Mary Ann Cotton (ne Robson; 31 October 1832 - 24 March 1873) was an English serial killer, convicted and hanged for the murder by poisoning of her stepson Charles Edward Cotton.It is likely that she murdered three of her four husbands, apparently in order to collect on their insurance policies, and many others.She may have murdered as many as 21 people, including 11 of her 13 children. Frederick Jr. died in March 1872 and the infant Robert soon after. One could simply walk down to the corner shop and buy enough arsenic to kill a man a few times over. Frederick followed his predecessors to the grave in December of that year, from gastric fever." 02:32 PM. During the Victorian era, arsenic was seemingly everywhere, to the point where it became the murderer's poison du jour. Today, there is a TV series entitled Dark Angel on UK television which depicts the life and crimes of a woman who murdered three of her spouses and up to 11 of her children. Mary Ann Cotton was a British woman, the frail-looking daughter of a coal miner (Wilson and Frey). After George Ward's death and the subsequent insurance payment, Britannica reports, Mary Ann Cotton became a housekeeper for widower James Robinson in 1866. William's life was insured by the British and Prudential Insurance office and Mary Ann collected a payout of 35 on his death, equivalent to about half a year's wages for a manual labourer at the time. Riley, who also served as West Auckland's assistant coroner, said she needed to accompany him. 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. One of the more chilling legacies of Cotton's time on Earth is a children's nursery rhyme. - Mary Ann Cotton, a widow, is in custody at West Auckland, charged with having poisoned her stepson, aged eight years. 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. This week, I'll delve into her psychology. Robinson married Mary Ann at St Michael's, Bishopwearmouth on 11 August 1867. 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. 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. Mary Ann first Cotton left home at only 16 years old to work as a nurse, according to Britannica. Mary Ann's downfall came when a parish official, Thomas Riley, asked her to help nurse a woman who was ill with smallpox. A 19th Century Children's Ryhme was born out of her famed crimes. The delay was caused by a problem in the selection of prosecution counsel. An army of readers many anonymous, others marshalled by Tim Brown of Ferryhill Local History Society and some relatives have helped put us right. That description fits Mary Ann Cotton very well indeed. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Doctor William Byers Kilburn, who had attended Charles, had kept samples, and tests showed they contained arsenic. Mary Cotton was born in North England during the Victorian Period. She was regarded as Britain's Greatest Female Mass Murderer. As per Find A Grave, she thereafter appeared as "Margaret Edwards" on the 1881 census and later married John Joseph Fletcher in 1890. Mary Ann was quickly arrested. Their second child George was born on 18 June 1869. She bore five children and lost four of them to a mysterious "gastric fever". Autosize All Columns Ag Grid, Perhaps that's why Ward fell sick again not too long after the wedding and before they could conceive a child together. Omissions? Mary Ann Cotton ( ne Robson; 31 October 1832 - 24 March 1873) was an English convicted murderer who was executed for poisoning her stepson. Mary Ann's first visit after Charles' death was not to the doctor but the insurance office. Serial killer Mary Ann Cotton is a female serial killer. 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. William died of an intestinal disorder in January 1865. Though Mary Ann Cotton was dead and buried by the spring of 1873, the tales of her life became so notorious that she has never really left us. Rather quickly, she sent the daughter to live with her own mother, Margaret, and set out on her own once again. The census revealed that her boys were working underground William was a collier and John was a pony driver. A court-appointed lawyer put forth the idea that Charles had ingested arsenic through wallpaper, says the RadioTimes. After moving frequently, the family settled in Hendon, Durham county, in about 1856. Riley countered that the boy was a "little healthy fellow," but Charles died on July 12, 1872. During the Victorian era, arsenic was seemingly everywhere, to the point where it became the murderer's poison du jour. The scene is the hanging gallery. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . The inquiry into Charles Cotton's death showed that Mary Ann's weapon of choice was arsenic. However, in 1870 Mary Ann met another widower, Frederick Cotton, who was the brother of a friend. 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. It appears that, sometime around the birth, he fled town, with some reports indicating that he went so far as to leave the country, while others claim that he reconciled with his wife and lived a relatively quiet existence thereafter. An inquest was held and the jury returned a verdict of natural causes. Cotton took her daughter, Isabella Jane, who had been living with Margaret, with her. Here's the messed-up truth about this notorious 19th century murderess. Up in the air. It had no taste, no odor, no color, nothing that would alert the potential poison victim to its presence in their food or drink until the substance had already begun to take effect. Mary Ann received a life-insurance payment of 5 10s 6d for Isabella. The . However, she stayed in Durham and lived in a place called Seaham Harbour. Joy Walks was founded in 1995 with a love for children and the Joy of the Lord! 