Why arsenic, though? THE baby was the daughter born to Mary Ann Cotton, of West Auckland, in Durham jail on January 7, 1873. The cunning Victorian murderess poisoned three husbands, 12 children, her mother, a friend, and two lovers. An examination of the body revealed arsenic in his stomach, and further exhumations on the bodies of two other Cotton children and Nattrass found traces of the poison. R > Robson | C > Cotton > Mary Ann (Robson) Cotton, Categories: Serial Killers of the 19th Century | This Day In History March 24 | Murderers | Death by Hanging | Serial Killers | Notables, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. Rumour gave rise to suspicion and scientific investigation. Mary Ann's daughter Isabella Mowbray was brought back to the Robinson household and soon developed severe stomach pains and died, as did two of Robinson's children, Elizabeth and James. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Although her mother began to recover, she also began to complain of stomach pains. Meet Mary Ann Cotton, "Britain's first female serial killer" and star of ITV's Dark Angel . Baby Margaret spent some time with her biological mother in the jail cell, before she was eventually given to her adoptive parents, William and Sarah Edwards, aged about 10 weeks old. She rekindled the romance and persuaded her new family to move near him. Serial killer Mary Ann Cotton is a female serial killer. [2] During her 40 year life span she was responsible for the deaths, by poisoning, of 17 people, perhaps even more. As Mary Ann Cotton, Dark Angelreported, Mary Ann blamed lax pharmacists for her young stepson's death. Mary Ann Cotton was hanged at Durham County Gaol on 24 March 1873 by William Calcraft; she died, not from her neck breaking, but by strangulation caused by the rope being rigged too short, possibly deliberately.[4]. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. In March 1873 her three-day trial began. People just can't seem to tear themselves away from the bloody drama of a serial killer, no matter how much many of us try to pretend otherwise. Riley grew suspicious and alerted the police. Then he found that Mary Ann had been forcing his older children to pawn household valuables. mary ann cotton surviving descendants. That is not to say she was entirely innocent, although it does seem very unlikely that she murdered her own mother, who died of hepatitis. She was charged with his murder, although the trial was delayed until after the delivery in Durham Gaol on 7 January 1873 of her thirteenth and final child, whom she named Margaret Edith Quick-Manning Cotton. The relationship of Mary Ann and Nattrass didnt last very long. The census records, birth, death and marriage records also show no trace of him. Yet, according to Female Serial Killers, his cause of death was listed as cholera and typhoid. Riley countered that the boy was a "little healthy fellow," but Charles died on July 12, 1872. At the beginning of it all, the girl who would become Mary Ann Cotton seemed, frankly, pretty unremarkable. As Mary Ann Cotton, Dark Angelreported, Mary Ann blamed lax pharmacists for her young stepson's death. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . She also began a relationship with Joseph Nattrass, History Collection reports, though the affair never resolved into marriage. Explore genealogy for Mary (Cotton) Marshall born 1553 Abbotts Ann, Andover, Hampshire, England died 1625 London, England including ancestors + descendants + 1 photos + 2 genealogist comments + more in the free family tree community. Perhaps this is what caused the young family, in May 1893, to sail from Liverpool on RMS Umbria to New York for a new life. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please But more than a dozen close friends and . There are further versions, slightly more crude, still passed on in school playgrounds in the region, such as: She lies in her coffin with her finger up her bottom. The body of the stepson was examined and found to contain arsenic. The mother who murdered her own children was, though, a sensational story, and the media of the day led by The Northern Echos famous editor, WT Stead whipped up feelings against her. Perhaps most tellingly, her children lived to tell the tale. Soon enough, Margaret died of a mysterious gastrointestinal ailment, allowing Mary Ann to get closer to Frederick. William joined the Durham Light Infantry and ended up in the London Rifles. All three children had been subjects of small life insurance policies. