She was considered the ugliest woman in the world. People mocked her for money

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Mary Ann Webster was born in London in 1874. Her parents were lawyers. She had seven siblings. At the age of twenty, she began working as. She was a very attractive woman and nothing indicated that her life would change dramatically due to the disease. Meanwhile, she met Thomas Bevan, who was a flower seller. The couple got married when Mary was 29 years old.

The disease that changed Mary’s life

Three years after the wedding acromegaly, that is, the disease the woman suffered from, made itself felt. It is called “the disease of giants”. The 32-year-old began to notice changes in her appearance, such as facial features and the shape of her nose. There was also an enlargement of the mandible, and a swelling appeared under the eyes, which was with her for the rest of her life. A characteristic symptom of acromegaly is also the excessive secretion of growth hormone. Mary no longer looked like her former self, which resulted in her losing her job. Her appearance began to arouse curiosity and became the subject of jokes.

Mary’s husband died suddenly after 11 years of marriage. Thus, the woman was left destitute. Knowing that she had to hold on, she had to make one of the toughest decisions.

Competition for the “ugliest woman in the world”

At that time, the so-called contests for the “ugliest woman in the world”. Mary Ann Bevan won, thereby obtaining this infamous title, as well as 50 pounds. Thanks to this, many people noticed her. Her appearance aroused so much interest that she was offered a job in the then very popular British. Mary was so desperate that she began performing in the circus, thereby accepting the humiliation and mockery of the audience.

Interest in a woman continued to grow. In the meantime, there were more proposals and so Mary Ann Webster appeared in the American “freak show”. The whole world wrote about her. In turn, participation in “freak shows” was a chance for a woman to ensure a decent life for her family. Outside New York, you could see her, among others at one of the Paris exhibitions.

The woman earned money by letting herself be mocked at her and her handicaps. She died at the age of 59. The last will of the woman was to bring her body back to England after her death. So did her children.