The Real ‘Alias Grace’: Who Was Grace Marks And Was She Really A Killer?

Alias Grace is about a murderess. In fact, it’s about a real-life murderess named Grace Marks (played by Sarah Gadon) who captivated 19th century Canadians. She was convicted of murdering her boss and accused of killing his housekeeper. The question that plagued Canadian society? Just how guilty was the beguiling teenaged girl? Was she a victim, too? Or the vixen who had orchestrated the whole thing.

Thanks to the new Netflix miniseries, we know what contemporary writer Margaret Atwood thinks of the case, but what do we really know about Grace Marks? Was she really a killer? Who was Mary Whitney? And what happened to her? Here’s your handy guide to all things Grace Marks.

***SPOILERS For Alias Grace***

No, really, we’re going to be delving into a lot of spoilers here.

Who Was Grace Marks?

Grace Marks an Irish-Canadian maid who shot to infamy in 1843 when she was convicted of the murder of her employer, a gentleman named Captain Thomas Kinnear. Marks was born in Northern Ireland in 1828 and immigrated to Canada with her family in 1840, a few years after Canada was besieged by an unsuccessful rebellion. Marks, who had eight siblings, lost her mother during the crossing. When she got to Toronto she eventually found employment as a maid, which put her in Kinnear’s home…just in time for the murders of Kinnear and his pregnant housekeeper Nancy Montgomery…by 1843.

Who Killed Thomas Kinnear & Nancy Montgomery?

Well, that’s the big question, isn’t it? The facts of the case have always been a little bit sketchy, and Margaret Atwood discovered some wild inconsistencies in the facts when she researched Alias Grace. Grace Marks and another servant, James McDermott, were implicated, tried, and convicted of Kinnear’s murder.

What made people believe that Marks and McDermott were guilty? Well, they both had reason to turn on their keepers — they were reportedly going to be let go and McDermott said that Marks and Montgomery were prone to “quarrel.” Montgomery was the housekeeper, but acted as the lady of the house, and given her delicate condition at the time of her death, and the reports that she shared Kinnear’s bed…well, it’s thought that Grace took umbrage at taking orders from another servant who was also the master’s mistress. In McDermott’s testimony, he says that Grace was the one who came up with the idea to kill Kinnear and Nancy. She plotted to poison their porridge and goaded McDermott into doing the deed. Marks put the blame on McDermott.

McDermott admitted that on July 28, 1843, he whacked Nancy Montgomery on the back of the head with his axe. When he tried to dispose of the body in the cellar, he discovered she was still alive. Allegedly, he and Marks worked together to strangle Montgomery with a scarf. McDermott then hacked her body into pieces to better hide and store it. Then when Kinnear, who had been gone overnight, returned, McDermott shot him in the kitchen. Marks said she came upon the scene and McDermott fired at her as she tried to flee. The police were able to confirm this detail because they found a round fired stuck in the door jamb.

So we know that McDermott definitely killed Kinnear and Montgomery. The question is how complicit Grace was.

What Happened Next?

The two servants collected Kinnear’s and Montgomery’s valuables and fled to New York where they were apprehended by Canadian police. Grace Marks curiously chose an alias in America: Mary Whitney. When they were brought to trial, the two turned on each other in their testimonies. McDermott received the death penalty and hung for his crime, but Grace Marks’ death sentence was commuted close to the very last minute because of her gender and age. She also reportedly fainted when she heard the verdict, which only probably added to public sympathy.

Who Was Mary Whitney?

Well, besides an alias chosen by Grace? We don’t know. There’s no record of a real woman named Mary Whitney whom we can tie to Grace, though records were admittedly shoddy back then – especially when women were concerned. There’s also a theory that the real Grace Marks died and Mary Whitney stole her identity. 

Mary Whitney has a huge part to play in Alias Grace. Margaret Atwood reinvents her as another servant and dear friend to Grace. She also finds a clever way to involve Mary Whitney in the murders that blends the supernatural with the psychological.

What Happened To Grace Marks?

After decades in prison, including a stint in a ladies asylum, Marks became something of a curiosity. Many felt she had been unfairly convicted and shortly before her 30 year term was up, she was pardoned. She then immigrated again, this time to New York, and disappeared from history. We have no idea where she lived or when she died.

Alias Grace is now streaming on Netflix.

Stream Alias Grace on Netflix