Mary Ann Cotton 1839-1873 Durham

[stanmapstone]

Here's a question.... has anyone researched Quick-Manning the supposed father of Mary Ann's baby?

I've looked into him and there is no record of him at all.  No birth certificate and no death certificate.  No family.  I have tried all variations of the name and still nothing.  I am thinking he didn't exist.

Any views on this?!

Were not double barrelled names  very unusual at that time, except in the aristocracy? and there is no record of him in the 1871 census.

Stan

Stan

[vickyhouse2002]

John Quick- Manning died of Smallpox and Mary Ann Cotton was nursing him but then moved in her lover as well.

Should be able to find his death certificate. I will have to read the book a bit futher to see what it says about Quick-Manning.

We are not looking at the father of Mary Ann Cotton but the father of her 12th baby.

The book does list alot of the certificates already so just need to look at it again to see if the death for John Quick- Manning is shown.

Will report back later.
Vicky

[Withnail]

I can see that a few people have replied to my question, thank you!

I meant Mary-Ann's last surviving baby who was born in prison... Margaret.   I know she was adopted and I know that it is said that her father was Quick-Manning/ Quickmanning.... however, just because Arthur Appleton said it was so does not make it true! I know Tony Whitehead has gone down the same route with this one, but I can't take it as gospel when there are no records of him. 

Even the house he lived in in West Auckland won't hold any clues as he wouldn't be on the deeds... he was only a lodger. 


I still believe he was fictional.  I will look into the brewery idea though!

It's all very exciting.  I love a good mystery!

Any more ideas? keep them coming!

[Matt R]

I'd be very interested in trying to find descendants to this woman!

[Withnail]

I thought about that, but then I thought, what would they know?

The boy was only young and went back to his father.  The girl was only a very small baby when she was adopted.  They were probably shielded from it, so they story was probably never passed on! Why would adopted parents tell their child something like that?!

What would our motivation be? !

[Withnail]

That's an interesting one too.... what does motivate us all to find out about her?  Is it local history to the people who are living in the area she used to live in?  Is it family?  Is it morbid fascination? 

There are more recent, more prolific 'murderers' to look up?

Fire away!


Oh and mine's a sort of perverted fascination.... if anyone's wondering!

[vickyhouse2002]

Hi Withnail,
I was told about her from my late mother in law. And she mentioned her a few years ago I just typed it up and printed it off. I was just looking though old notes and read it again and then put in the name Mary Ann Cotton on the internet. It was said by the mother in law that her grandmother's second marriage was to a man Edward Hockworth/Hockiday? And that he was connection some how to Mary Ann Cotton. When someone says that this person killed someone - you don't expect it to be 20-21 people. So mine interest in solving a family history matter.
But so far I can't see in Tony Whitehead's book any mention of the surnames Hockworht/Hockiday or Ramshaw. I really need to sit down and read it more carefully.
But I thought I might have found a clue or two but I think the nearest I'm going to get is where MAC lived and if she lived near to any family members of the families I am researching.

Vicky

[vickyhouse2002]

Adoption offically did not be noted until 1927 or so.
Not sure if there will be any records of adoption in Durham Archives. It's worth contacting them and asking. Check their website and email them direct. Someone should be able to answer the question. I'm sure they have records of MAC and would know more about her than we do.

You could also try finding the record of MAC in prison. They should be records of what happened to Margaret her daughter.

Vicky

[coombs]

Hi

Adoption was noted from 1926 onwards. Before that it often was informal although there may have been arrangements made through a solicitor. Many relatives of unmarried mothers adopted their kin.

Ben