Mary Ann Cotton's now-inevitable trial was delayed, as it soon became clear to officials that she was pregnant. A week before her brutally botched execution on March 24, she gave the infant to be adopted by a couple she knew in West Auckland, William and Sarah Edwards. He, however, was engaged to another woman and she left Seaham after Nattrasss wedding. As Nattrass had very few possessions, she was once again in financial difficulty. Mary Ann grew up in Durham county, northeastern England. He decided to throw her out of their home and retained custody of their surviving child, George. Female Serial Killers in Social Context reports that Mary Ann's first move was to approach Thomas Riley, a grocer who also happened to be the local assistant manager for the poor relief. We told the story in Memories 96, with, as ever, a few inaccuracies. While some claimed that she was Britains first female serial killer, other women had previously been hanged for poisoning multiple people. 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. At 16, Mary Ann left home to become a nurse at the nearby village of South Hetton, in the home of Edward Potter, a manager at Murton colliery. After it became clear that young Charles Cotton had died of arsenic poisoning, authorities gave permission for the exhumation of three more of Mary Ann Cotton's alleged victims, the RadioTimes reports. Soon her eleventh pregnancy was underway. However, he died the following year, and Mary Ann reportedly collected money from another insurance policy. Partner of John Quick-Manning Despite all the deaths, there was still no evidence against Mary Ann, and she was completely free from suspicion. She died at age 54 in the spring of 1867, nine days after Mary Ann's arrival. 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. Though she's been gone for nearly a century and a half, Cotton remains one of the most shocking female killers in modern history. William died of an intestinal disorder in January 1865. Mary Ann and her daughter with Mowbray then went to live at the Robinson home. This page was last edited on 12 January 2023, at 20:32. Nattrass soon followed, though not before he put Mary Ann down as a beneficiary in his will. According to PBS, there's even been a modern two-part television drama, Dark Angel, which premiered on PBS' Masterpiece Theater in 2017. She only fell two feet, so the executioner had to push down on her shoulders. Mary Ann Cotton, also known as the Dark Angel, was a Victorian monster who murdered up to 21 people. In September 1870 Mary Ann and Cotton were marriedthough she was still wed to Robinsonand she later gave birth to a son. Newspaper report of Cottons arrest. In a close-knit community like the Durham coalfield, it would have been impossible for Margaret to escape the notoriety of her birth. The Messed Up Truth About 19th Century Murderess Mary Ann Cotton. [2] Then the local newspapers latched on to the story and discovered Mary Ann had moved around northern England and lost three husbands, a lover, a friend, her mother, and a dozen children, all of whom had died of stomach fevers. Five days later, Mary Ann told Riley that the boy had died. She complained that the last surviving Cotton boy, Charles Edward, was in the way and asked Riley if he could be committed to the workhouse. Ward continued to suffer ill health and died on 20 October 1866 after a long illness characterised by paralysis and intestinal problems. He died in October 1866, baffling doctors on his way out. She lies in bed with her eyes. Betty Eccles was suspected of multiple murders and was hanged in 1843. Mary Ann subsequently worked as a hospital nurse in nearby Sunderland, and in 1865 she married a patient, George Ward. Facts concerning Mary Ann are difficult to pin down, but. Investigations into her behaviour soon showed a pattern of deaths. Mary Ann Cotton was charged with the murder of Charles Edward Cotton, and as she awaited trial in Durham Prison, she gave birth to her 13th and last child, Margaret Edith Quick-Manning Cotton, in January 1873. The mother had to take care of three children, while suffering with the depression owing to her husband's death. That man was recorded as "John Quick-Manning," though it's possible that he gave Mary Ann a partially false name. Dark Angel, is based on the extraordinary true story of the Victorian poisoner Mary Ann Cotton, played by Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt. 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. Daily Mirror. Where, where? Russell's appointment over Aspinwall led to a question in the House of Commons. An examination ultimately revealed the presence of arsenic in his stomach. Soon enough, Margaret died of a mysterious gastrointestinal ailment, allowing Mary Ann to get closer to Frederick. Neither came home. After three minutes, she died of strangulation. Editors' Code of Practice. Mary Ann Cotton (ne Robson; 31 October 1832 24 March 1873) was an English convicted murderer who was executed for poisoning her stepson. Rumour turned to suspicion and forensic inquiry. She is believed to have murdered up to 21 people in total. 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. Geni requires JavaScript! The couple had five children, four of whom died from gastric fever. Mary Ann received a life-insurance payment of 5 10s 6d for Isabella. Insurance had been taken out on his life and the lives of his sons. 