She was only ever convicted for the murder of one, though it led to her execution by hanging in 1873. Her mother re-married. 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. After Frederick's death, Nattrass soon became Mary Ann's lodger. She was regarded as Britain's Greatest Female Mass Murderer. Cotton was born on October 31, 1832, in a village near Sunderland. Plus, it really was everywhere, from the green dye in clothes, to wallpaper, to rat poison. The trial got going on March 3 and Mary Ann was found guilty of the one murder four days later. John joined the Green Howards, rose to be a lance corporal, and was killed, on June 11, 1917, at the Battle of Messines, near Ypres. That left behind Mary, her stepson Charles Cotton, and Mary Ann's 13 child still growing in her womb. 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. Why arsenic, though? Mary Ann Cotton's now-inevitable trial was delayed, as it soon became clear to officials that she was pregnant. The trial got going on March 3 and Mary Ann was found guilty of the one murder four days later. What should have been a relatively quick end turned into a bungle. Mary Ann Cotton, tied up with string. Arsenic, however, was more subtle. Sing, sing, what can I sing? 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 Evan's friendship with the Bray family and their radical-view and progressive thinking social . They married at St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, on 28 August 1865. Sing, sing, oh what should I sing? 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. When Mary Ann christened the baby with its distinctive surname, it identified the father. "Mary Ann Cotton, a widow, is in custody at West Auckland, charged with having poisoned her stepson, aged eight years. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. It went like this: Mary Ann Cotton, she's dead and she's rotten. The life insurance policies were clearly a motive. Their first child Margaret Isabella (Mary Isabella on her baptismal record) was born that November, but she became ill and died in February 1868. 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 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. 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. 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. A 19th Century Children's Ryhme was born out of her famed crimes. As per Find A Grave, she thereafter appeared as "Margaret Edwards" on the 1881 census and later married John Joseph Fletcher in 1890. She was hanged at Durham Gaol. mary ann cotton surviving descendants. Few people who lived with Mary Ann Cotton were shown mercy, not least the children who were so unfortunate as to enter her orbit. She was, as The Northern Echo reports, remembered after her 1954 death as "intelligent, warm and kind-hearted." Cotton took her daughter, Isabella Jane, who had been living with Margaret, with her. Here she had free access to the drugs supply. After her marriage to Robinson crumbled, Cotton was introduced to Frederick Cotton by his sister, Margaret. She was regarded as Britain's Greatest Female Mass Murderer. Someone had either inadvertently or, as some suspect, intentionally miscalculated the drop needed to break her neck and bring death instantaneously. 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. A month later, when James' baby John died of gastric fever, he turned to his housekeeper for comfort and she became pregnant. Without James, Mary Ann was destitute and living on the streets. 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 Nattrass became ill with gastric fever and died just after revising his will in Mary Ann's favour. 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. When Cotton gave birth to her and Robinson's child, her infant daughter quickly died of "convulsions." When she left, she started to train as a dressmaker. ", "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. Some three minutes passed before she finally died. 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. That left Cotton and her daughter with an insurance payout of some 35, according to Mary Ann Cotton, Dark Angel. 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. 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. 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 eventually found. Where, where? However, the levels of arsenic discovered in Charles' remains were too high to pin it on the wallpaper. 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. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Rather quickly, she sent the daughter to live with her own mother, Margaret, and set out on her own once again. Soon enough, Margaret died of a mysterious gastrointestinal ailment, allowing Mary Ann to get closer to Frederick. The Cotton case was the first of several famous poisoning cases he would be involved in during his career, including those of Adelaide Bartlett and Florence Maybrick. 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. 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. Once again, Mary Ann collected insurance money from her husband's death. When Cotton gave birth to her and Robinson's child, her infant daughter quickly died of "convulsions." 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 cause of death recorded on his death certificate is that of English cholera and typhoid. Mary Ann and her daughter with Mowbray then went to live at the Robinson home. 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. As one witness quoted in Mary Ann Cotton put it, Nattrass "died in a fit" and was "in great agony." Up in the air Sellin black puddens a penny a pair. One of her youngest relatives who lives today in London is Carla. 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. Preeminent British Criminologist David Wilson has described Mary Ann Cotton as a Black Widow and Britain's First Female Serial Killer with 15 confirmed murder victims, and another six suspected victims in 20 years. Mary Ann Cotton ( ne Robson; 31 October 1832 - 24 March 1873) was an English convicted murderer who was executed for poisoning her stepson. Cotton was no exception. The inquiry into Charles Cotton's death showed that Mary Ann's weapon of choice was arsenic. Her death was registered by her son ROBINSON the day after she died. 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. Mary Ann was born into a working class family, and her first marriage was to a mining labourer. Rumour gave rise to suspicion and scientific investigation. She had two children with Robinson but the first one, Margaret Isabella, died within a few months of her birth. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Yet, she wasn't alone. 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. 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. 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 . 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. Betty Eccles was suspected of multiple murders and was hanged in 1843. The attending doctor later gave evidence that Ward had been very ill, yet he had been surprised that his death was so sudden. Perhaps most tellingly, her children lived to tell the tale. Isabella went to live with her grandmother whilst Mary Ann worked at The Sunderland Infirmary, House of Recovery for the Cure of Contagious Fever, Dispensary and Humane Society. 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. She named her Margaret Edith Quick-Manning Cotton, partially to target her latest lover as the father of the child. login . At the end of her life, as she spoke with officials, Cotton did not offer an explanation for any of her murders. 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