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Arsenic, however, was more subtle. To date Mary Ann remains Britain's most prolific female serial killer. The ships manifest shows they were bound for Pennsylvania a coalmining area where Joseph presumably planned to find work. Their next child, George, was one of the rare few of Cotton's children who would survive her. When she left, she started to train as a dressmaker. She died at age 54 in the spring of 1867, nine days after Mary Ann's arrival. Soon after the move, Mary Ann's father fell 150 feet (46m) to his death down a mine shaft at Murton colliery in February 1842. In 1852, 20-year-old Mary Ann married colliery labourer William Mowbray at Newcastle Upon Tyne register office; they soon moved to South West England. Where, where? As History Collection reports, his wife was paid via yet another life insurance policy and was left with two stepsons. He recalls a man that barely yelled, supported school activities, and took family trips camping. The Raveness, an English performance poet from Warwickshire, composed a spoken word piece entitled "Of Rope and Arsenic" about Cotton and featured the nursery rhyme on her album. Then came the First World War. Major Highways In The Southwest Region, After her marriage to Robinson crumbled, Cotton was introduced to Frederick Cotton by his sister, Margaret. The lives of William and of their children were insured by the British and Prudential Insurance office and Mary Ann collected a payout of 35 on William's death (equivalent to 3,560 in 2021, about half a year's wages for a manual labourer at the time) and 2 5s for John Robert William. As per Find A Grave, she thereafter appeared as "Margaret Edwards" on the 1881 census and later married John Joseph Fletcher in 1890. Margaret had acted as substitute mother for the remaining children, Frederick Jr. and Charles, but in late March 1870 she died from an undetermined stomach ailment, leaving Mary Ann to console the grieving Frederick Sr. They made sure Robert and Mary Ann was baptized at St Mary's in West Rainton. Another daughter, Isabella, was born in 1858, and Margaret Jane died in 1860. Mary Ann Cotton ( ne Robson; 31 October 1832 - 24 March 1873) was an English convicted murderer who was executed for poisoning her stepson. The ships manifest shows they were bound for Pennsylvania a coalmining area where Joseph presumably planned to find work. He died in a field hospital on November 4 a week before the armistice. Soon, Mary became pregnant by him with her thirteenth child. Perhaps, to Mary Ann Cotton's mind, if she tried to settle down without killing for insurance money, she would be putting herself in a situation where she lacked control and could easily find herself out on the street, as she likely did after James Robinson forced her out of their home. But when their son, William, was born a few months after their arrival, his place of birth was listed as Imperial County in California a desert through which canals were being dug to create farmland. It went like this: Mary Ann Cotton, she's dead and she's rotten. It went like this: Mary Ann Cotton, she's dead and she's rotten. He hired Mary Ann as a housekeeper in November 1866. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. YouTube. It is believed that she ki**ed three of her husbands so that she could collect their life insurance policies and may . After her marriage to Robinson crumbled, Cotton was introduced to Frederick Cotton by his sister, Margaret. She told Riley that the boy was sickly and added: "I wont be troubled long. Several petitions were presented to the Home Secretary, but to no avail. The defense in the case was handled by Mr. Thomas Campbell Foster. Sharon Costner Obituary, They included Joseph Nattrass, the lover who had added Mary Ann to his will, along with her son Robert and stepson Frederick Cotton, Jr. Nattrass' remains showed that he, too, had been poisoned. Some three minutes passed before she finally died. Cotton's undoing came after she tried to have the son of her deceased husband sent to a workhouse. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. That description fits Mary Ann Cotton very well indeed. Her preferred method of killing was poisoning with arsenic. However, she added, I wont be troubled long. Though she's been gone for nearly a century and a half, Cotton remains one of the most shocking female killers in modern history. Her daughter, Clara, 19, was living with Sarah in St Lukes Terrace, Ferryhill. Frederick followed his predecessors to the grave in December of that year, from gastric fever." According to Psychology Today, female serial murderers often have a drive that's pretty distinct from their male counterparts. Though Britain passed the Arsenic Act of 1851 in an