The Woman Who Poisoned a Village: Marianne Cotton's Arsenic Trail

The Woman Who Poisoned a Village: Marianne Cotton's Arsenic Trail A string of unexplained deaths followed Marianne Cotton through County Durham - more than a dozen people died and each time the certificate named disease, not poison. A Marsh test on an eleven-year-old’s stomach produced a metallic sheen that would force the question: how many deaths hidden as typhoid, cholera, or gastric trouble were actually arsenic? In this episode, we tell the sequence of events in West Auckland and the discoveries that turned private tragedy into public suspicion, tracing Marianne Cotton’s marriages, insurance claims, and the single forensic moment that changed everything. How did a mining village’s routine grief almost let a trail of arsenic go unnoticed? Person: Marianne Cotton Location: West Auckland, County Durham Date: 17 July 1872 Case: Death of Charles Edward Cotton Test: Marsh test showed metallic sheen from stomach contents - More than a dozen people connected to Marianne Cotton died with official causes listed as typhoid, cholera, or gastric troubles. - Marianne collected approximately £35 from a life insurance policy after William Mowbray’s death in January 1865. - Marianne married Frederick Cotton on 17 September 1870 and within months persuaded him to insure himself and both sons. - Charles Edward Cotton was eleven years old and died three days after Dr. William Kilburn last examined him. - On 17 July 1872 Dr. William Kilburn performed the Marsh test on Charles Edward’s stomach contents and observed a mirror-like metallic film. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].