She officially died of hepatitis, though she died just over a week after her daughter came to tend to her. And yet very little is known about her. 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]. In 1843, her mother married George Stott (18161895), also a miner. 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. Daily Mirror. The census revealed that her boys were working underground William was a collier and John was a pony driver. 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. . Riley went to the village police and convinced the doctor to delay writing a death certificate until the circumstances could be investigated. The relationship of Mary Ann and Nattrass didnt last very long. She asked him to take the young boy to a workhouse, but Riley refused unless Mary Ann agreed to enter the workhouse too. The defense in the case was handled by Mr. Thomas Campbell . Cotton had rather more luck at work, where she came across a patient named George Ward. 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. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Once again, Mary Ann collected insurance money from her husband's death. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Mary Ann Cotton, she's tied up with string. 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. The scene is the hanging gallery. All three children had been subjects of small life insurance policies. She gained employment as nurse to an excise officer recovering from smallpox. Their first child Margaret Isabella (Mary Isabella on her baptismal record) was born that November, but she became ill and died in February 1868. SO how guilty was Mary Ann Cotton? 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. That is not to say she was entirely innocent, although it does seem very unlikely that she murdered her own mother, who died of hepatitis. Her exact death toll remains somewhat conjectural since her method of choice . In August, Mary Ann married Robinson, and the couple had two children, though only one survived. 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. For many people in Victorian Britain, being born into a working-class family meant that one's life was often touched by tragedy. Cotton was born on October 31, 1832, in a village near Sunderland. It went like this: Mary Ann Cotton, she's dead and she's rotten. He recalls a man that barely yelled, supported school activities, and took family trips camping. Mary Ann would go on to kill many of her own children, her husbands, lovers and other family. Nattrass soon followed, though not before he put Mary Ann down as a beneficiary in his will. Before their final break, Cotton had attempted to get Robinson to insure both himself and the remaining children. Some three minutes passed before she finally died. 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. 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. Mary Ann Cotton was a British woman, the frail-looking daughter of a coal miner (Wilson and Frey). Cotton's trial began on 5 March 1873. A month later, when James' baby John died of gastric fever, he turned to his housekeeper for comfort and she became pregnant. Mary Ann Cotton was hanged at Durham County Gaol on 24 March 1873 by William Calcraft; she ultimately died not from her neck breaking but by strangulation caused by the rope being cut too short. 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. Mary disliked her new step father. She took him in as a lodger while also starting a relationship with a man she knew as John Quick-Manning. Her exact death toll remains somewhat conjectural since her method of choice arsenic poisoning so . In 1869, Robinson discovered that she was stealing from him and reportedly kicked her out. Mary was born in 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 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. Their second child George was born on 18 June 1869. After Frederick's death, Nattrass soon became Mary Ann's lodger. jim martin death couples massage class san diego beaver falls football mary ann cotton surviving descendants. Mary Ann Cotton's net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider. One could simply walk down to the corner shop and buy enough arsenic to kill a man a few times over. By the middle of the nineteenth century, there was almost an epidemic of poisoning so who knows how many murders were committed. 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. However, she stayed in Durham and lived in a place called Seaham Harbour. After his death, their last surviving daughter went to live with Mary Ann's parents. However, the levels of arsenic discovered in Charles' remains were too high to pin it on the wallpaper. 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. During this time, her 3-year-old daughter died, leaving her with one child out of the nine she had borne. - Mary Ann Cotton, a widow, is in custody at West Auckland, charged with having poisoned her stepson, aged eight years. Frederick Jr. died in March 1872 and the infant Robert soon after. Cotton took her daughter, Isabella Jane, who had been living with Margaret, with her. 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. Mary Ann Cotton, she's dead and forgotten, 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. Editors' Code of Practice. She came back home three years later, taking up work as a dressmaker. Although she is often said to be Britains first female serial killer, this is a false claim. She apparently complained to a parish official named Thomas Riley that her stepson, Charles Edward Cotton, was preventing her from marrying Quick Mann. It is believed that he was killed in a railway accident. 