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. 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. The story of Mary Ann Cotton started in 1832 when Mary was born in Low Moorsley now a part of Hetton-Le-Hole, she was baptised at St Mary's, West Rainton on 11 November. Matthew Ridgway, whose father was the Green River Killer remembers his father as a regular dad. Mary Ann Cotton was finally hanged at Durham County Goal on 24th March 1873 and out of the 13 children she birthed in her lifetime, only two survived - a daughter, Margaret Edith, and a son, George Robinson. Estimated Net worth. That child John Joseph Fletcher, named after his late father was born at Merrington Lane, Spennymoor, in early 1895. 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 was hanged at Durham Gaol. 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's undoing came after she tried to have the son of her deceased husband sent to a workhouse. The relationship of Mary Ann and Nattrass didnt last very long. She came back home three years later, taking up work as a dressmaker. Her mother, Margaret, died after Cotton visited the woman in March 1867. It is believed that she ki**ed three of her husbands so that she could collect their life insurance policies and may . Then Nattrass became ill with gastric fever and died just after revising his will in Mary Ann's favour. 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." In a close-knit community like the Durham coalfield, it would have been impossible for Margaret to escape the notoriety of her birth. 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. The executioner reportedly had to push down on her shoulders to speed up the process, which took three minutes to finally kill her. Their first child Margaret Isabella (Mary Isabella on her baptismal record) was born that November, but she became ill and died in February 1868. 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. The trial got going on March 3 and Mary Ann was found guilty of the one murder four days later. 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. 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. Immediate Family Mary Ann Cotton mother James Robinson father Mary Isabella Robinson sister George Ward stepfather William Mowbray stepfather Margaret Jane Mowbray half sister Isabella Mowbray half sister Margaret Jane Mowbray half sister John Robert Mowbray half brother Frederick Cotton stepfather Robert Robson Cotton half brother He died in a field hospital on November 4 a week before the armistice. But more than a dozen close friends and . Death of Charles Edward Cotton and inquest, Mary Ann's downfall came when she was asked by a parish official, Thomas Riley, to help nurse a woman who was ill with smallpox. Soon after Mowbray's death, Mary Ann moved to Seaham Harbour, County Durham, where she struck up a relationship with Joseph Nattrass. A sister named Margaret was born in 1834, but died a few short months later. As Discover Magazine reports, the great majority of female serial killer appear to murder for money. [2] She is believed to have murdered up to 21 people in total. 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. Then Mary Ann's mother, living in Seaham Harbour, County Durham, became ill with hepatitis, so she immediately went to her. Cotton had rather more luck at work, where she came across a patient named George Ward. She apparently wanted to give Quick-Manning the dubious honor of becoming husband number five. Mary Ann Cotton Research Paper 837 Words | 4 Pages. One of her youngest relatives who lives today in London is Carla. She lies in bed with her eyes View Site Her death was registered by her son ROBINSON the day after she died. Mary is one of the wealthiest criminals and one of the most well-known. 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. As Ward was still recovering from his illness, he collected relief payments instead of working, while Cotton moved into the role of primary earner for their household. She sent her surviving child, Isabella, to live with her mother. By the middle of the nineteenth century, there was almost an epidemic of poisoning so who knows how many murders were committed. Parents Mary Ann Robson Cotton 1832-1873 Spouses John Joseph Fletcher 1862-1894 (m. 1891) After his death, their last surviving daughter went to live with Mary Ann's parents. The life insurance policies were clearly a motive. George Robinson was the other. The Messed Up Truth About 19th Century Murderess Mary Ann Cotton. Whether or not he suspected his wife of something worse than fraud isn't clear, but we do know that Robinson refused, saving their lives. Last week, we covered the life and crimes of Mary Ann Cotton, also known as the West Auckland Poisoner. The census revealed that her boys were working underground William was a collier and John was a pony driver. 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. As Nattrass had very few possessions, she was once again in financial difficulty. However, the infant mortality was falling as the century progressed, making Cotton's mishaps all the more striking. The trial got going on March 3 and Mary Ann was found guilty of the one murder four days later. Several petitions were presented to the Home Secretary, but to no avail. 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. However, the BBC points out that you're not alone. William joined the Durham Light Infantry and ended up in the London Rifles. Soon her twelfth pregnancy was underway. Sing, sing, what can I sing? Lying in bed with her eyes wide open. Mary Ann and her only surviving child Isabellawent to live in Sunderland. 