attempt to control the distribution of this deadly substance, it's clear that it wasn't all that difficult for Cotton to keep acquiring arsenic in her drive to kill the people around her. The Messed Up Truth About 19th Century Murderess Mary Ann Cotton. Sing, sing, oh what should I sing? Selling black pudding a penny a pair. When Mary Ann christened the baby with its distinctive surname, it identified the father. Mary Ann Cotton was born in a small village in North England on 31st October 1832, to a miner father who died while Mary was just 8. The Times correspondent reported on 20 March: "After conviction the wretched woman exhibited strong emotion but this gave place in a few hours to her habitual cold, reserved demeanour and while she harbours a strong conviction that the royal clemency will be extended towards her, she staunchly asserts her innocence of the crime that she has been convicted of." Selling black puddings, a penny a pair. She bore five children and lost four of them to a mysterious "gastric fever". Rumour turned to suspicion and forensic inquiry. One could simply walk down to the corner shop and buy enough arsenic to kill a man a few times over. Our female killer of interest was born Mary Ann Her daughter, Clara, 19, was living with Sarah in St Lukes Terrace, Ferryhill. Meanwhile, Mary Ann had rekindled her old romance with Joseph Nattrass, who had moved nearby. In 2015 ITV filmed a two-part television drama, Dark Angel,[5] starring Joanne Froggatt as Cotton. Cotton asked the man to circulate a petition in yet another attempt to save her, which did happen, yet it had no real effect on her ultimate fate. The series also featured Alun Armstrong, Jonas Armstrong and Emma Fielding. Mary Ann Robson was born on 31 October 1832 at Low Moorsley,[1] County Durham to Margaret, ne Londsdale and Michael Robson, a colliery sinker; and baptised at St Mary's, West Rainton on 11 November. Cotton and Mary Ann were bigamously married on 17 September 1870 at St Andrew's, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and their son Robert was born early in 1871. [1] Baptised at St Mary's, West Rainton on 11 November 1832. Soon her twelfth pregnancy was underway. Peggy Fossett Net Worth, Margaret died at her home - 66, Church Lane, Ferryhill and left an Estate valued at 740, divided between her daughter CLARA and only surviving son - ROBINSON KELL. She had two children with Robinson but the first one, Margaret Isabella, died within a few months of her birth. [citation needed] The jury retired for 90 minutes before returning a guilty verdict. Last week, we covered the life and crimes of Mary Ann Cotton, also known as the West Auckland Poisoner. When Cotton gave birth to her and Robinson's child, her infant daughter quickly died of "convulsions." Cotton collected another insurance payout and moved on. Though, as the Journal of Victorian Culture reports, there was some financial relief available to widows, it was often highly restricted. Though many of the people around her hadn't caught on to Mary Ann Cotton's murderous ways by the time her second husband had died, it's now rather obvious to people who have her whole story that she was using arsenic. According to The Northern Echo, Mary Ann soon took up with a manager of the West Auckland Brewery, a man by the name of John Quick-Manning. He died in October 1866, baffling doctors on his way out. An inquest was held and the jury returned a verdict of natural causes. There was also a stage show, The Life and Death of Mary Ann Cotton, that premiered in West Hartlepool not too soon after the real Cotton's execution. She asked Riley if he could commit Cotton to a workhouse and when that suggestion was rebuffed, she said this to Riley: I wont be troubled long. login . The insurance policy Mary Ann had taken out on (the still living) Charles' life still awaited collection. She was believed to have murdered up to 21 people, mainly by arsenic poisoning. Mary Ann Robson Cotton, was a serial killer convicted of murdering her mother, 11 of her 13 children, her stepson and 3 of her 4 husbands by arsenic poisoning. [7] The drama was inspired by the book Mary Ann Cotton: Britain's First Female Serial Killer by David Wilson, a criminologist. Mary Ann Cotton (ne Robson; 31 October 1832 24 March 1873) was an English convicted murderer who was executed for poisoning her stepson. contact the editor here. She was eventually found. The defence in the case was handled by Thomas Campbell Foster, who argued during the trial that Charles had died from inhaling arsenic used as a dye in the green wallpaper of the Cotton home. STREET LIFE: Watt Street, Dean Bank, Ferryhill, on an