New City Pub Honours Ripper Victim Catherine Eddowes
A Pub Named for a Woman, Not a Legend
Regulars heading into the City this autumn may have noticed a new arrival on the corner opposite Mitre Square. The Catherine Eddowes opened its doors on 27 October as the latest venue in the Craft Beer Co. chain, and it carries a name that many Londoners will recognise from the grim history of the East End. Mitre Square is a small, quiet pocket of the City, tucked between busy office blocks, and it was here in the early hours of 30 September 1888 that Catherine Eddowes was found murdered. She was 46 years old, a Londoner who had only recently returned from a hop-picking trip in Kent, and she was the fourth of the so-called canonical five women killed that year.
For many people who work or walk through this part of town, the square is a place they pass without a second thought. The new pub changes that. Its owners have chosen to put her name above the door, a deliberate decision to make a victim the centre of the story rather than the man who was never caught. Passers-by will now find themselves reading her name every time they head for a pint, which is precisely the point the pub’s team wants to make. Local history has often been told through the perspective of the killer, and this venue asks residents to consider the woman instead.
Who Is Behind the Sign and the Name
The pub’s operators say the name was chosen to give Catherine a lasting presence in the everyday life of the City. Jon Huddart from Craft Beer Co. has spoken about wanting her memory to sit comfortably alongside the working life of the area, rather than existing only in tour guides and history books. The building’s identity is carried by a hanging sign made by Ash and Sarah Bishop at the Brilliant Sign Co. It shows Catherine walking across a cobbled street with a basket of flowers in one hand and a shawl around her shoulders. The image is warm and human, offering a version of her that is about ordinary life rather than violence.
This matters to the staff, who now represent that choice every shift, and to the local creative trades who produced the artwork. It also matters to anyone who has been waiting for their neighbourhood to reflect a more complete picture of its past. Small hospitality businesses in London often carry the weight of their community’s stories, and this one has taken on a responsibility to tell hers with care. Staff will need to be ready to answer questions from curious visitors, which is a reminder that a sign can start a conversation as well as make a statement.
What Residents Can Do Next
If you live in or around the City, or you commute from Richmond, Whitton or Hounslow, there are a few practical ways to get involved. The first is simply to visit and see how the venue handles its subject matter. Notice whether the atmosphere feels respectful and whether the history is presented as a lived story rather than a spectacle. Local pubs earn their reputations through this kind of everyday conduct, so your feedback to staff and to the company is worth giving.
Second, consider joining a guided walk. Look Up London runs a Feminist Jack the Ripper Tour, which focuses on the women of the East End rather than the killer, and it is a good way to understand the context around Mitre Square. Third, keep an eye on how the local conversation develops. A similar shift is happening at Nancy’s Cocktail Bar in London Bridge, opened earlier this year and named after the character in Oliver Twist who is a victim of domestic abuse and eventually murder. Both venues show that London’s hospitality scene is increasingly willing to reframe its historic stories. For independent owners across west London who are inspired to start something similar, a sensible first step is getting the finances in order, and many turn to a Hounslow bookkeeping specialist to keep their figures clear from day one.
Source: Catherine Eddowes: New Pub Named After Ripper Murder Victim
