Following their father’s passing in 1914, Mary Ann Bevan and her four children. In the early nineteenth century, Mary-Ann was dubbed the “World’s Ugliest Woman” and was ridiculed by many.

Mary was a lovely woman who grew up in a family of seven brothers and sisters in Kent, England, and worked as a nurse.

Like many other women, Mary wished for a happy married life with many children, which began to come true in 1902.

It was the year she married Thomas Bevan, and the couple went on to have four children. Even though they were not wealthy, they always did their hardest as parents.

But Mary began to have a problem in her late 20s that made her face appear more masculine and was stigmatized by many.

So what ailments did she have, and how did she nurture her children after being a widow? In this post, you can learn more about Mary Ann Bevan.

Mary Ann Bevan Children Details

Mary Ann Bevan had two sons and two daughters with her spouse Thomas Bevan. Because the family wasn’t very wealthy, the couple struggled greatly to raise their daughters Dorothy and Evelyn, sons John and Harold, and sons John and Harold.

Thomas and Mary Ann were married when Mary Ann was 29 and Thomas was 35. Mary, a nurse, and Thomas, a gardener, were both from modest backgrounds. They had four mouths to feed and little to no money; thus, the couple was heartbreaking.

Mary and Thomas persisted in working hard and had aspirations for their children’s futures. But Mary didn’t begin to notice changes in her body until after the birth of Evelyn, her fourth child. Mary usually suffered from headaches and aches in her muscles.

She even began to appear a little bit more manly. Mary had to leave her position as a nurse since she was often unfit, and others made fun of her appearance. However, Mary was in for greater sorrow when she lost her husband unexpectedly in 1914.

Mary, who was already the target of cruel jokes about her appearance, was now left to care for her four children by herself. Mary decided to accept her alleged ugliness to support her family and entered a contest that may earn her a large sum of money while also damaging her reputation.

The former nurse entered the “World’s Ugliest Woman” competition and won, giving her much-needed money and garnering her a lot of attention and exposure. Mary received a chance to relocate across the Atlantic and go on tour with P.T. Barnum in 1920, for better or worse.

Mary accepted it and joined what was once known as a freak show. Mary made £20,000 in the US for two years, comparable to £276,000 today. Mary used the funds to pay for her children’s boarding school tuition in England.

Mary Ann Bevan Family Details

While Mary Ann Bevan was appearing in freak exhibitions in the US, her family remained to reside in England. Mary, who needed money, accepted Sam Gumpertz’s offer to work with P.T. Barnum in the United States in 1920.

Mary performed in the Dreamland show at Coney Island in the US, where she was shunned for her appearances and forced to wear garish attire. They would make fun of her looks in front of the crowd in the US, which was not different.

For amusement, Mary would be carried in a parade around the town with her companions, which included bearded ladies, giants, and dwarfs. Mary allegedly acquired a drinking problem in her later years. However, she continued to send money to her children in the UK for the rest of her life while living in the US.

Mary, who passed away at age 59, requested to be buried in England as one of her final requests. Her children fulfilled her last wish by planting their mother at London’s Brockley Cemetery.

Mary Ann Bevan Disease And Cause To Be The Ugliest Woman In The World

Shortly after her marriage, Mary began experiencing symptoms of Acromegaly. After each pregnancy, the illness worsened. Acromegaly is when the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone, causing excessive growth in the hands, feet, and face.

There was no cure for the condition, which caused the bones and tissues to grow fast. One of Mary Ann’s friends characterized her as having the appearance of a giant, with a robust, masculine jaw and broad cheekbones, nose, and forehead.

Hallmark released a spoof birthday card with Mary Ann’s face, referring to her as a blind date in 2006. Doctors criticized the joke for being inconsiderate to persons with Acromegaly. Acromegaly can now be surgically repaired with radiation and hormone therapy.