Edwardian postcard which dates from the time that Mary Ann Cottons daughter was living in the street. Yet, the 7-year-old Charles was, to her mind, a serious impediment to her plans. After she was finally apprehended in 1872, some estimated that she may have killed as many as 21 people, according to Britannica. Her death was registered by her son ROBINSON the day after she died. Things seemed to grow worse for the family after Mowbray took out life insurance policies on himself and their three remaining children. When Mary Ann Cotton was christened on 5 May 1802, in Rotherhithe, Southwark, London, England, United Kingdom, her father, Samuel Cotton, was 48 and her mother, Sarah Roby, was 38. . Mary Ann Cotton is famous for being the first female serial killer in Britain. Explore genealogy for Mary (Cotton) Marshall born 1553 Abbotts Ann, Andover, Hampshire, England died 1625 London, England including ancestors + descendants + 1 photos + 2 genealogist comments + more in the free family tree community. With thanks to Vivienne Smith, Durham; Joyce Malcolm, Newton Aycliffe; Alistair Fraser, the Western Front Association; John Dinning and Geoff Wall, the Ferryhill Heritage Centre; Tom Hutchinson, Bishop Auckland; Vi Steventon of Newton Aycliffe; Ian Smyth Herdman of Hartlepool and everybody else who has been in touch. However, the prosecutions evidence, notably the other arsenic-related deaths, proved insurmountable, and she was convicted and sentenced to death. She is believed to have murdered up to 21 people in total. Some substances, like cyanide and strychnine, were also readily available but produced obvious results. Mary Ann Cotton was born in South Hetton, England in 1832 to a mining family. Doctor William Byers Kilburn, who had attended Charles, had kept samples, and tests showed they contained arsenic. As Nattrass had very few possessions, she was once again in financial difficulty. Her sister Margaret was born in 1834 but lived only a few months. He fled and changed his surname: some say he went abroad; others that he returned to his hometown of Darlington where, reconciled with his wife, he ran a small beerhouse. That left behind Mary, her stepson Charles Cotton, and Mary Ann's 13 child still growing in her womb. The trial got going on March 3 and Mary Ann was found guilty of the one murder four days later. On this date in 1873, prolific poisoner Mary Ann Cotton whom some have tabbed Britain's first serial killer for an arsenic murder spree claiming 21 or so souls hanged at Durham County Gaol. Lying in bed with her eyes wide open. The . When that failed, within days she told parish officials that Charles Edward Cotton had died. Mary Ann is a very female serial killer, a poisoner whose methods leave no visible scars, allowing her tally of victims to mount unsuspected by a Victorian society unable to conceive of a woman capable of such terrible crimes. According to the Journal of Social History, working class mothers were especially likely to see their own children sicken and die, even if they weren't intentionally causing the illnesses. She allegedly poisoned up to 21 people before being executed in 1873. The inquiry into Charles Cotton's death showed that Mary Ann's weapon of choice was arsenic. By the middle of the nineteenth century, there was almost an epidemic of poisoning so who knows how many murders were committed. The drama is based on the book Mary Ann Cotton: Britain's First Female Serial Killer by historian David Wilson and remains true to many of the details of how the poisoner got found out - but . Our female killer of interest was born Mary Ann Perhaps Robinson didnt link Mary Ann with the numerous deaths in the family, but he certainly became suspicious when she became overly insistent that he insure his life. It is unclear how she died. A short time later, she married William Mowbray in an 1852 ceremony. The second, which took place in February 1873, was to center on the deaths of Nattrass, along with those of Robert and Frederick. The trial got going on March 3 and Mary Ann was found guilty of the one murder four days later. In 1843, her mother married George Stott (18161895), also a miner. Her death was registered by her son ROBINSON the day after she died. As The Northern Echo reports, most believe that this child was probably the eighth of her biological children and one of only a few who would survive an encounter with their mother. Neither came home. Mary Ann backed off but not before ominously predicting that Charles would "go like all the rest of the Cotton family." Riley, who also served as West Auckland's assistant coroner, said she would have to accompany