How Elisabeth got to meet Jack the ripper

Elisabeth Stride - from Gothenburg to Whitechapel

We don't know of many stories of women who lived in Gothenburg during the 19th century, not many of thoose who came from the working class anyway. Thoose who are montioned are often depicted in a comical way. Like Eva Axe, the most "manish" woman in Majorna, who used to run the brothel the American Flagg. Famous for fighting her rivals wearing her dead husbands sailors uniform. Elisabeth Stride was born Gustafsdotter and was the daughter of a farmer in Torslanda just outside Goothenburg. She came to Majorna to work as a maid and got in to a lot of trouble, Bad luck and misery was followed her through out her life. She eventually moves in to the city to work. Her troubles start as she gets pregnant and has a miscarage, it might have happened while she was working as a maid in Majorna. The father was unknown, perhaps it was the father of the household, she looses her employment regardless and ends up in the streets. Her child is stillborn and Elisabeth is now labeled as a "loose" woman. She actually ends up on a list of the police. They keep a list off what they regard as promiscuos women in the city a long with the prostitutes, they have to check in with a doctor once a week, because the authorities blame them for spreading syphlis in the city. Basically so that the wealthy men in the city can keep visiting the brothels outside the city without having to worry about bringing any diseases back home.

Migration to England - in search of a better faith

Elisabeths lucks turns when she her mother passes away. She gets a small some of money after her mother when she passes away and uses this money to migrate. Not to America were most Swedes sought a new life. She goes to London, probably to get away from her bad repuatation in the city. She eventually meets a man called Robert Stride, a carpenter, who she ends up marrying and they open up a café togheter. The marriage is not happy. She and Robert are arrested several times. For fighting, drinking and obscenity. She looses her marriage and her bussines and without any money she ends up in the neighberhood Whitechapel. It's similar to the neighberhood of Majorna and Haga, were she lived in Gothenburg, close to the docks and very poor. She works with sewing, cleaning and once again prostitution. The other women call her Long Liz, she's 162 centimeters tall and it seems that she is loosing her mind. When arrested she claims that she has given birth to 12 children and that they died along with her husband on a steam boat accident. She is seen talking to her selph and she actually contracts syphlis that might have spread to her brain. One night she is in the company of a man in a back alley when someone hears her scream.

Gallery

The grave of Elisabeth Stride in London, a newspaper illustration repporting on her death, picture of a young Elisabeth, Gyllene Suggan, famous brothel in Gothenburg