Women are also known as the synonyms of Beauty and Grace In us humans. Across the time women’s femininity implies that she is attractive and lovely. But it is also true that across time women are also humiliated by the stereotype ideals of Beauty by society.
If we search for “What Defines Beauty?” We get answers as a beautiful woman, a lovely woman, a woman of great physical beauty. But is beauty constrained by good looks? attractiveness? loveliness? The answer is definitely NO.
Today we’re gonna tell you a story about a woman who has proved that beauty is skin deep. You can be proud of yourself as you are. It’s a heartbreaking story of a wife/mother named “Mary Ann Bevan” who was tagged as the ‘Ugliest woman in the world’. She was born on 1874 December 20 in Plaistow, Newham, London, England.
Mary Ann Bevan’s Early Age
Mary Ann Webster (Bevan Before Marriage) belonged to a large middle-class family, she was one of the eight children born in a working middle-class family. She was a bright student since her childhood. By looking at her keen interest in studying, her parents never let her off from taking education.
Mary was very attractive and charming along with being a bright student. Her politeness and compassionate nature led her to become a nurse. She started taking care of her family from an early age.
Likewise any other woman, Mary also has a dream of getting married one day, wearing the wedding dress, to look beautiful. Also to build a family and to live a joyful & victorious life. Her dream came true soon, she got married to a handsome hunk Thoman Bevan at the age of 29.
Thomas was a very benevolent spouse, always encouraging her whenever she needed. Thomas and Mary planned 4 children and lived their lives divinely. But upon her marriage, soon Mary was surrounded by many diseases like Migraine, eyesight weakness, muscle pain, and various problems deteriorating her health.
But, her life took a new turn when she became a widow after 11 years of marriage and her husband left her alone with 4 children. Worse still, she left with no money to feed her children and she turned solely into a breadwinner for her family.
Mary’s Journey To Be The Ugliest Women In The World
After the death of her spouse, she faced many problems like no job, food, etc. but she kept herself motivated to uplift the morale of the family. But destiny wanted something else, her body started deteriorating, and her facial expression started changing inappropriately. She was turning more masculine day by day.
Her entire body changed with large limbs and a big torso, which turned her looking like a ‘homely’ appearance.
She was adjacent with the rare disease named “Acromegaly“. Acromegaly is a neuroendocrine disorder, that results in an excess amount of hormones in the human body. It is usually caused by a non-cancerous tumor, adults of middle age are mostly affected by this.
In the 21st century, it can be cured but it was not possible in the 20th century. That is one of the reasons doctors got no clue about Mary’s disease.
Mary Ann Bevan looked for many jobs that would pay her enough to sustain the family. But wherever she went for a job interview, she got rejected and mocked by using uncivilized words such as ‘freak’ and “ugly”.
The going was getting tough for her with every day passing. She was responsible for feeding and caring for her children, and every day was a challenge for her.
Then one day she found a contest titled ‘The Ugliest Woman’, and contrary to her dreams to look beautiful she participated in it. Luckily, she won the title and received a lot of money to feed her children and support her family for a while. But that was not enough to run a family for a lifetime.
Labelled Herself as ‘The World’s Ugliest Woman’ to Have a Stable Job
She knows that a one-time prize would not be going to be enough for her family’s survival. So, she started joining Circus shows to have a stable path of earning. She joined Coney Island’s Dreamland Show where she found many people of different characters and she was one of them.
The circus displays the people labelled as freaks, for instance, Bearded women, Siamese twins, Giant men, Dwarfs, and so on weird terms used for a human being.
She slowly became a matter of entertainment for people, and they started making jokes about her. Gradually, she became popular and started appearing on postcards and greeting cards as a joke. No one would ever like to be a matter of joke about his/her appearance. But that was the only way she could feed her family.
There was a huge demand for Mary’s after she started in the circus. As a result, she barely returned to Europe, she once returned to Paris in 1925 to take part in an exhibition. Mary’s life was changed and she can now give a better life to her children.
