Mary Burns facts for kids

Mary Burns (born September 29, 1821 – died January 7, 1863) was an Irish woman from the working class. She is best known as the partner of Friedrich Engels, a famous thinker and writer.

Burns lived in Salford, England. She met Engels around 1843 when he first visited Manchester. Mary likely showed Engels around the working-class areas of Salford and Manchester. This helped him gather information for his important book, The Condition of the Working Class in England.

Early Life and Family Connections

Mary Burns was the daughter of Michael Burns (or Byrne) and Mary Conroy. Her father worked as a dyer in a cotton mill. The family may have lived near Deansgate in Manchester.

Mary had a younger sister named Lydia (1827–1878), who was known as “Lizzie". She also had a niece named Mary Ellen Burns (born 1859), nicknamed "Pumps".

Her Life with Friedrich Engels

Mary Burns and Friedrich Engels began their relationship in the 1840s. Their partnership lasted until Mary's sudden death in 1863. She was 41 years old.

At that time, marriage was a common custom. However, Mary and Engels chose not to marry. They believed that marriage was a tradition of the wealthier classes. After Mary's death, Engels lived with her sister, Lizzie. He later married Lizzie in 1878, shortly before her own death.

What We Know About Mary Burns

Not many details are known about Mary Burns's life. Most of what we know comes from letters written by others.

Karl Marx, a close friend of Engels, wrote a letter after Mary's death. He described her as "very good natured" and "witty." Marx's daughter, Eleanor Marx, also wrote about Mary. She said Mary was "very pretty, witty and an altogether charming girl." There are no known pictures of Mary Burns.