Martha Tabram
Biographical Information
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Martha Tabram | |
Overview[edit]
Early Life[edit]
Martha White was born in Southwark, the youngest of five children to Charles and Elizabeth White. The family was living at 17 Marshall St and her father worked as a fobbing porter - a type of independent porter for hire that usually had several clients around the neighborhood. Being that the short Marshall street was just a few blocks east of the famous Bethlehem Lunatic Asylum (Bedlam), it is possible that he was a part time employee there. According to a daughter later (documentation still needed), Charles became ill in 1865 and moved away from the family to Pitt St where he died shortly afterward. The mother followed in Oct of 1869, leaving Martha unmarried and alone at the age of 20.
Married Life[edit]
Not long after her mother death, Martha married on Christmas Day 1869 at Trinity Church to a man named Henry Samuel Tabram. Henry was recently widowed and had at least one child, an 8 year old son named Henry. Some online tress give an additional three children, Matilda (died as an infant in 1864), Matilda Ann (1865-1949), and Amy (died as an infant in 1868). I have not yet been able to document these additional children and Matilda is not listed with the family in the 1871 census.
People[edit]
| Name | (Born-Died) | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victims | Tabram, Martha | 1849-1888 | |
| Family | Tabrum, Berta Seifert | 1878- | future daughter-in-law |
| Tabrum, Charles Henry | 1872-1956 | son, later moved to Canada | |
| Witnesses | Hewitt, Francis | superintendent of 37, George-yard buildings | |
| Crow, Alfred George | cabdriver, living at 35 George-yard buildings. | ||
| Killeen, Dr. T. R. | first called to attend to the body, pronounced it a "brutal murder" | ||
| Reeves, John Saunders | resident at 37, George-yard Buildings, waterside laborer. He discovered the body. | ||
| Officers & Investigators | Barrett, Thomas | #226 H, constable on the beat in the vicinity, first called to the scene | |
| Ellison | Inspector of the Commercial-street Police Station | ||
| Reid | Inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department |
Documentation[edit]
Cemetery Records[edit]
- Find-a-Grave: Pvt Charles Henry Tabrum (1872-1956), Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Find-a-Grave: Martha White Tabram (1849-1888), Whitechapel, London, England
Census Records:[edit]
- 1851: St George, Surrey - Charles and Elizabeth White with five children including Martha (1) at 17 Marshall St, his occupation "jobbing porter", which appears to have been an independent porter for hire.
- 1871: Whitechapel - Henry and Martha Tabram with sons Henry (10) and Frederick (1). This Henry seems to be from the father's previous marriage.
Criminal Records[edit]
- 1877 - Henry Tabram, 41, 5'3.5", brown hair and eyes. Occupation, Porter. Description is given as "stout build, beard and mustache, scar on forehead, blind in left eye, cupping marks on right side. He was committed by the Quarter Sessions at Newington on 3 Apr 1877 and brought into custody on 5 Apr 1877 for stealing a purse and four pounds sterling. He was sentenced to 3 months and discharged on 12 Jul 1877.
- 1877: Additional records to the above, further notes that the committing magistrate was C. E. Ellison, Esq of the Lambeth Police Court, that he was received for trial on 16 Mar 1877 for "feloniously stealing one purse, and the sum of L4, the property and moneys of William Henry Westfield. That he was tried on 5 Apr 1877 before W. F. Harrison, Esq and found guilty of Larceny and sentenced to 3 calendar months hard labour at Wandsworth Prison.
Educational Records[edit]
- 1876: Hanwell, Frederick Tabrum, age 5, admitted 31 Aug 1876, "discharged with Mother" 11 Oct.
- 1877: Hanwell, Frederick & Charles Tabrum, admitted 16 Jun, "discharged with mother" 27 Jun
- 1877: Hanwell, Frederick & Charles Tabrum, admitted 18 Oct, discharged with mother 9 Jan 1878
Newspaper Articles[edit]
- 7 Aug 1888 - The Bolton News (Manchester) - Murder in London
- 7 Aug 1888 - Evening Chronicle (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) - Mysterious Murder in London
- 7 Aug 1888 - Leicester Mercury (Leicester) - Mysterious Murder in London
- 7 Aug 1888 - Manchester Evening News (Manchester) - Another Mysterious Murder
- 7 Aug 1888 - Evening Post (Nottingham) - Mysterious Tragedy in Whitehchapel
- 8 Aug 1888 - Evening Telegraph (Derby) - Woman Brutally Murdered
- 8 Aug 1888 - Evening Post (Bristol) - Tragedy in Whitechapel
- 8 Aug 1888 - The Bolton News (Manchester) - Supposed Murder of a Woman.