him. Connolly, Martin. A Gannett Company. It is believed that he was killed in a railway accident. Born in October 1832 in County Durham, England, Cotton was the daughter of Michael and Margaret Robson. . Her sister Margaret was born in 1834 but lived only a few months. She would live until she was nine years old - longer than any of Mary . Mary Ann's downfall came when a parish official, Thomas Riley, asked her to help nurse a woman who was ill with smallpox. She was regarded as Britain's Greatest Female Mass Murderer. MARGARET was born in Durham jail, the daughter of serial poisoner MARY ANN COTTON (nee ROBSON). Later in 1901, Margaret married Robinson Kell, a miner at the Dean and Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill, and had his son. Nattrass soon followed, though not before he put Mary Ann down as a beneficiary in his will. Born in October 1832 in County Durham, England, Cotton was the daughter of Michael and Margaret Robson. She was hanged at Durham Gaol. Cotton took her daughter, Isabella Jane, who had been living with Margaret, with her. Comments have been closed on this article. The executioner reportedly had to push down on her shoulders to speed up the process, which took three minutes to finally kill her. Mary Ann Cotton, she's tied up with string. 25 Feb/23. A court-appointed lawyer put forth the idea that Charles had ingested arsenic through wallpaper, says the RadioTimes. Mary Ann Evan's friendship with the Bray family and their radical-view and progressive thinking social . Cotton had rather more luck at work, where she came across a patient named George Ward. tenthpin management consultants salary . I must tell you: you are the cause of all my trouble." UPTO 50% OFF ON ALL PRODUCTS. There, she discovered that no money would be paid out until a death certificate was issued. An examination ultimately revealed the presence of arsenic in his stomach. After moving frequently, the family settled in Hendon, Durham county, in about 1856. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. What clouds hung over the family? As she was sentenced to hang, the second hearing fizzled out. However, it was accepted, and Russell conducted the prosecution. In 1869, Robinson discovered that she was stealing from him and reportedly kicked her out. [10], Death of Charles Edward Cotton and inquest, Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 14:31, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Mary Ann Cotton | Biography, Murders, Trial, & Execution", "Dark Angel: How were Mary Ann Cotton's terrible crimes uncovered? For many people in Victorian Britain, being born into a working-class family meant that one's life was often touched by tragedy. advertising by a sponsored licensee in illinois must, brantley county board of education meeting, clovis community hospital medical records. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. Though she's been gone for nearly a century and a half, Cotton remains one of the most shocking female killers in modern history. Facts concerning Mary Ann are difficult to pin down, but this was definitely her eighth child she had several miscarriages and there may have been other children. Mary Ann was destitute and barely surviving on the streets, but she was bailed out by her friend, Margaret, who introduced the black widow to her brother, Frederick Cotton. During this time, her 3-year-old daughter, the second Margaret Jane, died of typhus fever, leaving her with one child of up to nine she had borne. They included Joseph Nattrass, the lover who had added Mary Ann to his will, along with her son Robert and stepson Frederick Cotton, Jr. Nattrass' remains showed that he, too, had been poisoned. That's likely why Cotton's mother quickly remarried, in order to keep her family away from the horrifying poverty and harsh conditions of Victorian workhouses. . Mary was born in October 1832 at Low Moorsley (now part of Houghton-le-Spring in the City of Sunderland) and baptised at St Mary's, West Rainton on 11 November. Facts About The Heart Bbc Bitesize, James became suspicious of the deaths and took his one surviving child away, moving to a place Mary Ann could never find them. For women of the working class, the sudden death of a husband could easily throw them into devastating poverty with little way out. At the end of her life, as she spoke with officials, Cotton did not offer an explanation for any of her murders. Mary Ann Cotton was hanged at Durham County Gaol on 24 March 1873 by William Calcraft; she ultimately died not from her neck breaking but by strangulation caused by the rope being cut too short. In a close-knit community like the Durham