She Was a Beloved Nurse — Until Her Poisonings Made Headlines Nationwide
Jane Toppan, called “Jolly Jane” by colleagues, was charged in 12 murders and admitted to many more.
… Born Honora Kelley in Boston in 1854, she was surrendered as a child to the Boston Female Asylum after her mother died and her father could no longer care for the children. She was placed as an indentured servant with the Toppan family of Lowell and took their surname, per the Lowell Historical Society and the West End Museum.