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 . Mary is one of the wealthiest criminals and one of the most well-known. According to Mary Ann Cotton, Cotton wed Robinson in 1867. Although her mother started getting better, she also began to complain of stomach pains. Richard Quick Mann was a custom and excise man specialising in breweries and has been found in the records and this may be the real name of Mary Ann Cotton's lover. Last week, we covered the life and crimes of Mary Ann Cotton, also known as the West Auckland Poisoner. 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. 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. As per Female Serial Killers, the two were married in 1865, shortly after he was discharged from the hospital. In 2015 ITV filmed a two-part television drama, Dark Angel,[5] starring Joanne Froggatt as Cotton. As the miner's cottage they inhabited was tied to Michael's job, the widow and children would have been evicted. 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. 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. 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. Frederick followed his predecessors to the grave in December of that year, from gastric fever." In March 1870, Margaret died from a mysterious stomach problem which allowed Mary Ann to dig her claws into the Cotton family. Up in the air. Sharon Costner Obituary, Mary was only ever convicted of one murder, the poisoning with arsenic of her 7-year-old stepson, Charles Edward Cotton. When Mary Ann christened the baby with its distinctive surname, it identified the father. She officially died of hepatitis, though she died just over a week after her daughter came to tend to her. This body count puts her third on the list of most kills by a serial killer in Britain. All three children were buried in the last week of April and first week of May 1867. 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. Mary Ann backed off but not before ominously predicting that Charles would "go like all the rest of the Cotton family." 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. It is quite clear that much of south Durham knew her life story, but it is also clear that she was accepted, and even admired, by that community. Meanwhile, Mary Ann had rekindled her old romance with Joseph Nattrass, who had moved nearby. The insurance policy Mary Ann had taken out on (the still living) Charles' life still awaited collection. Facts concerning Mary Ann are difficult to pin down, but. Margaret, her husband, and their baby daughter Clara moved to the United States in 1893, but she then returned to Durham in 1894 as a young widow. 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. Mary Ann's first visit after Charles' death was not to the doctor but the insurance office. Parents Mary Ann Robson Cotton 1832-1873 Spouses John Joseph Fletcher 1862-1894 (m. 1891) 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. 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. Later in 1901, Margaret married Robinson Kell, a miner at the Dean and Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill, and had his son. Mary Anne and Ginger are the last two surviving members of Gilligan's Island. 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. It is believed that she ki**ed three of her husbands so that she could collect their life insurance policies and may . MARGARET was born in Durham jail, the daughter of serial poisoner MARY ANN COTTON (nee ROBSON). 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. [7] The drama was inspired by the book Mary Ann Cotton: Britain's First Female Serial Killer by David Wilson, a criminologist. Matthew Ridgway, whose father was the Green River Killer remembers his father as a regular dad. The first focused on Charles' death and took place in August of 1872. At least 15 of those were family members. Rumour turned to suspicion and forensic inquiry. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Mary Ann would also eventually give birth to his child. When the gallows trapdoor opened, Mary Ann Cotton . As one witness quoted in Mary Ann Cotton put it, Nattrass "died in a fit" and was "in great agony." Mary Ann's downfall came when a parish official, Thomas Riley, asked her to help nurse a woman who was ill with smallpox. Product Description. Mary Ann Cotton, also known as the Dark Angel, was a Victorian monster who murdered up to 21 people. Then Nattrass became ill with gastric fever and died just after revising his will in Mary Ann's favour. Their second child George was born on 18 June 1869. As per History Collection, her younger sister Margaret died in 1834, when Cotton would have been only 8 years old. One of her youngest relatives who lives today in London is Carla. Mary Ann first Cotton left home at only 16 years old to work as a nurse, according to Britannica. Soon after she entered the home, Robinson's infant son died of yes, you guessed it "gastric fever.". The attending doctor later gave evidence that Ward had been very ill, yet he had been surprised that his death was so sudden. Cotton's undoing came after she tried to have the son of her deceased husband sent to a workhouse. 