Though many killers are male, it turns out that women have turned to serial murder as well. Up in the air Sellin black puddens a penny a pair. Mary's mother remarried a few years later, but Mary hated her stepfather. 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. Doctor William Byers Kilburn, who had attended Charles, had kept samples, and tests showed they contained arsenic. Their next child, George, was one of the rare few of Cotton's children who would survive her. In September 1870 Mary Ann and Cotton were marriedthough she was still wed to Robinsonand she later gave birth to a son. Rather quickly, she sent the daughter to live with her own mother, Margaret, and set out on her own once again. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. The first focused on Charles' death and took place in August of 1872. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. They married in Monkwearmouth on 28 August 1865. The body of the stepson was examined and found to contain arsenic. 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. Her brother Robert was born in 1835. According to Psychology Today, female serial murderers often have a drive that's pretty distinct from their male counterparts. [6] The first part of the dramatisation was broadcast on 31 October 2016, the second part was broadcast on 7 November. Though he appears to have worked as a skilled laborer who opened new mining shafts, the Robsons were working class. 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. Perhaps most tellingly, her children lived to tell the tale. 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. Although her mother started getting better, she also began to complain of stomach pains. Mary Ann would go on to kill many of her own children, her husbands, lovers and other family. Her family describe her as being immensely private, intelligent, warm and kind-hearted, and a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. The mother had to take care of three children, while suffering with the depression owing to her husband's death. Mother of Margaret Jane Mowbray; Isabella Mowbray; Margaret Jane Mowbray; John Robert Mowbray; Robert Robson Cotton and 3 others; Mary Isabella Robinson; George Robinson and Margaret Edith Quick-Manning Fletcher Kell less Mary Ann was charged with the murder of Charles Edward Cotton, and while she was in jail, a daughter was born in January 1873; that infantwho was reportedly her 13th childand another offspring were the only ones to outlive their mother. By the middle of the nineteenth century, there was almost an epidemic of poisoning so who knows how many murders were committed. 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. After the death of her first husband and the utter decimation of her young family, Mary Ann Cotton took the life insurance money and found work as a nurse. 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 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. She died at age 54 in the spring of 1867, nine days after Mary Ann's arrival. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. After three minutes, she died of strangulation. 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. 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. Serial killer Mary Ann Cotton is a female serial killer. 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." As one witness quoted in Mary Ann Cotton put it, Nattrass "died in a fit" and was "in great agony." Betty Eccles was suspected of multiple murders and was hanged in 1843. For women of the working class, the sudden death of a husband could easily throw them into devastating poverty with little way out. Her preferred method of killing was poisoning with arsenic. Then he found that Mary Ann had been forcing his older children to pawn household valuables. She sent her surviving child, Isabella, to live with her mother. He hired Mary Ann as a housekeeper in November 1866. Once again, Mary Ann collected insurance money in respect of her husband's death. Of Mary Ann's 13 children, only two survived her: Margaret Edith (18731954) and her son George from her marriage to James Robinson. Connolly, Martin. Gastric fever also claimed Williams life in 1864 and the lives of two other children soon afterward. Stuff You Missed in History Class, from where I took most of the information, has a great podcast on her. That description fits Mary Ann Cotton very well indeed. From above, out of sight of the gallows, members of the Press are gathered. That's likely why she killed her fourth husband. Originally, it was believed she had become impregnated by a John Quick-Manning, but there are no records to suggest such a person even existed. [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? It went like this: Mary Ann Cotton, she's dead and she's rotten. Robinson, meanwhile, had become suspicious of his wife's insistence that he insure his life; he discovered that she had run up debts of 60 behind his back and had stolen more than 50 that she was supposed to have put in the bank. He decided to throw her out of their home and retained custody of their surviving child, George. This 19th century English woman is one of the earliest confirmed female serial killers in recorded memory. Some three minutes passed before she finally died. Missedinhistory.com. Born into a mining family in 1832, Mary Ann grew up in a time when life moved quickly and death was all around. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. The scene is the hanging gallery. 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. She apparently wanted to give Quick-Manning the dubious honor of becoming husband number five. Mary Ann's downfall came when a parish official, Thomas Riley, asked her to help nurse a woman who was ill with smallpox. Robinson married Mary Ann at St Michael's, Bishopwearmouth on 11 August 1867. 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. One month later, when James' baby died of gastric fever, he turned to his housekeeper for comfort and she became pregnant. At least 15 of those were family members. It's not entirely clear how the two connected while Cotton was caring for Ward, but there must have been at least some semblance of a spark there. The series also featured Alun Armstrong, Jonas Armstrong and Emma Fielding. Wife of George Ward; William Mowbray; Frederick Cotton and James Robinson She enjoyed crafting, hosting ceramics classes for many years, creating scrapbooks of family memories, and making special cards for every occasion. 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. [9], Mary Ann Cotton, she's dead and she's rotten Few people who lived with Mary Ann Cotton were shown mercy, not least the children who were so unfortunate as to enter her orbit. Riley grew suspicious and alerted the police. The executioner reportedly had to push down on her shoulders to speed up the process, which took three minutes to finally kill her. Instead, Cotton dropped only two feet and proceeded to choke, still alive. 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 supposedly did it using arsenic, a terrible poison that causes intense gastric pain and results in a rapid decline of health. By . Soon after the move her father fell 150 feet (46 m) to his death down a mine shaft at Murton Colliery. Her father Michael, a miner, was ardently religious and a fierce disciplinarian. Despite all the deaths, there was still no evidence against Mary Ann, and she was completely free from suspicion. Mary Ann Cotton, also known by the surnames Mowbray, Robinson and Ward, was a nurse and housekeeper suspected of poisoning as many as 21 people in 19th-century Britain. MARGARET was born in Durham jail, the daughter of serial poisoner MARY ANN COTTON (nee ROBSON). Things seemed to grow worse for the family after Mowbray took out life insurance policies on himself and their three remaining children. 