She worked for many years in the circus to entertain the audience but from inside she was dying every day by the disease.
We know her as the ‘Ugliest Woman in the world’ but she was the proud mother who cared for her family despite mockery and becoming a matter of fun. A mother is the biggest form of a human being, and Mary was the golden example of it.
Mary Ann Bevan’s Last Days
After the ‘successful’ or a ‘matter of laugh’ in the circus, Mary’s health was deteriorating as she suffered from acromegaly disease. A few days later, the disease snatched her life at the age of 59 in 1933.
We can say that Mary had a true love for her family and her country as she wished her children to bury her in England after she died. As per her mother’s wish, her children buried her at Brockley Cemetry in England.
Mary is not with us anymore but she always remains an inspiration to all of us. Even people haven’t forgotten her, since late 2006 people have made cards of her and even publishers used it as a hallmark card. She accepted the way she was. Her flaws became her power. People mocked her but that’s what people always do.
Don’t ever let somebody’s opinion dominate your inner self.
She established an example that despite making an excuse you can accept yourself as you are.
We cannot rely on resources given by others for survival, rather we can make resources what we have. We have to stay positive and always look for a better future, “Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder “. Just be proud of what you are and what great you can do in the future.
Discover More Unsung Heroes:
- The Man Who Owns Everest – Kami Rita Sherpa
- James Harrison – The Man With the Golden Arm
- Alexandra Scott – Squeezing Life’s Lemon Into a Sweet Legacy
- Irena Sendler – The Angle of Warsaw
- Kamala Lochan Baliarsingh – A Hero for Stray Dogs
- Sergeant Stubby – A Military Dog’s Tale
Know any Unsung Heroes? Then, do let us know.
Our Mailing Address – Namaskar@theblogera.com
Explore more real stories of everyday heroes around you. Grab our book – Unfold the Stories of Unsung Heroes
December 5, 2021 at 11:33 am
Indeed, inspiring!
Joanna
December 5, 2021 at 2:25 pm
Thank you 🙂
December 5, 2021 at 11:59 am
So heart touching story of a brave Mom 👌🙏🌷 the story lines so inspired,
Beautiful view of the photos ♥️😊👏Mothers definitely can do her children ♥️
This story one example and thanks for sharing 🌷🙏🌷
December 5, 2021 at 2:26 pm
Yes, she is a proud mother and such an inspirationfor us.
Thank you for visiting 🙂
December 5, 2021 at 6:19 pm
So welcome 🌷🙏👌🌷
December 5, 2021 at 2:10 pm
inspiring read !!
December 5, 2021 at 2:27 pm
Thank you, hope you’ll visit other Unsung heroes too.
December 5, 2021 at 4:58 pm
So moving and inspiring story.
December 5, 2021 at 7:34 pm
I am blessed that you like the story.
Thankyou.
December 5, 2021 at 7:30 pm
This is a deeply moving share.
December 5, 2021 at 7:34 pm
Yes, this story is an inspiration to all of us. Her story ooened the way we look at ourselves.
Thankyou for your comment.
December 5, 2021 at 8:21 pm
Thanks for another inspiring story! I am ashamed of myself sometimes for complaining about something trivial.
December 5, 2021 at 10:25 pm
Thankyou for your appreciation Dennis. We should live the way god created us. Everything will be okay then, if we will satisfied by our innerself.
December 5, 2021 at 10:15 pm
you are SO RIGHT, Beauty lies is in the eye of the beholder
it’s not how or what you look like it’s your character from within
& how you take care of your self.
December 5, 2021 at 10:26 pm
Indeed, its depends on us.
Thankyou for your valuable appreciation.
December 5, 2021 at 10:32 pm
It’s been said it’s what you feel from inside that shows your true self.
December 6, 2021 at 3:53 pm
That is so true. Well said!
December 6, 2021 at 3:28 am
A wonderful inspirational story, Even those of us who age or lose bits by illness or accident should learn by this story, Thank God for life itself and help me to make it better for someone else. Thank you!
