What is mary ann cotton?

Mary Ann Cotton: The Dark Angel of the North

Mary Ann Cotton (31 October 1832 – 24 March 1873) was an English serial killer, convicted of, and hanged for, the murder by poisoning of her stepson Charles Edward Cotton. It is believed she murdered three of her four husbands, along with numerous children, her mother, and a lodger. She primarily used arsenic poisoning to commit her crimes.

• Early Life and Marriages: Mary Ann was born in County Durham, England. She married William Mowbray in 1852. Over the following years, they had several children, many of whom died of "gastric fever." Following William's death from an intestinal disorder, Mary Ann collected insurance money. This pattern repeated with her subsequent marriages.

• Modus Operandi: Cotton's method typically involved claiming on life insurance policies taken out on her victims. The deaths were often attributed to stomach ailments. Her victims included her husbands, children, mother, lovers, and even a lodger. <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/Arsenic%20Poisoning">Arsenic Poisoning</a> was her preferred method.

• Detection and Trial: Suspicion arose when she sought to place her stepson, Charles Edward Cotton, in a workhouse. When the parish official refused, stating that she should accompany him, she declared the boy was sickly and would likely die soon. He died shortly after. An inquest was held, and traces of <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/Arsenic">arsenic</a> were found. Her trial began in March 1873, and she was found guilty.

• Conviction and Execution: Mary Ann Cotton was convicted of the murder of Charles Edward Cotton and sentenced to death. She was hanged at Durham Gaol on 24 March 1873. <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/Her%20Trial">Her Trial</a> attracted widespread public attention.

• Legacy: Mary Ann Cotton is considered one of Britain's most prolific female serial killers. <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/Female%20Serial%20Killers">Female Serial Killers</a> are statistically rare, making her case even more notorious. There is even a well-known children's rhyme about her. Her crimes highlight the social conditions and ease with which insurance fraud could be perpetrated in Victorian England.