A regular haunt for the Victorian prostitutes of the Spitalfields area, the Ten Bells is widely associated with Jack the Ripper.
The stories of two of his victims - Annie Chapman and Mary Jane Kelly - seem to be connected to the pub. Annie Chapman allegedly took a drink here shortly before she was murdered. And Mary Kelly picked up clients as a prostitute at the pavement outside of the pub.
Between 1976 and 1988, the place even carried the name "Jack the Ripper'', and memorabilia relating to the case were displayed inside. The name was later changed back to original following a campaign by Reclaim the Night who demanded that a murderer of women should not be commemorated in such a fashion.
The Ten Bells is mentioned in the graphic novel about Jack the Ripper by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (“From Hell”, 1999). It also appears in the film adaptation from 2001. Inspector Abberline, played by Johnny Depp, is having a drink with Mary Jane Kelly in this very pub.
The Ten Bells was also featured in Jamie Oliver’s series “Jamie's Great Britain” (2011). Oliver's great-great-grandfather was a landlord of the pub during the 1880s.
Sources: Timeout, Wikipedia
