Henriques Street
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henriques Street, formerly known as Berner Street, is a narrow street off Commercial Road in the East End of London. Its modest appearance belies a rather interesting history.
On the night of 30 September 1888, prostitute Elizabeth Stride was found dead in Dutfield's Yard off Berner Street. Though the body was not mutilated, the murder is usually attributed to Jack the Ripper, as her body was found the same night as that of Catherine Eddowes, only a few blocks away. It is thought the killer may have been interrupted before mutilating Stride, thus causing him to seek out another victim in a quieter location. A postcard received by the police the next day, before the newspapers carried the story, mentioned a "double event", thus linking the Stride killing to the Ripper.
The street is also the location of the Bernhard Baron House, the building where the well-known Jewish philanthropist and social activist Basil Henriques based his social club for young men for many years. The street was later renamed to Henriques Street in his honour.