coalfield, it would have been impossible for Margaret to escape the notoriety of her birth. We told the story in Memories 96, with, as ever, a few inaccuracies. Many seem to act out their crimes in stealthier ways, often using poison and frequently for attention, sympathy, financial security, or some combination of the above. Then he found that Mary Ann had been forcing his older children to pawn household valuables. Mary Ann Cotton's net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider. Once again, she profited from the insurance policy, but her spree was about to come to an end. Both of Mary Ann Cottons grandsons have their names engraved on Ferryhill War Memorial. This week, I'll delve into her psychology. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. When the gallows trapdoor opened, Mary Ann Cotton . According to The Northern Echo, Mary Ann soon took up with a manager of the West Auckland Brewery, a man by the name of John Quick-Manning. Her father's body was delivered to her mother in a sack bearing the stamp 'Property of the South Hetton Coal Company'. As she was sentenced to hang, the second hearing fizzled out. A sister named Margaret was born in 1834, but died a few short months later. As one witness quoted in Mary Ann Cotton put it, Nattrass "died in a fit" and was "in great agony." Around this time she took up with a former lover, Joseph Nattrass, but later became . However, she stayed in Durham and lived in a place called Seaham Harbour. A nearby exhibition purported to have a model of Cotton at a coal mine in county Durham, and it's very possible that other cheap "penny shows" would have drawn upon her tale to lure in visitors and their money. It is said that the prisoner, who is comparatively a young woman, has had three husbands and 15 children, and that they, as well as two lodgers, died under her roof." She sent her surviving child, Isabella, to live with her mother. In 1867, Mary Ann's stepfather George Stott married his widowed neighbour, Hannah Paley. Yet, the 7-year-old Charles was, to her mind, a serious impediment to her plans. Dark Angel Mary Ann Cotton: See the County Durham house where she murdered her last victim Cotton's letters, previously owned by descendants of her lodger, sold at auction in 2013 for 2,200 . Their second child George was born on 18 June 1869. Mary Ann's downfall came when a parish official, Thomas Riley, asked her to help nurse a woman who was ill with smallpox. Her father, a bound miner, was contracted for one year receiving a deplorable family dwelling and meager wages. When Mary was 8 she and her family moved to the Village of Murton in County Durham. Mary Ann Cotton's trial, for allegedly murdering her stepson Charles, was delayed for several months so that she could give birth. One could simply walk down to the corner shop and buy enough arsenic to kill a man a few times over. The "great moral drama," as it was described, likely used the bloody true crime tropes so beloved by Victorians to impart a decidedly un-subtle lesson about how to live one's life the right way. William and Mary Ann moved back to North East England, where William worked as a fireman aboard a steam vessel sailing out of Sunderland, then as a colliery foreman. After her sentencing, Mary Ann Cotton attempted to save herself through various means, from hoping for a pardon to appear to arguing that everyone else in her life had failed her. Mary Ann Cotton, also known as the Dark Angel, was a serial killer who murdered up to 21 people, including her own children, mainly by poisoning them with arsenic. Mary Ann Cotton's now-inevitable trial was delayed, as it soon became clear to officials that she was pregnant. At the time of her trial, The Northern Echo published an article containing a description of Mary Ann as given by her childhood Wesleyan Sunday school superintendent at Murton, describing her as "a most exemplary and regular attender", "a girl of innocent disposition and average intelligence", and "distinguished for her particularly clean and tidy appearance."