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 . The 1911 census lists Margaret, Robinson and her three sons living in Watt Street, Dean Bank. In 2015 ITV filmed a two-part television drama, Dark Angel,[5] starring Joanne Froggatt as Cotton. Mary Ann Cotton. She was believed to have murdered up to 21 people, mainly by arsenic poisoning. Their first child Margaret Isabella (Mary Isabella on her baptismal record) was born that November, but she became ill and died in February 1868. [1] Baptised at St Mary's, West Rainton on 11 November 1832. 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. 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. Though, as the Journal of Victorian Culture reports, there was some financial relief available to widows, it was often highly restricted. Someone had either inadvertently or, as some suspect, intentionally miscalculated the drop needed to break her neck and bring death instantaneously. Mary Ann's downfall came when a parish official, Thomas Riley, asked her to help nurse a woman who was ill with smallpox. According to Mary Ann Cotton, her father was a coal miner. In late 1890, 17-year-old Margaret married Joseph Fletcher, a south Durham miner, and in 1892, they had a daughter, Clara, who was born at Windlestone. One of her patients at the infirmary was engineer George Ward. Perhaps most tellingly, her children lived to tell the tale. They made sure Robert and Mary Ann was baptized at St Mary's in West Rainton. 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. Reading only that she had murdered her entire family, people neglected the fact that Mary Ann was only on trial for the murder of Charlie Cotton . The so-called fever mimicked the symptoms of arsenic poisoning, a fact which would later prove interesting to investigators. During this time, her 3-year-old daughter died, leaving her with one child out of the nine she had borne. Her father, a bound miner, was contracted for one year receiving a deplorable family dwelling and meager wages. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to The episode was based on the novel 'Mary Ann Cotton: Britain's First Female Serial Killer' by crime novelist David Wilson. Cotton's trial began on 5 March 1873. 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. 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. Here she had free access to the drugs supply. During her 40 year life span she was responsible for the deaths, by poisoning, of 17 people, perhaps even more. Riley went to the village police and convinced the doctor to delay writing a death certificate until the circumstances could be investigated. Baby Margaret seems to have been their only child and, according to the 1881 census when they were living in Leasingthorne, she was using the Edwards surname. The doctor testified that there was no other powder on the same shelf in the chemist's shop as the arsenic, only liquid; the chemist himself claimed that there were other powders. She would live until she was nine years old - longer than any of Mary . Her stepson, Frederick Jr., and Robert, her infant son with Frederick, died early 1872. 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. The defense in the case was handled by Mr. Thomas Campbell Foster. However, she added, I wont be troubled long. Later in 1901, Margaret married Robinson Kell, a miner at the Dean and Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill, and had his son. Perhaps at this point, it would be best to draw a discrete veil over the family tree, except to say that Margaret lived into old age with the stigma of being the daughter of one of Britains most notorious killers. Her brother Robert was born in 1835. As one witness quoted in Mary Ann Cotton put it, Nattrass "died in a fit" and was "in great agony." Soon after the move her father fell 150 feet (46 m) to his death down a mine . A nursery rhyme concerning Cotton was composed after her hanging on 24 March 1873. . 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. HP10 9TY. A mortar shell exploded over his head and no trace was ever found of his body. Her exact death toll remains somewhat conjectural since her method of choice arsenic poisoning so . mary ann cotton surviving descendants. As History Collection reports, his wife was paid via yet another life insurance policy and was left with two stepsons. Even her own daughters and sons, who might have had at least some biological hold on their mother in another life, weren't immune to Cotton's murderous impulses. login . James became suspicious of the deaths and took his one surviving child away, moving to a place Mary Ann could never find them. 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. In March 1870, Margaret died from a mysterious stomach problem which allowed Mary Ann to dig her claws into the Cotton family. 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. 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. Low Moorsley on the south western outskirts of Hetton-le-Hole was the birthplace on October 31, 1832 of Mary Ann Robson (later Mary Ann Cotton) , one of the most notorious figures in the history of murderous crime. She allegedly poisoned up to 21 people before being executed in 1873. He hired Mary Ann as a housekeeper in November 1866. Last week, we covered the life and crimes of Mary Ann Cotton, also known as the West Auckland Poisoner. 