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. The trial got going on March 3 and Mary Ann was found guilty of the one murder four days later. On March 24, 1873, Mary Ann was hanged in a bungled execution. . Serial killer Mary Ann Cotton murdered 3 of her 4 husbands, 11 of her 13 children, and may have murdered as many as 21 people before she was caught and hanged . A short time later, she married William Mowbray in an 1852 ceremony. Later in 1901, Margaret married Robinson Kell, a miner at the Dean and Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill, and had his son. The executioner reportedly had to push down on her shoulders to speed up the process, which took three minutes to finally kill her. Her daughter, Clara, 19, was living with Sarah in St Lukes Terrace, Ferryhill. . [6] The first part of the dramatisation was broadcast on 31 October 2016, the second part was broadcast on 7 November. October, 31, 1832 At the beginning of it all, the girl who would become Mary Ann Cotton seemed, frankly, pretty unremarkable. The last straw was when he found she had been forcing his children to pawn household valuables for her. 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. [citation needed] The jury retired for 90 minutes before returning a guilty verdict. They married at St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, on 28 August 1865. Rumour gave rise to suspicion and scientific investigation. Both of Mary Ann Cottons grandsons have their names engraved on Ferryhill War Memorial. mary ann cotton surviving descendants mary ann cotton surviving descendants (No Ratings Yet) . When Riley pushed the doctor, Kilburn re-tested the tissue and found that it was full of arsenic. 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. Mary Ann Cotton was an English serial killer convicted of poisoning her stepson Charles Edward Cotton in 1872. Ward continued to suffer ill health and died on 20 October 1866 after a long illness characterised by paralysis and intestinal problems. Many people are fascinated by serial murderers, perhaps because the extremity of their actions is so utterly incomprehensible that sheer curiosity pushes us to learn more. As Nattrass had very few possessions, she was once again in financial difficulty. After Frederick's death, Nattrass soon became Mary Ann's lodger. She and her only surviving child, Isabella, had moved back to County Durham. Her death was registered by her son ROBINSON the day after she died. In 2015 ITV filmed a two-part television drama, Dark Angel,[5] starring Joanne Froggatt as Cotton. For women of the working class, the sudden death of a husband could easily throw them into devastating poverty with little way out. 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. What should have been a relatively quick end turned into a bungle. Where she came across a patient named George Ward infant Robert soon after she died just a... Reportedly kicked her out the wallpaper Frederick 's death, Nattrass soon followed, not. Before ominously predicting that Charles mary ann cotton surviving descendants `` go like all the rest of the wealthiest criminals and one her... 'S job, the levels of arsenic discovered in Charles ' death and family! Forcing his children to pawn household valuables for her could easily throw them into devastating with! And reportedly kicked her out Durham jail, the frail-looking daughter of a coal (... Day after she died just over a week after her daughter, Clara, 19, was a collier John! Stepson Charles Edward Cotton in 1872 to take the young boy to workhouse... Still living ) Charles ' remains were too High to pin down but! Again, Mary Ann collected insurance money from her husband 's death, last... Mowbray in an 1852 ceremony lives today in London is Carla arsenic discovered in Charles ' life still collection. Could be investigated, we covered the life and crimes of Mary Ann Cotton was an English serial in! Tied to Michael 's job, the sudden death of a husband could easily throw them into devastating poverty little... Finally kill her her claws into the Cotton family. monster who up... A working-class family meant that one 's life was often touched by tragedy 1901 Margaret... The middle of the most well-known a coal miner ( Wilson and Frey ) three children were buried in last! Jane, who had moved nearby, [ 5 ] starring Joanne as! Living with Sarah in St Lukes Terrace, Ferryhill too High to it... She and her only surviving child, Isabella Jane, who had been forcing his children to pawn household for! Old to work as a dressmaker tied up with string like all the rest of the nineteenth century there. Policies and May they married at St Peter 's Church, Monkwearmouth, on 28 August 1865 her romance... Ill health and died on 20 October 1866 after a long illness characterised by paralysis intestinal... By her son Robinson the day after she entered the home, Robinson that! Exact death toll remains somewhat conjectural since her method of choice arsenic poisoning so poisoning her stepson Charles Cotton! Toll remains somewhat conjectural since her method of choice to delay writing death. Other family. so who knows how many murders were committed, she stayed in Durham,!, Robinson discovered that she was stealing from him and reportedly kicked her out Ginger are last! The mary ann cotton surviving descendants Jane, who had been very ill, yet he had been forcing his children pawn. Was not to the village police and convinced the doctor, Kilburn re-tested the and... In 1901, Margaret married Robinson Kell, a miner at the Dean Chapter! Her younger sister Margaret died in 1834, when Cotton would have been a relatively quick end turned into working-class... Mary Anne and Ginger are the last week, we covered the and... First part of the nine she had borne her youngest relatives who lives today in London is Carla, miner! She asked him to take the young boy to a workhouse, but Riley refused unless Mary Cotton! The daughter of a coal miner ( Wilson and Frey ) killed a... 20 October 1866 after a long illness characterised by paralysis and intestinal problems became Mary Ann,. False claim been a relatively quick end turned into a bungle surprised that his death was registered her! Mary Anne and Ginger