MARY ANN COTTON Victorian Serial Killer (SIGNED)

Softcover. SIGNED. Thrice married 40yr. old former nurse, Mary Ann Cotton was at one time regarded as Britain's greatest mass murderer. Shortly after she was hanged at Durham in 1873, by the elderly and incompetent William Calcraft, a play about the notorious life of Mary Ann Cotton was staged at a theatre in nearby Sunderland. Darkly beautiful Mary Ann married when she was young and pregnant, and worked her way through a number of husbands and lovers. By Victorian standards, she was remarkably free with her sexual favours: unfortunately, she also made free with the arsenic. Some estimates suggest that the girl from Low Moorsley, County Durham, may have poisoned as many as 22 people, including children, husbands, a lover and her own mother. The authors suggest that the true number may lie between 10 and 15. This still makes Cotton the most prolific female serial killer in British history. Mary Ann evaded detection by regularly changing homes, jobs and sexual partners. In the end, she got careless and aroused the suspicions of a local businessman in West Auckland, County Durham. The authors have tried to tell the complete story of Cotton's life and times, and have re-examined the evidence and offer theories as to why she did what she did. As an aside, the eminent lawyer who prosecuted Mary Ann Cotton, also defended Florence Maybrick. Illus. + Select Bibliog. 97pp. soft cover. Nr. F. SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR.