Murder & homicide · 1873 · Victorian

Mary Ann Cotton

Mary Ann Cotton was convicted in 1873 of poisoning her stepson and is believed to have murdered up to 21 people, mostly family members, for insurance money. She was hanged at Durham Gaol and is one of Britain's earliest known serial killers.

This summary is written in our own words from published historical sources. Map locations are approximate. Every case in the archive is at least ten years old.