Eliza Gold

[Jerry Dunlop]

A few things have been nagging me about the statements of Catherine's sister, Eliza (Frost) Gold. Kate seemed to be on rather bad terms with just about everyone in her family in 1888. Eliza seems to be somewhat of an exception. Eliza was a prostitute at one time and an alcoholic. Maybe she related better with Catherine?

The Coroner: You said your sister came to see you when you were ill, and that you had not seen her since. Was that three or four weeks ago?
Mrs. Gold: Yes.
[Coroner] So that your saying three or four months was a mistake? - Yes. I am so upset and confused. Witness commenced to cry again. As she could not write she had to affix her mark to the deposition.

So Catherine had taken care of her sister in Thrawl street three to four weeks prior to the inquest on October 4th. That would be about the time of Polly Nichols murder. Then about a week before the murder in Mitre Square, Annie Phillips is in Thrawl Street yelling up to the window asking her aunt (Eliza Gold) if she had seen her mother. Eliza doesn't know if the two ended up speaking on that occasion. One week prior to her murder was before the time she (Eddowes) left to hop pick. Annie hadn't spoken to her mother for two years (1886) and now she is travelling to Thrawl Street from Bermondsey to seek her out. In her statements at the inquest, Annie proclaimed she did not give her mother her address to avoid her begging for money. Now she is seeking her out?

The other thing I've wondered is, why did Catherine not try to stay at Eliza's house rather than find lodgings in Mile End? 6 Thrawl Street was practically on her back porch from Flower and Dean. She helped her sister when she was ill, no return favor?

[Jerry Dunlop]

Can anyone help me understand the discrepancy in where she lived? Minories or Thrawl Street? It could make a difference as Kate was heading toward the Minories on her fateful night.

East London Advertiser
Saturday, 6 October 1888.

The inquest on the body of Catherine Eddows, alias Conway, alias Kelly, found murdered in Mitre-square, Aldgate, on Sunday morning last, was opened before Mr. S. F. Langham, the City coroner, at the City mortuary, on Thursday. - Eliza Gould, residing in the Minories, said she recognised the deceased as her sister. Her name was Catherine Eddows. She was a single woman, about 43 years of age, who had been living for some years with John Kelly. She last saw the deceased alive four or five weeks ago.

Pall Mall Gazette
4 October 1888

Eliza Gould, residing in the Minories, said she recognized the deceased as her sister. Her name was Catherine Eddows. She was a single woman, about forty-three years of age, who had been living for some years with John Kelly. She last saw the deceased alive four or five weeks ago. Deceased used to get her living by hawking, and was of sober habits. Previous to living with Kelly, she had lived with a man called Conway, by whom she had had two children. She did not know whether the deceased parted from Conway on good or bad terms.


Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser
Dublin, Ireland
Friday, 5th October 1888

Eliza Gold, the first witness, living at 6 Thrawl-street, identified the body as that of her sister, Catherine Eddowes, who was a single woman, who lived with John Kelly for some years. Witness last saw her alive about four or five months ago. The deceased was a hawker, of sober habits, and before living with Kelly deceased lived with the man Conway for some years, and had children by him. Witness did not know whether Conway, who was an army pensioner, was still alive.


Echo
London, U.K.
4 October 1888

Ellen Gould, a widow, was the first witness examined. She said - I live at 6 Thrawl-street, Spitalfields. I recognise the body of the deceased as that of my poor sister. Her name was Catherine Eddowes.

The Star
Largest Circulation of Any Evening Paper in the Kingdom.
LONDON. THURSDAY, 4 OCTOBER, 1888.

ELIZA GOLD

was the first witness. She said: I live at 6, Thrawl-street, Spitalfields, and am a widow. I identify the deceased as my poor sister. Her name was Catherine Eddows. She was not married, and was not single, but was living with a gentleman named Mr. Kelly. She had been with him for some years. I last saw her alive four or five months ago.



And this statement is the one I referenced in the opening post. (BOLD)

Daily News
United Kingdom
4 October 1888

Last night Eliza Gold, or Frost, the sister, who lives at 6, Thrawl-street, Spitalfields, made the following statement. She did this with difficulty, as she is suffering from a serious attack of illness consequent on the sudden discovery of her sister's shocking end. "It was this morning," she said, "when I was called to the mortuary to identify her, poor girl-I never dreamed that she would come to such an end as this, and I can't get over it. I really don't know how old she was, but I am fifty-two, and she was considerably younger. Perhaps she was about forty-two. She was born at Wolverhampton. All of us were born there. She was not married to Conway, but she went to live with him while in London. She has lived here almost all her life. Her name was Catherine Eddowes. Conway was in the army, but I don't know in what regiment. She had two or three children by him. It's rather strange-one of them, the girl that's married, came to me last week and asked me if I had seen anything of her mother. She said it was a very long time since she had seen her; but it was a long time since I had, too, and I told her so. In fact I have not seen her much oftener than once or twice since she has been with Kelly, though we lived so close together. We were not on the best of terms. I think it is only five or six years since Conway left her. Then she got in with Kelly, and I believe she has stuck to him all along. I certainly don't think she ever went out with other men, though I have told you that I did not see much of her. She was always a regular jolly sort, but she would never do anything wrong. I cannot imagine what she was doing in Mitre-square. ["]

[Anna Morris]

I should never comment on geography, however one link for Druitt to these crimes was that he had an office or something in the Minories and that was considered a good escape destination from Mitre Square.