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. Campbell Foster argued that it was possible that the chemist had mistakenly used arsenic powder instead of bismuth powder (used to treat diarrhoea), when preparing a bottle for Cotton, because he had been distracted by talking to other people. From above, out of sight of the gallows, members of the Press are gathered. 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. She is believed to have murdered up to 21 people in total. At the end of her life, as she spoke with officials, Cotton did not offer an explanation for any of her murders. Like many of the other dead people in Cotton's wake, Ward presented symptoms that were alarmingly similar to arsenic poisoning. For women of the working class, the sudden death of a husband could easily throw them into devastating poverty with little way out. The delay was caused by a problem in the selection of prosecution counsel. Her brother Robert was born in 1835. Her preferred method of killing was poisoning with arsenic. 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. 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. After Frederick's death, Nattrass soon became Mary Ann's lodger. Riley grew suspicious and alerted the police. She told Riley that the boy was sickly and added: I wont be troubled long. [citation needed] The jury retired for 90 minutes before returning a guilty verdict. A court-appointed lawyer put forth the idea that Charles had ingested arsenic through wallpaper, says the RadioTimes. 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. As per Female Serial Killers, the two were married in 1865, shortly after he was discharged from the hospital. He was John Quick- Manning, who was probably the excise officer at West Auckland Brewery and who was definitely married to someone else. [10], Death of Charles Edward Cotton and inquest, 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? 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. She lies in her bed, With her eyes wide open Sing, sing, oh, what can I sing, Mary Ann Cotton is tied up with string Where, where? 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. Mary Ann Cotton - Dark Angel: Britain s First Female Serial Kille, Pen & Sword Publishing, 2012. An inquest was held and the jury returned a verdict of natural causes. When she was eight, her parents moved the family to the County Durham village of Murton, where she went to a new school and found it difficult to make friends. The insurance policy Mary Ann had taken out on Charles' life still awaited collection. Although her mother began to recover, she also began to complain of stomach pains. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. Baptised at St Mary's, West Rainton on 11 November 1832. 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. IN October 1894, Margaret, by now a 21-year-old widow, sailed from Boston, Massachusetts, on RMS Cephalonia, with her two toddlers, Clara and William, back to Liverpool. Mary Anns trial began two months later, and the defense claimed that the deceased had inhaled arsenic dust from wallpaper dye, a conceivable explanation given that arsenic was then common in many household items. Mary Ann received the insurance money, and she then left her daughter in the care of her mother. In 1869, Robinson discovered that she was stealing from him and reportedly kicked her out. Plus, it really was everywhere, from the green dye in clothes, to wallpaper, to rat poison. Yet, she wasn't alone. Leave a message for others who see this profile. Soon, Mary became pregnant by him with her thirteenth child. However, the BBC points out that you're not alone. Daily Mirror. Robinson married Mary Ann at St Michael's, Bishopwearmouth on 11 August 1867. Arsenic, however, was more subtle. (The lack of documentationsuch as birth and death certificatesleaves many details of Mary Anns life open to dispute.) As one witness quoted in Mary Ann Cotton put it, Nattrass "died in a fit" and was "in great agony." The 1901 census found 28- year-old Margaret and her three children living with her adoptive mother Sarah at the Greyhound Inn, Ferryhill her adoptive father, William, had died aged 54 in 1897, and Sarah was the pub licensee. She was hanged at Durham Gaol. The census records, birth, death and marriage records also show no trace of him. The couple was married in September 1870, but since Mary Ann had not divorced Robinson, it was a bigamous marriage. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please The couple would go on to have at least eight children, though, by the time they had settled into a home in Hendon, England, in 1856, some had already died of what was termed "gastric fever." 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. He hired Mary Ann as a housekeeper in November 1866. A 19th Century Children's Ryhme was born out of her famed crimes. William and John went off to fight. The relationship of Mary Ann and Nattrass didnt last very long. Despite her sole conviction for murder, she is believed to have been a serial killer who killed many others including 11 of her 13 children and three of her four husbands for their insurance policies. There, she discovered that no money would be paid out until a death certificate was issued. She was only ever convicted for the murder of one, though it led to her execution by hanging in 1873. 