Mary Ann used arsenic because it was easy to dissolve in a cup of tea and you could buy it from the local shop. We all have a winge about health and safety these days, but there are some areas which I agree with: being able to buy deadly poisons over the counter in the shape of ‘soft soap’ should definitely be illegal. Arsenic’s other bonus for poisoners is that the initial symptoms of arsenic poisoning just look like gastrointestinal infections so a busy GP wouldn’t look twice. People’s diets were cruddy back then and sickness, diarrhea and dehydration were so common that no one would raise an eye-brow.
Cotton’s first husband died in 1865 leaving her £35, which sounds rubbish but was about 6 months pay back then. Mary Ann moved to Seaham Harbour in County Durham to be near her lover Joseph Nattras who would from then on be at her side for most of the rest of her life. Using her princely pay out she started a career as a nurse in Sunderland Infirmary where she met George Ward, an engineer who was a patient there. They married in 1865 and he was dead within a year and guess who got the insurance pay out? You’re good, it was Mary Ann Cotton of course.
As a new widow with one child she became a housekeeper for another newly widowed chap – James Robinson. She took the job in 1866, James’ young baby died a few weeks later. Mary Ann comforted the double grieving Robinson and at some point during the comforting fell pregnant with his child.
A few months on her mother got sick so Mary Ann went to be with her, she died 9 days later. Mary Ann’s daughter Isabella had been living with her gran so she was taken back to Robinson’s place. Isabella and two more of Robinson’s children were dead within a couple of months.
☛ Up Next: Graham Frederick Young: The 14 Year Old Serial Killer
