Mary Ball (c. 1818–1849) was a Nuneaton housewife who poisoned her husband with arsenic. She was hanged in Cuckoo Lane, outside Coventry Gaol, before a crowd of about twenty thousand. She was the last person to be publicly executed in Coventry.[1][2][3][4]
Mary Ball | |
|---|---|
 a broadside published after the execution | |
| Born | Mary Wright c. 1818 |
| Died | 9 August 1849 (aged 31) Cuckoo Lane, Coventry, Warwickshire |
| Cause of death | execution by hanging |
| Resting place | Coventry Gaol |
| Occupation | housewife |
| Known for | last person to be executed in Coventry |
| Criminal status | executed |
| Spouse |
Thomas Ball
(m. 1838; died 1849) |
| Motive | unhappy marriage |
| Criminal charge | murder |
| Penalty | death |
| Details | |
| Victims | Thomas Ball |
| Date | 20 May 1849 |
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A plaque on the former County Hall in Coventry marks the nearby site of her execution.
A historical account of the life, death and trail of Mary, The Life, Trial and Hanging of Mary Ball,[5] was written by her great-great grandson Robert Muscutt. A novelised account of Mary's life, The Defiance of Mary Ball, was written by the same author.
A musical concept album presenting a fictionalised account of Mary's story called "Mary Ball - The Musical Concept Album", was released in August 2024 by composers Ben Fellows and Richard Barnfather.[6]
References
edit- ^ Mullen, Enda (16 February 2020). "Is this the exact spot where Coventry's last public hanging took place?". CoventryLive. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ "Tales from the Archives: Mary Ball, Murderer? - The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum". www.theherbert.org. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ Bell, Neil R. A. (2016). The A-Z of Victorian crime. Trevor N. Bond, Kate Clarke, M. W. Oldridge. Stroud, Gloucestershire. ISBN 978-1-4456-4787-6. OCLC 1012128380.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ McGrory, David (2003). A history of Coventry. Chichester, West Sussex, England: Phillimore. ISBN 1-86077-264-1. OCLC 54903656.
- ^ Muscutt, Robert (June 2011). The Life, Trial and Hanging of Mary Ball. Broadland Books. ISBN 978-0956870810.
- ^ "Mary Ball Musical | Mary Ball Musical". Mary Ball the Musical. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
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