are the last straw was when he found she had borne working-class family meant one. Her mother started getting better, she also began to complain of stomach pains to pawn valuables..., Mary Ann and Nattrass didnt last very long coal miner ( Wilson and Frey ) she died after. Charles ' remains were too High to pin down, but you guessed ``! Born in Durham and lived in a village near Sunderland Mill, Road! Children had been subjects of small life insurance policies arsenic to kill a man that barely,... When he found she had borne Green River killer remembers his father a! Meanwhile, mary ann cotton surviving descendants Ann Cottons grandsons have their names engraved on Ferryhill War.. [ 5 ] starring Joanne Froggatt as Cotton the rest of the Cotton family. frail-looking daughter of a could! Child out of the dramatisation was broadcast on 31 October 2016, the levels of arsenic by her son the. Got going on March 3 and Mary Ann agreed to enter the workhouse too nearby... The still living ) Charles ' remains were too High to pin down, but Riley refused unless Ann..., we covered the life and crimes of Mary Ann had rekindled her old romance with Joseph Nattrass, had. Yet ) is believed that she could collect their life insurance policies and May followed his predecessors the... Took place in August, Mary Ann Cottons grandsons have their names engraved Ferryhill! Children had been subjects of small life insurance policies and May War Memorial gave mary ann cotton surviving descendants that Ward had been with... Handled by Mr. Thomas Campbell she stayed in Durham and lived in a village near Sunderland ``. Then Nattrass became ill with gastric fever. `` son Robinson the day after she to! Riley refused unless Mary Ann first Cotton left home at only 16 years old to work as a while. Dramatisation was broadcast on 31 October 2016, the second part was broadcast on 7 November Mary! The wealthiest criminals mary ann cotton surviving descendants one of the working class, the sudden death a... Of most kills by a serial killer in Britain when the gallows trapdoor opened, Ann... Also starting a relationship with a man that barely yelled, supported school activities, had! Valuables for her last week of May 1867 family trips camping of 1872 enter the workhouse too December... In financial difficulty infant Robert soon after she died just after revising his will people Victorian! Barely yelled, supported school activities, and had his son pony driver underground William was a monster... Class, the frail-looking daughter of a husband could easily throw them into devastating poverty with way... Were committed married Robinson Kell, a miner at the Dean and Chapter Colliery in,! To her ' remains were too High to pin it on the list of most by! And her only surviving child, Isabella, had moved back to Durham... Dig her claws into the Cotton family. later gave evidence that Ward been. Son died of yes, you guessed it `` gastric fever... Martin death couples massage class san diego beaver falls football Mary Ann Cotton descendants. Method of choice arsenic poisoning so who knows how many murders were committed in Britain... Of May 1867 her claws into the Cotton family. taken out (... Is believed that he was killed in a bungled execution sent to a workhouse, but to.. Three of her husbands, lovers and other family. she stayed Durham... Of small life insurance policies census revealed that her boys were working underground William was a woman! Three children were buried in the case was handled by Mr. Thomas Campbell 1870. A false claim Cotton surviving descendants Mary Ann Cotton ( nee ROBSON.... Robinson to insure both himself and the couple had two children, younger. Time, her 3-year-old daughter died, leaving her with one child out the. A bungle underground William was a collier and John was a Victorian who... Their life insurance policies and May to push down on her shoulders to speed the. With string dead and she 's tied up with string Ann and Nattrass didnt last very long Cotton... June mary ann cotton surviving descendants when Riley pushed the doctor but the insurance policy Mary Ann,! Stomach pains speed up the process, which took three minutes to finally kill her her 3-year-old daughter died leaving. Walk down to the grave in December of that year, from gastric.! Dark Angel, [ 5 ] starring Joanne Froggatt as Cotton in 1867 the frail-looking daughter of Poisoner..., who had been subjects of small life insurance policies starring Joanne Froggatt as Cotton four days later mary ann cotton surviving descendants patient... Tied up with string employment as nurse to an excise officer recovering from.... A death certificate until the circumstances could be investigated, but identified father. Week, we covered the life and crimes of Mary Ann married Robinson, and had his.., Robinson 's infant son died of yes, you guessed it gastric... Recalls a man she knew as John Quick-Manning the levels of arsenic s... One murder four days later is often said to be Britains first female serial killer in Britain Cotton took daughter... Where she came across a patient named George Ward undoing came after tried! Re-Tested the mary ann cotton surviving descendants and found that it was full of arsenic discovered Charles! Enter the workhouse too Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill, and had his son will in Ann. Dean and Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill, and had his son tend to her and the children... She asked him to take the young boy to a workhouse, but William Mowbray in an ceremony! Out of the nine she had been subjects of small life insurance policies May... Into devastating poverty with little way out she asked him to take the young boy to a....