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Mary Ann Bevan is the name of a great mother who sacrificed her life for the sake of her children by becoming the title holder for “the ugliest woman in the world,” but that’s not the full story; she isn’t always hideous. We searched for her full story and found many inspiring things about her life, which had been hidden from the world until now.
We found out about her life journey, how she became the ugliest woman for earning bread for her family, the struggles of her life, her resilience and many more. Her story is inspiring for those living in a state of insecurity regarding their beauty standards and physical appearance.
About Mary Ann Bevan:
Mary Ann Bevan was born on December 20, 1874, in Plaistow, Essex, England. Mary was the only daughter among seven brothers.
Despite the limitations women had at that time, she opted for medicine and became a nurse at age 20, in 1894. She married Thomas Bevan at 29, and together they had four children. She was a beautiful woman, with a pure soul and full of life.
The family was happy and enjoying life until Mary was struck by what was then an unknown disease, Acromegaly. It’s a hormonal disorder that occurs when the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone after the growth plates have closed. In the present time, Acromegaly is curable and can be stopped with proper medical treatment.
The disorder affects 60 out of a million people and can affect the bone structure of hands, feet, jaws, foreheads, etc. This condition gradually changed Mary Ann’s appearance.
Why She Become “the ugliest woman in the world”?
Her husband remained by her side during the stages of Acromelagy, he was supportive and took good care of her during this condition, but one day Mary’s husband, Thomas passed away suddenly from a stroke in 1914, leaving Mary with four children.
As Mary was the only provider in the family, she needed to find a job. Her appearance was not pleasing to the eyes, so she struggled to find a job.
Her Sacrifices Help Feed Family of 5
She wasn’t able to find a job, so out of desperation, Mary Ann Bevan entered a contest to win the title of “Ugliest Woman In The World”. She endured the humiliation and mockery to provide for her family.
Then in 1920, she was hired by American showman Samuel Gumpertz to appear in Coney Island’s Dreamland sideshow, a form of freak show, where she worked till her death in 1933, at age 59. She also made appearances with the Ringling Bros, where she earned enough to raise her four children. Her sacrifices for children didn’t go unnoticed during the
Where are Her Children Now?
There is no proper evidence about her children’s lives after her death, We can only hope that they are doing better in life from the resources their mother sacrificed for.
Learnings From Her Life:
If we can summarize her life it would be like this quote below:
Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character.
Her strong character and parental love for her children are admirable, and every one of us should learn from her.
Facts About Mary Ann Bevan:
1. Hallmark used her image on a greeting card but immediately stopped production and distribution after realizing it was cruel to make light of someone’s illness.
2. Even though her beauty was judged by her appearance, the strong character she had shows her beauty from the inside.
3. She was reluctant to put herself on exhibition, being shy and not wanting to be separated from her children.
4. She placed her children in boarding schools to take the job.
5. Mary Ann started her tour in the U.K. working for circus showman P. T. Barnum.
6. She had a foot size 11 (size 44 in the European system).
7. She appeared on the cover of numerous New York publications, labelled as the “ugliest woman on Earth.”
8. Mary Ann became the star of Barnum’s “freak show,” overshadowing other performers such as very tall people, midgets, conjoined twins, and bearded ladies.
9. She lost her wealth due to bad investments and a drinking problem she developed during her job.
10. Mary Ann Bevan was buried in South London at Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery.
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