Mary Jane Merrick

'Mary Jane Merricks' date of birth has been given erroneously as 19 May 1837, but new records show she was born on 20 November, 1836 and died 19 May, 1873). She was the mother of a well known 19th century historical figure called Joseph Carey Merrick, better known as The Elephant Man.

There are not many known facts about Mary Jane Merrick. She was born Mary Jane Potterton in Evington. According to family accounts, she was "crippled". This did not prevent her marriage to Joseph Rockley Merrick on 29 December, 1861.

Their eldest son Joseph was born on 5 August, 1862 in Leicester. A second son, John Thomas, was born on 21 April, 1864 but only lived three months, dying on 24 July, 1864. Their youngest son William Arthur Merrick was born on 8 January, 1866, followed by their daughter Marion Eliza Merrick on 28 September, 1867. William contracted scarlet fever and died on 21 December, 1870. Marion Eliza had been disabled since birth but would survive until 19 March, 1891, dying from a myelitic seizure.

Mary Jane was a devote Baptist and admirer of William Carey, the great Baptist missionary. She gave her son Joseph the middle name of Carey in his honor. Mary Jane herself taught Sunday School She also helped run her husband's haberdashery, on top of managing a household of three children. After her son William died, Mary Jane never quite recovered her health. She herself died from bronchial pneumonia on 19 May, 1873. Her husband was re-married to Emma Wood Antill on 3 December, 1874. Emma soon convinced her new husband to send the deformed Joseph away.

The Elephant Man, a film first released on 3 October, 1980 , features her son "John" speaking high of her. "She has a face of an angel" by his words. John is depicted looking at a small picture of his mother very often in the film.

Persondata
Name	Merrick, Mary Jane
Alternative names	Mary Jane Potterton
Short description	mother of Joseph Carey Merrick
Date of birth	1836
Place of birth
Date of death	1873
Place of death	Leicester