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. She died at age 54 in the spring of 1867, nine days after Mary Ann's arrival. Mary Ann Cotton was an English serial killer convicted of poisoning her stepson Charles Edward Cotton in 1872. At some point William took out a life insurance policy that covered both him and their three surviving children; the others had died from gastric fever, a common ailment that had symptoms similar to arsenic poisoning. She came back home three years later, taking up work as a dressmaker. He went to the police, who arrested Mary Ann and ordered the exhumation of Charles' body. Corrections? Rumour gave rise to suspicion and scientific investigation. HP10 9TY. When Mary Ann christened the baby with its distinctive surname, it identified the father. The attending doctor later gave evidence that Ward had been very ill, yet he had been surprised that the man's death was so sudden. She had meant only to buy harmless arrowroot powder for the ill boy, but a terrible mix-up had occurred, and she was given arsenic instead. That description fits Mary Ann Cotton very well indeed. She took him in as a lodger while also starting a relationship with a man she knew as John Quick-Manning. On March 24, 1873, Mary Ann was hanged in a bungled execution. They had a son named Robert in early 1871, but Mary Ann discovered that her former lover, Nattrass, lived just 30 miles away in the village of West Auckland and was no longer married. Few people who lived with Mary Ann Cotton were shown mercy, not least the children who were so unfortunate as to enter her orbit. Here's the messed-up truth about this notorious 19th century murderess. Her father Michael, a miner, was ardently religious and a fierce disciplinarian. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's [9], Mary Ann Cotton, she's dead and she's rotten Mary Ann was desperate and living on the streets. Mary Ann would go on to kill many of her own children, her husbands, lovers and other family. Depiction of Mary Ann Cotton. As with all nursery rhymes passed on primarily by word of mouth, there are variations. As Discover Magazine reports, the great majority of female serial killer appear to murder for money. Omissions? Mary Ann was quickly arrested. We meet Mary Ann as a loving wife and mother, newly returned to her native North East of England. She was regarded as Britain's Greatest Female Mass Murderer. Mary Ann Cotton, ne Mary Ann Robson, also known as Mary Ann Mowbray, Mary Ann Ward, and Mary Ann Robinson, (born October 31?, 1832, Low Moorsley, Durham county, Englanddied March 24, 1873, Durham county), British nurse and housekeeper who was believed to be Britains most prolific female serial killer. None of these deaths are registered, as although registration was compulsory at the time, the law was not enforced until 1874. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to The scene is the hanging gallery. The couple met when Robinson hired Mary Ann as his housekeeper in November 1866. They married at St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, on 28 August 1865. The ships manifest shows they were bound for Pennsylvania a coalmining area where Joseph presumably planned to find work. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Up in the air Sellin' black puddens a penny a pair. She enjoyed crafting, hosting ceramics classes for many years, creating scrapbooks of family memories, and making special cards for every occasion. In 2015 ITV filmed a two-part television drama, Dark Angel,[5] starring Joanne Froggatt as Cotton. discoveries. By May 1872, Mary Ann Cotton had moved to West Auckland with her last remaining child, stepson Charles Cotton. The 1911 census lists Margaret, Robinson and her three sons living in Watt Street, Dean Bank. This 19th century English woman is one of the earliest confirmed female serial killers in recorded memory. Their first child Margaret Isabella (Mary Isabella on her baptismal record) was born that November, but she became ill and died in February 1868. Mary Ann's first visit after Charles' death was not to the doctor but the insurance office. 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. It went like this: Mary Ann Cotton, she's dead and she's rotten. He hired Mary Ann as a housekeeper in November 1866. She returned to Sunderland and took up employment at the Sunderland Infirmary, House of Recovery for the Cure of Contagious Fever, Dispensary and Humane Society. She was coming home to Durham, and to her adoptive parents, pregnant with her third child. Of Mary Ann's 13 children, only two survived her: Margaret Edith (18731954) and her son George from her marriage to James Robinson. Why arsenic, though? Nonetheless, Mary Ann evaded suspicion (even though she collected more insurance money) and moved on to her next target, the recently widowed James Robinson. After George Ward's death and the subsequent insurance payment, Britannica reports, Mary Ann Cotton became a housekeeper for widower James Robinson in 1866. Though many killers are male, it turns out that women have turned to serial murder as well. There is some speculation that she may have been pregnant before their marriage and that is why it was held at the registry office. That left behind Mary, her stepson Charles Cotton, and Mary Ann's 13 child still growing in her womb. It is said that she and William Mowbray had 4 children before returning to Murton. Mary Ann Cotton. Mary Anns first port of call after Charles' death was not the doctors but the insurance office. In 1871, the new fivesome moved to West Auckland: Mary Ann, Frederick Cotton, his sons Frederick Junior and Charles