The story of Mary Ann Bevan, who was considered ‘The ugliest woman in the world,’ starts in the 19th century, a dark period of the American culture when ‘freak shows,’ traveling circuses showing people with certain deformities and disabilities, were at the peak of their popularity.
Today, it is highly unacceptable to treat people with disabilities with disrespect, but back in the day, no one believed it was morally wrong to dub them freaks.
Mary Ann Bevan was born on December 20, 1874, in Plaistow, East London, United Kingdom. She grew up to become a nurse and was respected by the society. On top of that, she was a very attractive woman who was offered many possibilities.
In 1902, Mary met the love of her life, a man named Thomas Bevan. The two married and welcomed four children together, but their happiness didn’t last long. After 14 years, Thomas passed away, leaving Mary heartbroken.
Her life became difficult as she was left to take care and provide for her children all by herself.
Unfortunately, around the time she turned 32, Mary started experiencing strange symptoms. Her face started changing gradually and she didn’t know what was happening or what caused that change which impacted her both psychologically and financially. Mary’s bones grew big, and her face became deformed. As a result, she lost her job and was unable to provide for her children any longer.
Back in the day, no one could diagnose her, but this poor woman suffered from acromegaly, a hormonal disorder that develops when the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone during adulthood, when a change in height doesn’t occur. Instead, the increase in bone size is limited to the bones of the hands, feet and face.
Today, a lot more is knows about this condition and there are ways to keep it under control, which wasn’t the case during the time Mary lived.
Crushed, heartbroken, and poor, this woman saw an ad one day which read, “Wanted: Ugliest woman. Nothing repulsive, maimed or disfigured. Good pay guaranteed, and long engagement for successful applicant. Send recent photograph.”
No matter how awful she felt about this ‘job,’ she saw no way out of her situation. She simply needed to do anything in order to feed her children. Above all, she was a mother.
Mary answered the ad and she was soon contacted by the circus’ agent, a man named Claude Bartram, who later shared Mary’s story.
“She was not repulsive at all. She had the kind of face one usually finds in a giant, a powerful, masculine jaw, prominent cheek-bones, nose and forehead, but she was unblemished, healthy and strong. She told me she did not like the idea of placing herself on exhibition, she was shy and did not want to be separated from her children,” Bartram said, according to Daily Star.
“I told her she would earn £10 per week for a year, travelling expenses and all the money from the sale of picture postcards of herself, so she could provide for the education of her children.”
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In no time, magazines were filled with Mary Ann’s photos and everyone recognized her as ‘the ugliest woman on Earth.’
Her popularity brought her to the Dreamland Circus in Coney Island, New York, one of the most famous circuses there were. Mary Ann became an attraction, but then a doctor named Harvey Cushing, a leading neurosurgeon, spotted her and knew there was more behind ger huge face that he wanted to explore thoroughly.
“This unfortunate woman who sits in the sideshow of Ringling Brothers ‘between Fat Lady and Armless Wonder’ and ‘affects white lace hats, woollen mittens and high laced shoes’ has a story which is far from mirth-provoking.
“She, previously a vigorous and good-looking young woman, has become the victim of a disease known as acromegaly,” he wrote in a letter to Time magazine.
Mary Ann spent her life working at the circus and she was reported to have earned a small fortune which enabled her to send her children back to England where they attended boarding schools.
She endured a lot, but she did it all for her children.
Mary Ann died at the age of 59 of natural causes. Her final wish was to be buried in her homeland, England, and her children fulfilled her wish. She is resting at the Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery in South London.
This woman’s sad, yet fascinating life story speaks of the mother’s love for her children more than anything else.
I Bought My MIL a $600 Bag She Dreamed of for Christmas, But Her Behavior Made Me Change My Mind
When Brendon’s mother-in-law, Susan, sees the Christmas present pile under the tree, she immediately wants to take away her granddaughter’s gift. And for what? To teach the little girl a lesson: that you cannot always get what you want. Not to be outdone, Brendon teaches Susan a Christmas lesson that she’ll never forget.
It was the first Christmas I could finally afford to splurge a little. I’d landed a new job earlier that year, one with a salary that made it possible to loosen up and enjoy the holidays.
Most of my money went toward gifts for my nine-year-old daughter, Eve. She had been doing so well in school, helping out around the house without us even asking, and being all-around amazing.
A smiling little girl | Source: Midjourney
If anyone deserved to be spoiled, it was her.
But apparently, my mother-in-law, Susan, had other thoughts.
The trouble started when she dropped by one morning, bringing a batch of freshly baked muffins with her. She noticed the Christmas tree practically buried under a pile of wrapped presents. Immediately, her face changed.
