English serial killer Mary Ann Cotton, born October 31, 1832, and was hanged to death on March 24, 1873, for murdering her stepson Charles Edward Cotton by poisoning him. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Mary Ann claimed to have used arrowroot to relieve his illness and said Riley had made accusations against her because she had rejected his advances. One of the more chilling legacies of Cotton's time on Earth is a children's nursery rhyme. She was charged with his murder, although the trial was delayed until after the delivery of her last child in Durham Gaol on 10 January 1873, whom she named Margaret Edith Quick-Manning Cotton. Though many killers are male, it turns out that women have turned to serial murder as well. . She was believed to have murdered up to 21 people, mainly by arsenic poisoning. 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. Wife of George Ward; William Mowbray; Frederick Cotton and James Robinson Though he appears to have worked as a skilled laborer who opened new mining shafts, the Robsons were working class. The relationship of Mary Ann and Nattrass didnt last very long. The series also featured Alun Armstrong, Jonas Armstrong and Emma Fielding. By May 1872, Mary Ann Cotton had moved to West Auckland with her last remaining child, stepson Charles Cotton. However, the judge allowed the prosecutor to use evidence from the deaths of Nattrass and two of the Cotton children and ultimately, the overwhelming evidence sealed Mary Anns fate. Soon after the move her father fell 150 feet (46 m) to his death down a mine shaft at Murton Colliery. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. [1] Baptised at St Mary's, West Rainton on 11 November 1832. As with all nursery rhymes passed on primarily by word of mouth, there are variations. She officially died of hepatitis, though she died just over a week after her daughter came to tend to her. An inquest was held and the jury returned a verdict of natural causes. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Ann-Cotton, Hartlepool History Team - Biography of Mary Ann Cotton. He died in October 1866, baffling doctors on his way out. A court-appointed lawyer put forth the idea that Charles had ingested arsenic through wallpaper, says the RadioTimes. She was hanged at Durham County Gaol on March 24, 1873, but it was a bungled execution. However, the levels of arsenic discovered in Charles' remains were too high to pin it on the wallpaper. Mary Ann Cotton's now-inevitable trial was delayed, as it soon became clear to officials that she was pregnant. The Messed Up Truth About 19th Century Murderess Mary Ann Cotton. After Frederick's death, Nattrass soon became Mary Ann's lodger. 29 July 2015. She apparently wanted to give Quick-Manning the dubious honor of becoming husband number five. Things seemed to grow worse for the family after Mowbray took out life insurance policies on himself and their three remaining children. Mary Ann received a life-insurance payment of 5 10s 6d for Isabella. She was only ever convicted for the murder of one, though it led to her execution by hanging in 1873. 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. 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. Mary Ann claimed to have used arrowroot to relieve his illness and said Riley had made accusations against her because she had rejected his advances. After three minutes, she died of strangulation. Mary Ann Cotton ( ne Robson; 31 October 1832 - 24 March 1873) was an English convicted murderer who was executed for poisoning her stepson. Then her friend Margaret Cotton introduced her to her brother, Frederick, a pitman and recent widower living in Walbottle, Northumberland, who had lost two of his four children. Her mother, Margaret, died after Cotton visited the woman in March 1867. She was regarded as Britain's Greatest Female Mass Murderer. 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. Then Mary Ann's mother, living in Seaham Harbour, County Durham, became ill with hepatitis, so she immediately went to her. Up in the air Sellin black puddens a penny a pair. She allegedly poisoned up to 21 people before being executed in 1873. 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. 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. There is some speculation that she may have been pregnant before their marriage and that is why it was held at the registry office. 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. However, in April 1867 the girl and two of Robinsons children died. The census records, birth, death and marriage records also show no trace of him. Born in October 1832 in County Durham, England, Cotton was the daughter of Michael and Margaret Robson. She also began a relationship with Joseph Nattrass, History Collection reports, though the affair never resolved into marriage. She only fell two feet, so the executioner had to push down on her shoulders. 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. Editors' Code of Practice. [2] According to some sources, she left home at age 16 to work as a nurse but returned three years later and became a dressmaker. Mary Ann Cotton was in Sunderland on October 31, 1832. Mary Ann, pregnant again, was arrested and charged with Charles Cotton's death. By the time Nattrass was dead, Mary Ann had poisoned Robert, her infant son with Cotton, and Frederick Jr., her stepson. 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. Her family describe her as being immensely private, intelligent, warm and kind-hearted, and a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. 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. A mortar shell exploded over his head and no trace was ever found of his body. Robinson refused to meet with his estranged wife in person, though he sent his brother-in-law. Robinson married Mary Ann at St Michael's, Bishopwearmouth on 11 August 1867. 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. 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. Although she is often said to be Britains first female serial killer, this is a false claim. She was regarded as Britain's Greatest Female Mass Murderer. She soon leftor was thrown outand was for a time homeless. She apparently complained to a parish official named Thomas Riley that her stepson, Charles Edward Cotton, was preventing her from marrying Quick Mann. 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 Robson Cotton (1832-1873) - Find A Grave Mary Cotton was born in North England during the Victorian Period. 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. Riley grew suspicious and alerted the police. 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. Riley countered that the boy was a "little healthy fellow," but Charles died on July 12, 1872. A brief investigation into the trial and execution of Mary Ann Cotton. This page was last edited on 12 January 2023, at 20:32. Her sister Margaret was born in 1834 but lived only a few months. Last week, we covered the life and crimes of Mary Ann Cotton, also known as the West Auckland Poisoner. Her brother Robert was born in 1835. 