Arsenic In The Pudding.

 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 was imprisoned for a year. She was given the job of prison maid and was allowed to run errands, do shopping and was well liked by the guards. When Mary was about to hang, the trap door opened and when Mary dropped the rope around her neck snapped. Mary was able to spend a little time talking to family and friends while a new rope was fitted. Some people in the crowd felt the rope snapping was an intervention from God and so be given a reprieve. Her reaction was triggered by Mr Atkinson's actions and Mary had not meant to hurt all five people, or kill Old mother Atkinson. However, as justice stated she would hang for her crime, she did on Framwellgate Moor near Durham City.