End.

In the wake of her murder, on the 9th of November, 1888, journalists began looking into her past life and, in so doing, they came across "Mrs Carthy", who told reporters that Mary had been her lodger two years prior to her murder.

The Hartlepool Daily Mail - referring to her as Mrs M'Carthy - featured her press statement, which was evidently a syndicated article, in its edition of Monday, 12th November, 1888:-

She next resided with a Mrs M'Carthy, Pennington-street, which place she left about eighteen months ago for her last residence, in Dorset Street.

Mrs M'Carthy believes that Kelly, when she left her, went to live with a man in the building trade, who Mrs M'Carthy believes would have married her.

Some short time ago, she [Mrs M'Carthy] was aroused about two o'clock one morning by Mrs Kelly, who came with a strange man and asked Mrs M'Carthy to give her a bed, which she did, receiving two shillings in payment, since then Mrs M'Carthy has never seen her."

Source: Hartlepool Daily Mail, Monday, 12th November, 1888.