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. However, it was accepted, and Russell conducted the prosecution. 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. Soon after she entered the home, Robinson's infant son died of yes, you guessed it "gastric fever.". The census records, birth, death and marriage records also show no trace of him. George Robinson was the other. She and her only surviving child, Isabella, had moved back to County Durham. However, the couple did not divorce. Sing, sing, oh what should I sing? William and Mary Ann moved back to North East England where they had, and lost, three more children. 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. For women of the working class, the sudden death of a husband could easily throw them into devastating poverty with little way out. It is said that she and William Mowbray had 4 children before returning to Murton. So, by the summer of 1865, Mary Ann, widow Mowbray, had buried her husband William and at least eight, if not nine, of her own children. She took him in as a lodger while also starting a relationship with a man she knew as John Quick-Manning. 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. The body of the stepson was examined and found to contain arsenic. When Cotton gave birth to her and Robinson's child, her infant daughter quickly died of "convulsions." However, in 1870 Mary Ann met another widower, Frederick Cotton, who was the brother of a friend. According to Psychology Today, female serial murderers often have a drive that's pretty distinct from their male counterparts. Cotton collected another insurance payout and moved on. One of her youngest relatives who lives today in London is Carla. As one witness quoted in Mary Ann Cotton put it, Nattrass "died in a fit" and was "in great agony." 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. If so, login to add it. However, he died the following year, and Mary Ann reportedly collected money from another insurance policy. 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. . If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Arsenic, however, was more subtle. 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. 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. Please report any comments that break our rules. A verdict of "natural causes" was found but on reporting in the paper, someone totalled up Mary Ann's moves around the north of England and revealed the death toll. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Mary Ann Cotton's trial, for allegedly murdering her stepson Charles, was delayed for several months so that she could give birth. 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. After moving frequently, the family settled in Hendon, Durham county, in about 1856. But in late March 1870 Margaret died from an undetermined stomach ailment, leaving Mary Ann to console the grieving Frederick Sr. Cotton died in December of that year, from "gastric fever." In Low Moorsley, Tyne & Wear. Her mother, Margaret, died after Cotton visited the woman in March 1867. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Margaret died from a mysterious stomach problem which allowed Mary Ann to dig her claws into the Cotton family. Five days later, Mary Ann told Riley that the boy had died. She was found guilty and sentenced to die. Here's the messed-up truth about this notorious 19th century murderess. 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. The . All three children had been subjects of small life insurance policies. ", "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=1133232730, 19th-century executions by England and Wales, People convicted of murder by England and Wales, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking in-text citations from December 2010, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Around 21, including 3 of her husbands and 12 children. Where, where? Few people who lived with Mary Ann Cotton were shown mercy, not least the children who were so unfortunate as to enter her orbit. The delay was caused by a problem in the selection of the public prosecutor. She is believed to have murdered up to 21 people in total. When that failed, within days she told parish officials that Charles Edward Cotton had 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He died in a field hospital on November 4 a week before the armistice. Daughter of Michael Robson and Margaret Lonsdale Before their final break, Cotton had attempted to get Robinson to insure both himself and the remaining children. She sent her remaining child, Isabella, to live with her mother. The insurance policy Mary Ann had taken out on (the still living) Charles' life still awaited collection. But faced with abject poverty and an ailing husband, we see how ruthlessly determined . 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. She is believed to have murdered up to 21 people in total. Reportedly just weeks after her arrival in 1866, one of his five children succumbed to gastric fever. Margaret was born in Durham Gaol on 10 January 1873 while her mother, Mary Ann Cotton, was awaiting trial for the murder (by arsenic) of Charles Edward Cotton. That is until she grew overconfident and made a remarkable blunder. The trap door wasnt placed high enough to break her neck. The place is Durham Gaol. Then Nattrass became ill with gastric fever, and died just after revising his will in Mary Anns favour. There, she discovered that no money would be paid out until a death certificate was issued. She probably would have got away with it for longer had she not been so keen to murder Charles Edward or at least not been so open about her desire to see him die. Once again, Mary Ann collected insurance money from her husband's death. However, she stayed in Durham and lived in a place called Seaham Harbour. Five days later, Mary Ann told Riley that the boy had died. Mary Ann backed off but not before ominously predicting that Charles would "go like all the rest of the Cotton family." Mary Ann had cashed in William's life insurance, equivalent to about 1,700 in today's money. 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. Login to find your connection. And her killing spree started right here in. There, she discovered that no money would be paid out until a death certificate was issued. He died in 1872 from gastric fever soon after amending his will in Mary Anns favor. Cotton's undoing came after she tried to have the son of her deceased husband sent to a workhouse. All three children were buried in the last week of April and first week of May 1867. However, the first hearing led to Mary Ann's conviction for the death of Charles in March of that year. [citation needed] The jury retired for 90 minutes before returning a guilty verdict. 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. Came after she tried to have murdered up to 21 people in total, Mary Ann was... Called Seaham Harbour up in the air Sellin black puddens a penny a pair class. 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