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Execution site

Mary Ann Cotton

Durham Gaol, Durham

Britain's first serial killer, it was claimed, hanged at Durham.

Mary Ann Cotton is believed to have poisoned up to 21 people with arsenic, including husbands and many of her own children, to collect insurance. She was hanged at Durham Gaol in 1873.

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When
24 March 1873
Where
54.7730, -1.5670
Group
Gibbets & executions

Visiting

Durham Gaol is still a prison. The city's cathedral and castle are nearby.

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