“The frail child in the tattered dress stands next to a large carved wooden chair, her hand resting on the arm for support. A large gash runs from her forehead to her cheek; her arms and legs are evidence of repeated and severe abuse.”1 It’s easy to assume that this came straight from the script of a horror movie, but it was the harsh reality for young Mary Ellen Wilson, a nine year old girl who was so beaten up and malnourished that she only looked about half her age. Although the worst part about it was that her guardian, the person that was expected to provide love and care, was the perpetrator of this little girl’s tortured condition, and law enforcement was only able to help with one hand tied behind its back. Help for children like Mary Ellen was hard to come by because, in the year 1874, parents could raise and discipline their children as they pleased. Parents of the time lived with the mindset that the government had no right to interfere with their parenting, but the Mary Ellen Wilson case opened the eyes of many, including Henry Burgh, who initiated a change and put together a team to end the violence.2
Before 1874, no one had actually ever seen young Mary Ellen. She lived in isolation for at least six out of the nine years of her lifetime. Luckily, her suffering was brought to light when neighbors reported the crying of a child without ever actually seeing the child. Due to the lack of child protection laws, there was not much officials could do about the situation. But once missionary Etta Wheeler caught wind of what was going on, she was determined to rescue Mary Ellen. Etta Wheeler is often overlooked when the Mary Ellen Wilson story is told, but without her kind efforts, Mary Ellen may have never gotten the help she needed.3
Wheeler paid many visits to Mary Ellen’s home, most of which were unsuccessful. and she was only able to catch short glimpses of the battered child. She then requested help from local organizations and charities that were known for providing essentials for children in need, but they did not possess the authority to intervene. Finally, Wheeler turned to someone who was known to take action for causes that he believed in, Henry Burgh.4
Henry Burgh was a rich, well-known diplomat famous for being the founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and for getting overwhelmingly involving in things that he believed in. After working with Wheeler to learn more about Mary Ellen’s situation, he reached out to attorney Elbridge T. Gerry. Gerry was eager to get the ball rolling as well, and within 48 hours, Gerry and Burgh had developed a case and asked Wheeler to testify.5 In attempts to gather more information of his own, Burgh sent investigators to Mary Ellen’s home. After seeing the horrific conditions that Mary Ellen was in, law enforcement soon made the decision to remove the young girl from the dangerous home. Although there were no specific laws concerning child abuse, these circumstances were so special and concerning that an executive decision was made. They took the young, battered girl out of her death trap of a home and comforted her in a blanket. She was so oblivious to the outside world that when a police officer gave her a peppermint stick for comfort, she tried to use it for self defense.6
It was now time for Mary Ellen’s case to go to court, and who better to tell the Mary Ellen story than Mary Ellen herself? She was able to testify for herself in cour,t and gave the real and terribly sad testimony that follows: “My name is Mary Ellen…I have no recollection of ever having been kissed and I have never been kissed by momma. I have never been taken on mommas lap…I never dared speak to anybody, because if I did I would get whipped; I have never had any more clothing than I have on at present…;I have seen stockings and other clothes in our room, but I am not allowed to put them on; whenever momma went out, I was locked up in the bed- room;…I don’t know for what I was whipped; momma never said anything when she whipped me; I do not want to go back to live with momma because she beats me so.”7
After a legal battle, Mary Ellen was permanently removed from her home and given her justice, but this was not enough for Henry Burgh. Burgh was determined to create an organization to protect future children from that kind of abuse. He quickly founded The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC). NYSPCC was the first child protective organization in the entire world. It has since influenced over 300 different organizations and eventually it led to the development of Child Protective Services.8
- Mary Renck Jalongo, “The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson: Tracing the Origins of Child Protection in America,” Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 34, no.1 (August 2006): 1. ↵
- Howard Markel, “Case Shined First Light on Child Abuse,” New York Times, December 14, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/health/15abus.html. ↵
- Gerald Mallon, “From the Editor: The Legend of Mary Ellen Wilson and Etta Wheeler: Child Maltreatment and Protection Today,” Child Welfare vol. 92, no.2 (March 2013): 9. ↵
- John E.B. Myers, “A Short History of Child Protection in America,” Family Law Quarterly, Volume 42, no.3 (Fall 2008): 451. ↵
- Mary Renck Jalongo, “The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson: Tracing the Origins of Child Protection in America,” Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 34, no.1 (August 2006): 2. ↵
- Eric Shelman, The Mary Ellen Wilson Child Abuse Case and the Beginning of Children’s Rights in 19th Century America (Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Company, 2005), 16. ↵
- Mary Renck Jalongo, “The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson: Tracing the Origins of Child Protection in America,” Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 34, no.1 (August 2006): 1. ↵
- John E.B. Myers, “A Short History of Child Protection in America,” Family Law Quarterly, Volume 42, no.3 (Fall 2008): 451-452. ↵
57 comments
Noah Laing
Mary Ellen didn’t only find a way out of her abusive home, but her and story was able to help so many innocent children of the future. It’s terrible to read how abusive and disgusting people can be, especially to children. I was very glad to see the conclusion of this article included her being free of the abuse and using her situation to help others.