Muffins on a table | Source: Midjourney
“Wow,” Susan said, crossing her arms as she scanned the room. “Looks like Santa went a little overboard this year, huh?”
I gave her a polite smile, still riding the holiday high.
“I figured it was a good year to do something special. Everyone’s got a little something under the tree… including you,” I laughed.
Her eyebrows lifted.
Christmas presents under a tree | Source: Midjourney
“Oh, and what about Evie?” she asked. “How many presents does my granddaughter get?”
What the hell? I thought.
But I knew that tone too well. I kept my response light, hoping to dodge the fight I felt brewing.
“About three big ones and a few smaller boxes,” I said politely.
Susan’s expression shifted from curiosity to indignation so fast it gave me whiplash. She shook her head slowly, her lips pursing like I’d just confessed to some unthinkable crime.
A frowning older woman | Source: Midjourney
“That’s way too much for a nine-year-old, Brendon,” she snapped. “She doesn’t need all of that.”
I blinked, caught off guard.
“It’s Christmas, Susan,” I said. “It’s the one day we can go all out. She’s earned it; she’s been working hard all year.”
Susan waved me off, not even pretending to listen to my words.
A close up of a man | Source: Midjourney
“No child needs that many gifts,” she said. “I’ll be taking back the doll I bought her. She has to learn that life won’t always give her everything she asks for.”
I stared at the woman standing in front of me. I was in utter disbelief.
“You promised her that doll, Susan! She’s been excited about it for weeks.”
“That’s exactly why she needs to learn a lesson,” Susan said with a smug smile. “Better she learn it now than later.”
A doll in a box | Source: Midjourney
I bit my tongue, trying to stay civil.
Before I knew it, Eve came running down the stairs.
“Good morning, Gran!” she said, rushing to hug the old woman.
“Hello, darling,” Susan said, giving me a smug look. “Gran’s leaving now, but I’ll see you soon!”
A smiling little girl | Source: Midjourney
I understood the lesson she was trying to teach, really, I did. But this was Christmas! And Eve was nine.
It wasn’t about deprivation, it was about joy. Our daughter wasn’t some spoiled brat, and I saw no reason to punish her on the one day meant for celebration.
As for Melanie, my wife?
She told me to let it go.
“My mother’s gift is hers to decide what to do with,” she said with a shrug later that night as she made grilled fish for dinner. “It’s just a doll, anyway. Will Evie really miss it?”
A tray of grilled fish | Source: Midjourney
I knew my wife had grown up with her mother’s toxic behavior and probably didn’t want to stir the pot, but it was still too much for me.
Our daughter was counting on that gift, and Susan was taking it away just to prove a point.
That’s when I decided—if Susan was going to play petty games, I could play them better.
See, one of the things I’d bought that year was a designer bag for Susan. It was the one thing she had been talking about for months.
A close up of a man | Source: Midjourney
“I was with Cora from the club,” she said. “And we were walking around the mall, and I saw it in the store window. It’s so chic and beautiful. I have to get it!”
She hinted at it every chance she got, practically salivating over it.
And I bought it for her.
My goodness, it was expensive, $600, to be exact. I figured it would score me some brownie points, and honestly, as problematic as she was, I did like the idea of making her happy.
A designer handbag on a table | Source: Midjourney
But now?
Now I had other plans.
I took the fancy bag out of its box and carefully folded a cheap $40 robe inside. It was a plain thing, just boring gray with no patterns. To be honest, it was the kind of gift you’d pick up in a rush from the clearance bin at the last minute.
I wrapped the box back up with care, making sure the packaging looked pristine.
A gold box with a ribbon | Source: Midjourney
“You’re putting way too much effort into this, honey,” Melanie laughed.
“She needs to be taught a lesson, Mel,” I said. “Your mother messed with the wrong man.”
Christmas morning came, and the living room buzzed with excitement as everyone opened their presents. My daughter tore through her gifts, laughter bubbling as she saw all her presents.
Melanie smiled as she unwrapped the cozy scarf and pair of shoes I’d picked for her.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
And then came Susan’s turn.
Her eyes lit up the moment she saw the designer bag’s signature gold box. She clasped her hands together, beaming as she tore off the wrapping paper.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have!” she said, her voice high with excitement.
I leaned back, watching with the tiniest smile. She pulled the lid off the box, and her smile faltered.
A gray robe in a box | Source: Midjourney
Gone was the giddy excitement. Instead, in its place was pure confusion.
Then shock.
And finally, disappointment.
Susan pulled the robe from the box, holding it up with trembling hands.
“What… What is this? Melanie? Brendon?” she asked.
I gave her my most innocent smile.
“It’s a robe,” I said. “I thought you’d like it. It’s practical, isn’t it?”
Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. She looked between the robe and the expensive-looking box, her face turning pale.