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. Mary Ann Robson was born on Halloween 1832 in Low Moorsley in County Durham. 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. The word was that she had killed anything up to 21 of her husbands, lovers, children and stepchildren, and even her own mother making her Britains most prolific mass murderer until Harold Shipman. She came back home three years later, taking up work as a dressmaker. That left behind Mary, her stepson Charles Cotton, and Mary Ann's 13 child still growing in her womb. He didnt. 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. The life insurance policies were clearly a motive. One could simply walk down to the corner shop and buy enough arsenic to kill a man a few times over. Dark Angel, is based on the extraordinary true story of the Victorian poisoner Mary Ann Cotton, played by Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt. Frederick Jr. died in March 1872 and the infant Robert soon after. She was employed in various jobs, including Sunday school. Her stepson, Frederick Jr., and Robert, her infant son with Frederick, died early 1872. Our female killer of interest was born Mary Ann In March 1873 her three-day trial began. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. Soon she became pregnant by him with her twelfth child. 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. She was hanged at Durham County Gaol on March 24, 1873, but it was a bungled execution. Riley countered that the boy was a "little healthy fellow," but Charles died on July 12, 1872. She was convicted of just the one murder, of her young stepson, but the evidence against her was vague and circumstantial, and it is extremely doubtful that it would stand up in a modern court of law. One of her patients at the infirmary was an engineer, George Ward. According to the RadioTimes, a local Doctor Kilburn conducted a rushed inquest and determined that the boy had died of gastroenteritis. Isabella lasted a few weeks until she died of "gastric fever," and she was soon followed by two more of Robinson's children, who succumbed to "continued fever" and yet another case of "gastric fever," according to death records. Although her father fell down a THE baby was the daughter born to Mary Ann Cotton, of West Auckland, in Durham jail on January 7, 1873. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. Mary Ann nursed the baby in her cell one visitor told The Northern Echo how he had encountered Mrs Cotton sitting on a stool close by a good fire, giving the breast to her baby until all avenues of appeal were exhausted. Her mother, Margaret, died after Cotton visited the woman in March 1867. Both of Mary Ann Cottons grandsons have their names engraved on Ferryhill War Memorial. Mary Ann found employment as a nurse, and it was here that she met her next husband, George Ward. As Discover Magazine reports, the great majority of female serial killer appear to murder for money. In September 1870 Mary Ann and Cotton were marriedthough she was still wed to Robinsonand she later gave birth to a son. Some substances, like cyanide and strychnine, were also readily available but produced obvious results. The doctor who attended Charles had kept samples, and they tested positive for arsenic. At that stage, only one of the nine kids she had with Mowbray was alive. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Investigations into her behaviour soon showed a pattern of deaths. Hell go like all the rest of the Cottons.. Death surrounded her from an early age. However, the first hearing led to Mary Ann's conviction for the death of Charles in March of that year. 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. By the end of the following year Cotton and two more children had died; again Mary Ann reportedly received an insurance payout. Someone had either inadvertently or, as some suspect, intentionally miscalculated the drop needed to break her neck and bring death instantaneously. 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. Mary Ann Cotton's now-inevitable trial was delayed, as it soon became clear to officials that she was pregnant. When that failed, within days she told parish officials that Charles Edward Cotton had died. A court-appointed lawyer put forth the idea that Charles had ingested arsenic through wallpaper, says the RadioTimes. Her daughter, Clara, 19, was living with Sarah in St Lukes Terrace, Ferryhill. Hell go like all the rest of the Cottons.". 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. Sister of Robert Robson, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ann_Cotton. 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. 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]. But faced with abject poverty and an ailing husband, we see how ruthlessly determined . She took him in as a lodger while also starting a relationship with a man she knew as John Quick-Manning. Mary Ann would also eventually give birth to his child. 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. Several petitions were presented to the Home Secretary, but to no avail. Margaret was born in 1873. 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. 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. When Mary Ann was eight, her parents moved the family to the County Durham village of Murton. 29 July 2015. Once again, she profited from the insurance policy, but her spree was about to come to an end. Mary Ann first Cotton left home at only 16 years old to work as a nurse, according to Britannica. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Later in 1901, Margaret married Robinson Kell, a miner at the Dean and Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill, and had his son. Mary Ann Cotton was hanged at Durham County Gaol on 24 March 1873 by William Calcraft. She went undetected for decades, apparently killing a succession of husbands, children, and stepchildren with arsenic, then a readily available poison. As the miner's cottage they inhabited was tied to Michael's job, the widow and children would have been evicted. As with all nursery rhymes passed on primarily by word of mouth, there are variations. 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. Low Moorsley (now part of Houghton-le-Spring in the City of Sunderland), Margaret Edith Quick-Manning (Cotton) Kell, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ann_Cotton, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NXHY-K2R, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:264G-ZP5, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NFJ3-241, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NXGL-55T, Mary Elizabeth (Ward) Dawson (abt.1829-abt.1904). Soon after Mowbray's death, Mary Ann moved to Seaham Harbour, County Durham, where she struck up a relationship with Joseph Nattrass. Several petitions were presented to the Home Secretary, but to no avail. James Robinson was a shipwright at Pallion, Sunderland, whose wife, Hannah, had recently died. The couple had five children, four of whom died from gastric fever. 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. 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