Jason Garcia
I know many people that have been removed from their homes and put into better hands because of organizations like this one. Mary Ellen Wilsons story was hard to read and the quotations from the courtroom were heartbreaking. It is fortunate that people then were willing to jump hurdles and save Mary from such horrible conditions. I hope she was able to live a better life afterwards and I am glad to see that a case like this lead to such a great outcome in the end.
Angelica Padilla
All stories that involve the abuse towards children are devastating to read. It is unbelievable to read and know that children are being treated his way behind closed doors, and don’t or are afraid to speak out for help. I’ve never heard about Mary Ellen Wilson or her story. It is shocking that she was in isolation for so long, but she was still able to comprehend what happened to her but didn’t understand why it was happening because she wouldn’t do anything to deserve being abused.
Vanessa Tombo
Prior to reading this article, I was not familiar with the story of how children protection agencies were formed and what triggered such organizations to protect. I have always been sensitive to children’s well being in societies because I believed that they are the most vulnerable. This article was very well structured and easy for the readers to get educated on some of the most important laws that have been passed.
Hanadi Sonouper
This was a devastating story to read, only because I have never heard about this little girl. The fact of child abuse is not innocent matter that should be taken lightly, I am glad to know that because this brave little girl was able to tell her story, a change in the cruelty of children was implemented by the government. Much change has taken place since the 19th century, and as of now the government has enforced countless protection agencies and establishments against child abuse. No individual, and no child should ever be sentenced to this type of cruel treatment, thankfully multiple nations around the world were able to establish domestic abuse shelter for adults and children and foster homes. It was a well written article, and the author did a fantastic job at telling a story.
Luis Morales
I had never heard of the story of Mary Ellen, and yet this article does a fantastic job of telling the story. What makes it so great is that it is hard to read about what happened to Mary Ellen. It was shocking to learn that Mary was kept in isolation for the majority of her life. I thank the lord that we have people like Henry Burgh and Etta Wheeler in the world. Great job.
Kayla Lopez
Before reading this article, I had no idea about Mary Ellen Wilson or her tragic story. It was extremely shocking to know that she was kept in isolation for the majority of her life but despite the somber beginning of this story, the ending really did bring me joy. It was nice to know that after the court date she was removed from her abusive home and was able to put the abuse behind her.
Iris Henderson
When we think about abused children, we often think about the services in place to help their situation. We never really think about the people who fought for children’s safety in the first place. I think this was a great subject to enlighten the media page with. I am also thankful that little Mary Ellen was rescued from her terrible, abusive family.
Auroara-Juhl Nikkels
I never really thought about the fact that Child Protective Service had a starting point. In my mind, it was just sort of always there, taking kids out of abusive homes. This article put some things into perspective for me. Abuse is something that hits me very close to home, and this article really got to me. Reading about a child and hearing her words was really something. I see children and animals in a very similar light, as neither are really able to defend themselves or speak out against the abuse they suffer. I feel like the world still has a lot to learn in the aspects of abuse and we still have a long way to go.
Miranda Alamilla
This article, to say the least, has humbled me and shown me how blessed I truly am. Reading about Mary Ellen’s case hurt my heart immensely. To know that someone would lay their hands on the child whose life they created is gut-wrenching. Mary Ellen’s testimony about never getting any motherly affection and always being locked away tore me apart. No child should ever have to go through what Mary Ellen went through. I was so happy to read that Wheeler and Burgh got as involved as they did and unknowingly made child abuse illegal.