“Is this really my gift?” she asked quietly.
I nodded, trying not to laugh.
An upset old woman | Source: Midjourney
“Sorry if it’s not what you were hoping for. But you taught me a lesson the other day, Susan. You told me that people don’t always get the gifts they want. It’s a good lesson, don’t you think?”
Susan’s jaw tightened, and I swear I saw her eye twitch. My wife shot me a look that could melt steel. But I didn’t care.
I’d made my point. And my daughter was happy.
A close up of a man | Source: Midjourney
“Come on,” Melanie said, calling everyone to the table. “The Christmas feast is ready to go!”
Later that afternoon, after we were all stuffed from the meal, Susan pulled me aside.
“You bought the bag, didn’t you?” she asked, her voice low and desperate.
I raised an eyebrow.
A Christmas feast | Source: Midjourney
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
“Don’t play dumb with me, Brendon,” she hissed. “I know you bought it. Where is it?”
I crossed my arms and gave her a casual shrug.
“Sold it,” I said. “If you wouldn’t spoil my daughter, why would I spoil you?”
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
A gift bag on a table | Source: Midjourney
“You’re lying. You didn’t sell it,” she said.
“Susan, believe what you want,” I said. “But you made it clear, sometimes people don’t get the things they ask for. Seems only fair, don’t you think?”
Susan’s face twisted again, and for a moment, I thought she might explode. Instead, she let out a sharp breath, clearly trying to contain herself.
“I’ve been nothing but generous to you,” she whispered angrily.
A frowning old woman | Source: Midjourney
“Really? Because taking back a promised gift from your granddaughter doesn’t feel very generous to me.”
She had no comeback for that. She just stood there, lips pressed into a thin line, her anger simmering beneath the surface.
To say Susan was furious for the rest of the day would be an understatement. My wife gave me the cold shoulder too, but frankly, I didn’t care.
A close up of a woman | Source: Midjourney
“You hurt my mother, Brendon,” she said. “You embarrassed her and you hurt her.”
“So what?” I asked. “She hurt me by pulling that stunt, Mel. Think about it, she took away something that Eve really wanted. And she had gotten it before I landed my new job. What would have happened if I couldn’t get Evie any Christmas presents? That doll would have saved the day.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so hung up on it,” Mel said. “Eve didn’t even see the doll, it’s a different case if Mom took it straight from her hands.”
An upset older woman | Source: Midjourney
“You just don’t get it, do you?” I asked.
“I don’t. I really don’t,” she said.
Look, even now, things are big tense with Melanie and Susan. But it’s not a big deal for me. The important part is that my daughter had a Christmas she would never forget. And I’d shown Susan that her behavior just isn’t acceptable.
An annoyed man | Source: Midjourney
By the end of the night, Susan left without so much as a goodbye. The robe sat abandoned on the couch.
Some people will tell you that Christmas is about forgiveness. About turning the other cheek and spreading joy. But sometimes, Christmas is about making sure people learn their lessons.
Even if it means playing a little dirty.
A robe and box on a couch | Source: Midjourney
My mother-in-law didn’t deserve the $600 bag, not with the way she treated my daughter. And if she thinks she can keep pulling her little power plays in my house… well, she’s got another thing coming.
Merry Christmas, Susan.
What would you have done?
A smiling little girl | Source: Midjourney
If you’ve enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you:
My Kids’ Grandmom Came to Our Home, Packed the Christmas Presents She Gave Them & Took Them Away
When Rebecca’s mother-in-law, Darlene, goes home to take away her grandchildren’s Christmas presents, she’s left absolutely speechless. Later, she and her husband, Mark, learn that Darlene did this because she wanted to teach the couple a lesson… but karma intervenes, making sure that the old woman feels the same way the kids felt.
I never thought that this would be a story I’d tell. I mean, toxic in-laws are practically their own genre, but what my mother-in-law, Darlene, did this Christmas left me completely speechless.
Honestly, I’m still in shock.
A woman looking to the side | Source: Midjourney
I’m Rebecca, a mom of three chaotic kids. There’s Caleb (7), Sadie (5), and little Mason (3). Christmas is a huge deal in our house and has been like this since I was a child. We go all out.
The tree, the decorations, and of course, the gifts. Usually, Darlene shows up with her arms full of presents for the kids, playing the part of the doting grandma for one day a year.
This time, though, Darlene really outdid herself. Caleb got the new LEGO set that he had been begging for, and Sadie’s eyes lit up over a princess castle playset. Mason, the little speed demon of the family, zoomed through the living room on an adorable ride-on toy.
A castle made out of LEGO blocks | Source: Midjourney
She even threw in stylish clothes for all three kids.
“They need to be photo-ready, Becca,” she told me. “And this way, they all match!”
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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