[Phillip Walton]

I should never comment on geography, however one link for Druitt to these crimes was that he had an office or something in the Minories and that was considered a good escape destination from Mitre Square.

Druitt's office was in Lincoln Inns Fields, a good mile from Mitre Square.
The Minories would have probably been on the Rippers route to Mitre Square from murdering Liz Stride.

[Robert Linford]

I think maybe Dan Farson tried to link Druitt with the Minories, but actually it was Cutbush who had a supposed link to, or near to, the Minories.

[Howard Brown]

Jerry :

Good eye on your part....I haven't seen the discrepancies pointed out as you've done in her stories.
Nina's going to check out where Eliza Gold lived in 1881 and 1891.

[Howard Brown]

Jerry :

Nina found one Eliza Frost 43 ( Charles,43, listed as husband) at 6 Thrawl Street in 1881.

Emily Downing, younger than two
George, son 14 years old.

[Markus Aurelius Franzoi]

It's interesting that her name is reported as Gould and Gold.

I remember looking to see if she was related to Margaret Rawlinson from the Charles Pateman marriages list. She gave her address as 5 Thrawl Street and her mother was born a Gould/Gold. And her sister married Rosalie Ochse's son, Oscar.

I did look into James Gold the butcher and I'm sure I eliminated him somehow as a relative but now I can't find anything on him other than the marriage in 1859 and the job.

[Jerry Dunlop]

Jerry :

Nina found one Eliza Frost 43 ( Charles,43, listed as husband) at 6 Thrawl Street in 1881.

Emily Downing, younger than two
George, son 14 years old.

Thanks, Howard.


Here's the question then. She states at inquest she is a widow which I have always assumed was from her dead husband, James Gold. He must have died by 1881 as she is living as "wife" of Charles Frost at Thrawl Street in 1881. Why would she state her name at inquest as "Eliza Gold" if her most recent husband was still alive? Do we know if Charles Frost died before 1888. I can't find record of it?

[Jerry Dunlop]

It's interesting that her name is reported as Gould and Gold.

I remember looking to see if she was related to Margaret Rawlinson from the Charles Pateman marriages list. She gave her address as 5 Thrawl Street and her mother was born a Gould/Gold. And her sister married Rosalie Ochse's son, Oscar.

I did look into James Gold the butcher and I'm sure I eliminated him somehow as a relative but now I can't find anything on him other than the marriage in 1859 and the job.

San Fran,

I found an 1861 census record for James Gold and Eliza (b. Wolverhampton) living on Edward Street, Shoreditch.

Name
James Gold
County
London, Middlesex
Event Type
Census
Event Date
1861
Event Place
St Leonard Shoreditch, London, Middlesex, England
Ecclesiastical Parish
Holy Trinity Hoxton
Registration District
Shoreditch
Residence Note
Edward Street
Gender
Male
Age
25
Marital Status
Married
Occupation
Butcher
Relationship to Head of Household
Head
Birth Year (Estimated)
1836
Birthplace
Lambton, ...
Page Number
2
Registration Number
RG09
Piece/Folio
237 / 100
Affiliate Record Type
Household
Household
Role
Sex
Age
Birthplace
James Gold
Head
M
25
Lambton, ...
Eliz Gold
Wife
F
23
Wolverhampton,

[Jerry Dunlop]

This record states in 1893 she was the wife of Charles Frost, so, perhaps he was still alive then?

[Gary Barnett]

Nice find, Jerry. This adds a bit more info:



The Standard 27th January, 1893

[Howard Brown]

Good find Gary....for some reason I came up shooting blanks trying to find an article with Eliza's 1893 death.

[Gary Barnett]

Good find Gary....for some reason I came up shooting blanks trying to find an article with Eliza's 1893 death.

A pretty miserable end for the poor old girl. In some ways worse than her sister’s. I see from her marriage cert that Eliza was illiterate. No Dowgate Charity School for her, it seems.

[Jerry Dunlop]

Excellent, Gary! Thank you for that clip.


It was a miserable end, it sounds, for poor Eliza. I'm surprised the reporter in your article missed the fact she was the sister of a ripper victim. It seems the son, George, didn't know much about his parents. According to previous research, Charles Frost was a waterside laborer and Wesleyan. He sold farthing books on Liverpool street (sounds similar to Thomas Conways profession). I'm assuming he hung out at the railway station to do this? That station was close to where Kate was locked up. 3 to 4 weeks before leaving to hop pick, Eliza said Kate took care of her when she was ill. I assume that meant at 6 Thrawl Street? When she returns she supposedly states she thinks she knows who the ripper was. Is it just me or does it seem Charles Frost was being somewhat guarded by the son and Eliza when it came time to testify about him at both Kate and Elizas inquests?