Edward, and the new baby, Robert Robson. Lest you think that works about Cotton fizzled out after the 19th century, look to the myriad of true crime books and drama that still focus on her. At that stage, only one of the nine kids she had with Mowbray was alive. The attending doctor later gave evidence that Ward had been very ill, yet he had been surprised that his death was so sudden. She was a Victorian wife and mother of 13 children who worked as a Sunday-school teacher and a nurse. Death surrounded her from an early age. At least 15 of those were family members. She rekindled the romance and persuaded her new family to move near him. Riley countered that the boy was a "little healthy fellow," but Charles died on July 12, 1872. Although she began a relationship with a man named Joseph Nattrass, she moved once again, this time to Sunderland, after another one of her children died from gastric fever. She did not die on the gallows from breaking of her neck but died by strangulation because the rope was set too short, possibly deliberately. Soon after the move her father fell 150 feet (46 m) to his death down a mine shaft at Murton Colliery. One of her patients at the infirmary was an engineer, George Ward. "Mary Ann Cotton." Another daughter, also named Margaret Jane, was born in 1861, and a son, John Robert William, was born in 1863, but died the next year from gastric fever. Soon, he found out that she owed 60 and had also stolen 50 she was supposed to put in the bank. Doctor William Byers Kilburn, who had attended Charles, had kept samples, and tests showed they contained arsenic. She grew a dislike of children while working as a housemaid, and this didn't stop once she had children of her own. Mary Ann Cotton Shes dead and forgotten, She lies in a grave with her bones all-rotten; Sing, sing, oh, what can we sing, Mary Ann Cotton is tied up with string. Just one grandparent can lead you to many I cannot remember what was assumed, but my impression was that she craved the attention she got from taking care of the sick and then as a widow and the children seemed to be a means to ingratiate herself into a family and to take advantage of the grieving father, eventually marrying him and receiving the insurance from his passing. However, Mary Ann was widely regarded as the countrys deadlist killer until Harold Shipman, who was thought to have murdered as many as 260 people in the late 20th century. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Only two of her children survived her, including this new arrival. Then the local newspapers latched on to the story and discovered Mary Ann had moved around northern England and lost three husbands, a lover, a friend, her mother, and 11 children, all of whom had died of stomach fevers. Cause of death: Hanging, Capital punishment - Mar 24 1873 - Durham, England, Oct 31 1832 - Low Moorsley (now part of Houghton-le-Spring in the City of Sunderland), Michael Robson, Margaret Robson (born Londsale), abella Mowbray, Mary Jane Mowbray, John Robert Mowbray, Margaret Isabella Robinson, George Robinson, Robert Robson Cotton, Mary Jane Mowbray, Circa 1832 - Low Moorsley, Hetton-le-Hole, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom, Mar 24 1873 - Durham Gaol, Durham, County Durham, England, United Kingdom, Frederick Cotton, Charles E Cotton, Robert Cotton, Low Moorsley, Hetton-le-Hole, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom, Deptford, County Durham, England, United Kingdom, Durham Gaol, Durham, County Durham, England, United Kingdom, Durham Gaol, Durham, Durham Unitary Authority, County Durham, England, United Kingdom, Margaret Edith Quick-Manning Fletcher Kell, Birth of Margaret Edith Quick-Manning Fletcher Kell, Durham, Durham Unitary Authority, County Durham , England. A 19th Century Children's Ryhme was born out of her famed crimes. It is believed that she ki**ed three of her husbands so that she could collect their life insurance policies and may . got your result, Mary Ann Cotton Family Tree Check All Members List, Merovingian Family Tree You Should Check It. Memories is aware that there are quite a lot of direct descendants of Mary Ann Cotton living in our area, and weve been asked to let their sleeping dogs lie. Comments have been closed on this article. Alternate titles: Mary Ann Mowbray, Mary Ann Robinson, Mary Ann Robson, Mary Ann Ward. 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. Cotton had been remanded in custody since her arrest in July 1872, first in Bishop Auckland before being taken to Durham county gaol as preparations got underway to exhume bodies of her alleged. The executioner reportedly had to push down on her shoulders to speed up the process, which took three minutes to finally kill her. She was hanged at Durham County Gaol on March 24, 1873, but it was a bungled execution. That is until she grew overconfident and made a remarkable blunder. Mary Ann's downfall came when a parish official, Thomas Riley, asked her to help nurse a woman who was ill with smallpox. by | Nov 27, 2020 | shib coin price prediction | 1 bedroom apartment scarborough kijiji | Nov 27, 2020 | shib coin price prediction | 1 bedroom apartment scarborough kijiji He died in a field hospital on November 4 a week before the armistice. Soon after, Mary Ann learnt that her former lover, Joseph Nattrass, was living 48 kilometres (30mi) away in the County Durham village of West Auckland, and was no longer married.
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