Geordie Justice (old executions from around the North East).

 Mary Nicholson was convicted of killing her employer in 1798. Mary was only young and had found work as a housemaid with Mr Atkinson, a local farmer. Mr Atkinson was cruel, nasty and and at times violent with Mary. He also ''took liberties with her'' ( I think we can all guess that meaning).  Mary was angry, so she purchased arsenic on the excuse she was washing sheep (arsenic was used in sheep dipping among many things). Once back at the house Mary mixed the arsenic with flour,. She knew Mr Atkinson's mother was making him a pudding. However, when Mr Atkinson returned from work he refused the pudding and went to bed. Not wanting to waste food his mother made the pudding into a pie for the whole family to eat the following day. The whole family got ill and the doctor was able to save 4 of the 5 family members. Sadly Mr Atkinson's mother was very ill and later died. The family accused Mary of attempting to kill them all. Mary Nicholson was sentanced to hang but ...

 On 1st August 1763 Margaret Middleton was hanged at Durham Prison for the murder of a girl. Margaret was employed by the City Of Durham to transport and accompany a child from poverty to Northallerton. She was to stay a couple of days until the child was settled with a family and then return.  Margaret received the money before setting off for the journey, sadly a few miles out of the city the child was drowned in a streamlet called The Browney near St Oswald's Church. This occurence was not unusual as City officials often paid people to accompany minors to foster families. However, often it was deemed a better idea by the person being paid, to get rid of the child and go and spend the money. The girl's body was found and officials had Margaret arrested.