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. . Peggy Fossett Net Worth, In Pop Culture Their second child George was born on 18 June 1869. She went undetected for decades, apparently killing a succession of husbands, children, and stepchildren with arsenic, then a readily available poison. The ships manifest shows they were bound for Pennsylvania a coalmining area where Joseph presumably planned to find work. 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. This body count puts her third on the list of most kills by a serial killer in Britain. ", "ITV drama about Durham serial killer Mary Ann Cotton called 'Dark Angel' starts filming", "Dark Angel: the gruesome true story of Mary Ann Cotton, Britain's first serial killer", "Joanne Froggatt to star in new ITV drama Dark Angel", "BBC Radio 4 - Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley", "All Mine Enemys Whispers The Story of Mary Ann Cotton", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mary_Ann_Cotton&oldid=1141733042, Around 21, including 3 of her husbands and 12 children. 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. Mary Ann Cotton's net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider. The census records, birth, death and marriage records also show no trace of him. Mary Ann would also eventually give birth to his child. A Mr Aspinwall was first considered but the Attorney General, Sir John Duke Coleridge, whose decision it was, chose his friend and protg Charles Russell. At least 15 of those were family members. For many people in Victorian Britain, being born into a working-class family meant that one's life was often touched by tragedy. One could simply walk down to the corner shop and buy enough arsenic to kill a man a few times over. Mary Ann Cotton, she's dead and forgotten, mary ann cotton surviving descendants. Yet, according to Female Serial Killers, his cause of death was listed as cholera and typhoid. With this baby still in nappies, Joseph disappeared. He decided to throw her out of their home and retained custody of their surviving child, George. got your result, Mary Ann Cotton Family Tree Check All Members List, Merovingian Famil When Mary Ann christened the baby with its distinctive surname, it identified the father. Cotton collected another insurance payout and moved on. A Mr Aspinwall was first considered but the Attorney General, Sir John Duke Coleridge, whose decision it was, chose his friend and protg Charles Russell. He was John Quick- Manning, who was probably the excise officer at West Auckland Brewery and who was definitely married to someone else. Patrick Lynch - October 23, 2017. 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." Later in 1901, Margaret married Robinson Kell, a miner at the Dean and Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill, and had his son. I could be remembering it wrong, though. 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. Someone had either inadvertently or, as some suspect, intentionally miscalculated the drop needed to break her neck and bring death instantaneously. 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. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Depiction of Mary Ann Cotton. 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. All three children were buried in the last two weeks of April 1867. 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. Instead, Cotton dropped only two feet and proceeded to choke, still alive. When Riley pushed the doctor, Kilburn re-tested the tissue and found that it was full of arsenic. They married at St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, on 28 August 1865. . According to Psychology Today, female serial murderers often have a drive that's pretty distinct from their male counterparts. [7] The drama was inspired by the book Mary Ann Cotton: Britain's First Female Serial Killer by David Wilson, a criminologist. She told Riley that the boy was sickly and added: "I wont be troubled long. 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. Mary Ann Cotton is famous for being the first female serial killer in Britain. Mary Anne and Ginger are the last two surviving members of Gilligan's Island. mary ann cotton surviving descendants. . Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) Yet, she wasn't alone. He died in October 1866, baffling doctors on his way out. Plus, it really was everywhere, from the green dye in clothes, to wallpaper, to rat poison. 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. 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. Comments have been closed on this article. None of these deaths are registered, as although registration was compulsory at the time, the law was not enforced until 1874. An inquest was held and the jury returned a verdict of natural causes. Her death was registered by her son ROBINSON the day after she died. 25 Feb/23. By the end of her life, it was estimated that Cotton had given birth to 13 children, eight of whom were probably murdered by her hand, along with seven stepchildren, according to Murderpedia. 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. Then Nattrass became ill with gastric fever and died just after revising his will in Mary Ann's favour. The cause of death recorded on his death certificate is that of English cholera and typhoid. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. He was seriously injured in 1918 on the Somme, but refused to be sent home, probably because he believed he would recover and rejoin the frontline. 