December 6, 2021 at 3:56 pm
Learning has no age and Mary has taught us that we should never complain about what we got rather than we can prove ourself what we can do.
Thank you
December 8, 2021 at 4:48 am
A truly inspiring story, Depak! I enjoyed reading it. I am thankful the disease is now curable. Hope all is well with you. <3
December 8, 2021 at 2:46 pm
Thankyou for your kind words Cheryl. And yeah thankfully it is curable now.
Good to see you 😊.
December 8, 2021 at 4:51 am
*Deepak.
December 8, 2021 at 11:27 am
An extremely touching story. This is why no one should ever take pride in their looks/appearance. No one will know what can happen to it a few years hence! Poor woman had to endure ridicule, mockery and died a rather young death. Yet, she became an inspiration and a powerful mother. To me, she is a beautiful lady because her spirit is very womanly and so is what she lived for. An extremely motivating post! 🙏
December 8, 2021 at 11:42 am
Very well said sam, she was an exceptional lady and an example for true feminism. She fought the situations rather than moving away from it. Not only women even everyone should take inspiration from her to be a good human being.
And, thank you for your appreciation ❤
December 9, 2021 at 12:25 am
I saw this somewhere else, and it’s so interesting to me. Human beings, in general, are interesting.
December 9, 2021 at 10:10 am
Exactly, there are lots of people who are true example of a good & exceptional human being and it’s better we should start recognizing them.
December 11, 2021 at 8:20 pm
This is an amazing woman and story. What you guys are doing here is great in multiple ways.
December 11, 2021 at 8:31 pm
Thankyou for appreciating our work. Hope you visit and like stories of our other Unsung Heroes as well.
December 13, 2021 at 11:40 am
What a true beauty.
December 13, 2021 at 9:00 pm
Yes, she was, and the best part was her courage and morale even after such unsual disease.
December 13, 2021 at 6:01 pm
Such an inspiring story turning a tragic event into a blessing.,
Thanks for sharing! 🙏💖
December 13, 2021 at 6:52 pm
Indeed inspiring.
Thank you for your appreciation. It means a lot to me.
December 13, 2021 at 8:40 pm
You’re sooo welcome. I love your stories! 💖
December 13, 2021 at 8:58 pm
Thank you, Cindy 😊
December 13, 2021 at 8:59 pm
It’s a pleasure.. am I behind or caught up?
💖
December 14, 2021 at 9:30 am
I think both 😁
December 14, 2021 at 12:33 pm
Oh, I’ll have to go and so more of your posts.. 💖
December 14, 2021 at 3:05 pm
You’re very Kind, Cindy ❣
December 15, 2021 at 4:27 am
I do my best to be and I appreciate you knowing and seeing that., 💖💖💖
December 15, 2021 at 9:27 am
Of course ❣
Have a good day!
December 15, 2021 at 10:16 am
Thanks so much and you too!
🙏💖
December 15, 2021 at 4:29 pm
❣🙌👍
December 15, 2021 at 9:22 pm
💖
December 19, 2021 at 8:36 pm
This is a beautiful story. It explains the sacrifice of a mother so well!
December 20, 2021 at 8:16 pm
Indeed, she is the inspiration for all women.
December 22, 2021 at 9:53 am
A story both heart wrenching and inspiring. Our society places so much emphasis on external appearance that we have very nearly lost the concept of internal worth.
December 22, 2021 at 8:10 pm
Well said mam, society often judges people by their appearances. Despite looking at internal beauty they emphasize the external appearance.
December 25, 2021 at 5:14 pm
How sad how the world labels us by our physical appearance.
This is truly an inspiring story.
December 25, 2021 at 7:23 pm
Yes, sadly this kind of small-mindedness is still in the world.
Thank you so much for your affection😊
January 7, 2022 at 10:02 am
A very motivating story. Thank you for sharing. Don’t know what else to say. You guys have said all what I wanted to say! Just left me speechless! Thank you. I just felt a surge of energy after reading this and when I read of how people made jokes of her I just felt like crying.