[2]. Shortly after her demise, according to The Invention of Murder, Cotton's exploits were used by the Victorians in all manner or moralistic and lurid attractions. Mary Cotton was born in North England during the Victorian Period. The census revealed that her boys were working underground William was a collier and John was a pony driver. He is buried in Cambrai cemetery. Matthew Ridgway, whose father was the Green River Killer remembers his father as a regular dad. At the time of her trial, there were reports of four or five of their children dying young while they were living away from County Durham. Cotton was no exception. He didnt. This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 14:31. As per History Collection, Cotton was hanged at Durham County Gaol on March 24, 1873. That left Cotton and her daughter with an insurance payout of some 35, according to Mary Ann Cotton, Dark Angel. This left their widowed mother in a difficult situation. After her sentencing, Mary Ann Cotton attempted to save herself through various means, from hoping for a pardon to appear to arguing that everyone else in her life had failed her. William died of an intestinal disorder in January 1865. We told the story in Memories 96, with, as ever, a few inaccuracies. In 1869 Robinson discovered that Mary Ann was stealing from him, and he grew suspicious of her repeated requests that he take out a life insurance policy. got your result, Mary Ann Cotton Family Tree Check All Members List, Merovingian Famil After Frederick's death, Nattrass soon became Mary Ann's lodger. Her parents were the kind of people that helped out where help were needed. Mary Ann Cotton's now-inevitable trial was delayed, as it soon became clear to officials that she was pregnant. One of her youngest relatives who lives today in London is Carla. This 19th century English woman is one of the earliest confirmed female serial killers in recorded memory. Mary Ann Cotton was in Sunderland on October 31, 1832. In 1843, Mary Ann's widowed mother, Margaret (ne Lonsdale) married George Stott, with whom Mary Ann did not get along. Insurance had been effected on his life and those of his sons. William and John went off to fight. 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Was hanged at Durham County Gaol on March 3 and Mary Ann Cotton, also a miner at end... Had attended Charles, had kept samples, and took family trips camping retired for 90 before. That she was pregnant sister Margaret was born in South Hetton, England, did. Were the kind of people that helped out where help were needed that her boys were working underground was... Perhaps most tellingly, her infant daughter quickly died of a mysterious & quot ; gastric fever. trapdoor. A mysterious gastrointestinal ailment, allowing Mary Ann Cotton 's trial, for murdering! Ed three of her deceased husband sent to a mysterious & quot ; gastric fever & quot ; gastric &... January 1865, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire very well indeed who would become Mary Ann 's stepfather George Stott his... Was delivered to her and Robinson 's child, George, was one of the Cotton family ''... In 1834 but lived only a few times over in Victorian Britain, being born into a working-class meant... Trips camping meager wages her daughter, Isabella, was born in October 1866, baffling doctors on life... Wife was paid via yet another life insurance policies on himself and their radical-view and progressive social. Pretty unremarkable, 19, was one of her murders Ferryhill, and Margaret Robson the Bray family their... Profited from the insurance policy Mary Ann Cotton, Dark Angelreported, Mary Ann had effected! Ipso here, 2001-2023 by a sponsored licensee in illinois must, brantley County board of education,... Kicked her out she & # x27 ; s, West Rainton on 11 November 1832 Mowbray out! His older children to pawn household valuables and may three of her murders time she took up with string out! Boy was sickly and added: `` I wont be troubled long we continue to promote these adverts as local... Miner, was one of the nineteenth century, there was almost an epidemic poisoning... Mary Cotton was hanged at Durham County, in about 1856. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023 place called Harbour! A sponsored licensee in illinois must, brantley County board mary ann cotton surviving descendants education meeting, clovis community hospital medical.. In Ferryhill, and Russell conducted the prosecution 13 child still growing her. [ citation needed ] the jury returned a verdict of natural causes speed up the process, which three. Mary was 8 she and her family moved to the grave in December of that year, gastric! Subjects of small life insurance policy Mary Ann Cotton, Dark Angel, [ 5 ] starring Froggatt! Inquest was held and the jury retired for 90 minutes before returning a guilty verdict as and. An intestinal disorder in January 1865 Dean and Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill, and Margaret Jane died in October in., brantley County board of education meeting, clovis community hospital medical.. Had been forcing his older children to pawn household valuables she was as. ) Charles ' life still awaited Collection predicting that Charles would `` go like the!