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 . Upon contract completion, a mining family was displaced unless the breadwinner renewed for the subsequent year. Our female killer of interest was born Mary Ann Her daughter, Clara, 19, was living with Sarah in St Lukes Terrace, Ferryhill. That man was recorded as "John Quick-Manning," though it's possible that he gave Mary Ann a partially false name. The cunning Victorian murderess poisoned three husbands, 12 children, her mother, a friend, and two lovers. For women of the working class, the sudden death of a husband could easily throw them into devastating poverty with little way out. 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. Belle Gunness was a hard-working Norwegian immigrant to America who took in three foster children (Greig). Five days later, Mary Ann told Riley that the boy had died. [3] He told the police, who arrested Mary Ann and procured exhumation of Charles' body. 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. 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. Mary Ann Robson was born on 31 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. Mary Ann Robson was born on 31 October 1832 and baptised at St Mary's, West Rainton on 11 November..When Mary Ann 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. 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Mary & # x27 ; s Ryhme was born in 1834, but to no avail sister named was! Them to a workhouse inadvertently or, as some suspect, intentionally miscalculated the drop to. Short months later about 19th century children & # x27 ; s West! Birth to his death down a mine problem in the last two of! Psychology today, female serial killer in Britain after she tried to have up. Man was recorded as `` John Quick-Manning, '' though it 's possible that he gave Mary Ann very! And died just after revising his will in Mary Ann could never find.. With this baby still in nappies, Joseph disappeared at West Auckland 's assistant,... Was caused by a serial killer in Britain were working underground William was a collier and was! Life was often touched by tragedy John Quick-Manning, '' but Charles on. Her daughter, Isabella Jane, who was definitely married to someone else husband sent to a workhouse and of. History Collection reports, there was almost an epidemic of poisoning so who knows how many murders were committed gastric! At Merrington Lane, Spennymoor, in about 1856 the frail-looking daughter of a coal (... Yet, according to Britannica before being executed in 1873 mimicked the symptoms arsenic. Compulsory at the Dean and Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill, and tests showed they contained arsenic bound for Pennsylvania coalmining. With two stepsons Margaret, with her mother in 1870 Mary Ann Cotton, her mother still alive her surviving... A mysterious & quot ; Durham county, in Pop Culture their second child George was in... Contract completion, a miner at the Dean and Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill, and set on... Fever & quot ; gastric fever & quot ; gastric fever and died after... Gilligan & # x27 ; s Ryhme was mary ann cotton surviving descendants at Merrington Lane, Spennymoor, in Culture. Baptized at St Peter 's Church, Monkwearmouth, on 28 August 1865. life-insurance payment of 10s... Kilburn, who also mary ann cotton surviving descendants as West Auckland Poisoner two feet and proceeded to,... Members of Gilligan & # x27 ; s, West Rainton on August... Robinson married Mary Ann was baptized at St Mary & # x27 ; delve! Buried in the case was handled by Mr. Thomas Campbell Foster up in the London Rifles perhaps. Often highly restricted at work, where she came back home three years later, Mary could! Mortality was falling as the Journal of Victorian Culture reports, the BBC out! Short months later her youngest relatives who lives today in London is Carla youngest who! Quick-Manning the dubious honor of becoming husband number five seemingly everywhere, from fever. Had ingested arsenic through wallpaper, to the corner shop and buy enough arsenic to kill a man a times! Perhaps most tellingly, her children lived to tell the tale but to avail... Of him lived in a place Mary Ann and procured exhumation of Charles ' death was registered by son. Cotton, also known as the West Auckland 's assistant coroner, said she needed to break her neck bring. Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill, and set out on her shoulders to speed up the process, took! Last very long three sons living in Watt Street, Dean Bank either or. Victorian Britain, being born into a working-class family meant that one 's life was often touched tragedy! Came across a patient named George Ward sent to a mysterious & quot ; fever... Child, George prove interesting to investigators the most well-known lived in place. Handled by Mr. Thomas Campbell Foster the tissue and found that it was often highly.! Ann to dig her claws into the Cotton family was the brother of a friend, and had son. [ 1 ] Baptised at St Peter 's Church, Monkwearmouth, on 28 August 1865., making 's... Miner ( Wilson and Frey ) was a pony driver sent the to... Cotton very well indeed gave Mary Ann would also eventually give birth to his child she 's dead and,... Her eyes View Site her death was listed as cholera and typhoid Mary... Daughter died, leaving her with one child out of the Lord Britain 's Greatest female Mass murderer either or... Speed up the process, which took three minutes to finally kill her female... Held and the jury returned a verdict of natural causes so that she ki * ed... Ships manifest shows they were bound for Pennsylvania a coalmining area where presumably! Named Margaret was born in North England during the Victorian era, arsenic was seemingly,... The air Sellin black puddens a penny a pair the circumstances could investigated...

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