- 8 Aug 1888 - Birmingham Evening Mail (Birmingham) - A Whitechapel Tragedy
- 8 Aug 1888 - North Mail (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) - Whitechapel note
- 8 Aug 1888 - The Standard (London) - Whitechapel Mystery
- 8 Aug 1888 - The North Star (Durham) - Mysterious Murder
- 8 Aug 1888 - The Times (London) - Supposed Murder
- 8 Aug 1888 - Huddersfield Chronicle (West Yorkshire) - Mysterious Murder in Whitechapel
- 8 Aug 1888 - Bristol Mercury & Daily Post (Bristol) - Mysterious Murder
- 10 Aug 1888 - The Times (London) - The Murder in Whitechapel
- 10 Aug 1888 - The Standard (London) - The Whitechapel Murder
- 11 Aug 1888 - Illustrated Police News (London) - Tragedy in Whitechapel
- 11 Aug 1888 - The Morning Post (London) - The Whitechapel Mystery
- 12 Aug 1888 - Lloyd's Weekly (London) - Tragedy in Whitechapel
- 12 Aug 1888 - The Sunday People (London) - Tragedy in Whitechapel
- 15 Aug 1888 - Western Morning News (Plymouth) - The Whitechapel Mystery
Workhouse Records:[edit]
- 1876 (Fri, 18 Aug): "Martha Tabrani", born 1850 of St George's, admitted to Newington Workhouse, "Deserted Married"
- 1876 (Thu, 5 Oct): "Martha Tabram", discharged from Newington Workhouse on "own request"
- 1876 (Thu, 12 Oct): Frederick Tabrum, born 1871, admitted to St George's Workhouse from Hanwell School. The Hanwell School for Destitute Children (1857-1933), also known as the Cuckoo Schools as it was built on Cuckoo Hill in Hanwell. Charlie Chaplin would also later attend this school when his mother was in Newington Workhouse.
- 1876 ( Fri, 13 Oct): Frederick Tabrum is discharged from St. George's Workhouse to Newington for discharge.
- 1877 (Mon, 7 May): Martha (28), Frederick (6) & Charles (4) "Tabran" of Mile End admitted at Newington Workhouse at 11:30 pm. Her occupation noted as "Needle". Discharged after 4.5 days.
- 1877 (Wed, 23 May): Martha, Frederick and Charles are admitted to the Christ Church Workhouse
- 1877 (Thu, 24 May): Martha, Frederick, and Charles Tabram are discharged from Christ Church Workhouse on the mothers request.
- 1877 (Thu, 31 May): Martha Tabram, Needle, born 1849, admitted to Newington Workhouse - Destitute, Married
- 1877 (Thu, 28 Jun): Frederick and Charles Tabrum are admitted to St George Workhouse, of Newington. Noted as coming from "Hanwell Schools".
- 1877 (Fri, 29 Jun): Frederick and Charles Tabrum are discharged from St. George Workhouse to Newington for discharge where their mother was located. We can see their day, last meal noted for them was breakfast that morning, then they were sent to Newington to meet with their mother who discharged herself upon their arrival or shortly their after, her last meal for the day also being breakfast. Three times were noted - breakfast in the morning, dinner in the early afternoon, and supper in the evening.
- 1877 (Fri, 29 Jun): Martha Tabram is discharge at her own request from Newington, now with her sons
- 1878 (Wed, 1 May): Frederick John (age 7), and Charles Henry (age 5) are admitted to Broad Street Workhouse from The Strand.
- 1878 (Wed, 15 May) - Frederick John and Charles Henry are discharged "to Mother at Prison"
- 1878 (Sat, 1 Jun): Charles Henry Tabram, age 5 (born 1873) admitted to the Westminster Union Workhouse, charged with begging on the order of the Master of Vine Street Station.
- 1878 (Fri, 14 Jun): Charles Henry Tabram: discharged to his mother.
- 1878 (Fri, 20 Dec): Martha, Frederick and Charles Tabram of St George Parish are admitted at Newington Workhouse, noted as Deserted
- 1879 (Mon, 13 Jan): Charles and Frederick (alone) are discharged from Newington with a note "to St George"
- 1879 (Fri, 9 May): Martha Tabram is discharged from Newington Workhouse at her own request
- 1881 (Thu, 28 Apr): Frederick and Charles Tabram, born 1871 and 1873, are admitted to the Fulham Road Workhouse on Thu Apr 28 from St George Parish, noted "From Mount St." This may refer to the Mount Street Workhouse in St. George's Hanover Square, later demolished in 1886.
- 1881 (Fri, 29 Apr): Frederick and Charles are discharged Fri 29 Apr "on Mother's request"
- 1886 (Fri, 15 Oct): Charles Tabram, no occupation, born 1873, of St George, is admitted to St George Workhouse
- 1886 (Sat, 16 Oct): Charles Tabram is charged after dinner to the charge of P. C. 145 M (policeman)
Notes on the workhouses. As an example, for the Summary of Admissions and Discharges, during the Midsummer Quarter of 1877 for Newington Workhouse - during which all three family members were admitted - there were 580 Admissions + 13 Births; and 546 Discharges + 110 deaths.
Vital Records[edit]
- 1806: Baptism register for Charles Samuel White (Martha's father) at St. Mary's, Lambeth, Surrey - son of Charles and Mary White
- 1831: Marriage of Charles White to Elizabeth Dowsett (Martha's parents) at St Giles, Camberwell, Surrey
- 1836: Baptism of Henry Samuel Tabram at St Mary's, Whitechapel, son of John and Hannah Tabram.
- 1865: Death Index for Charles White in London in Dec 1865
- 1868: Marriage of Stephen Ebenezer White (brother to Martha) to Hannah King in Lambeth, Surrey
- 1869: Marrage of Martha White to Henry Samuel Tabram, 25 Dec 1869 at Trinity Church in Southwark by Samuel Robinson, curate. Henry is noted as a Widower and "packer" by profession.
- 1871: Birth of Frederick John Tabram, noted on his much later baptismal record in 1879
- 1879: Baptism of Frederick John Tabram, son of Henry and Martha, at St. John the Evangelist on Wilton Road, Westminster. "no address" was noted for their residence of abode. The fathers occupation was noted as foreman.
- 1919: Marriage certificate of "Charles Henry Tabrum", son of Henry Tabrum and Martha White to "Berta Seifert" - Wentworth, Ontario, Canada