Maria Manning
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Maria Manning (died 13 November 1849) was a Swiss murderess who was publicly hanged at Horsemonger Lane Gaol in Southwark, London in 1849, along with her English husband, Frederick, for murdering her lover. Around 50,000 people came to watch her die, including Charles Dickens whose disgust at the scene prompted him to write to The Times condemning the spectacle of public executions.
The character of Hortense in Dickens' novel Bleak House is said to be based on Maria Manning.[1]
