Mary Ellen Wilson (March 1864 – October 30, 1956), also called Mary Ellen McCormack, was an American victim of child abuse whose case led to the creation of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the first child protection agency in the world.

[6] Following Thomas's death during the American Civil War, Frances had to take a job, and was no longer able to stay at home to raise her infant daughter.

When Frances Wilson's financial situation worsened, she began to miss her visitation dates with her daughter and was no longer able to make child care payments to Score.

Thomas McCormack signed an "indenture" agreement upon retrieving Mary Ellen from the Department of Charities' care.

The McCormacks were required to report the child's condition annually to the department, but this only occurred once or twice during Mary Ellen's stay.

Her foster mother forced her to do heavy labor, repeatedly beat, burned, and cut the child[8] and locked her in a closet.

[9] When the Connollys moved to a new address, one of the concerned neighbors from their 41st Street apartment asked Etta Angell Wheeler, a Methodist missionary who worked in the area, to check in on the child.

After finding the local authorities reluctant to act upon the child cruelty laws currently in place, Wheeler turned to a local advocate for the animal humane movement and the founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Henry Bergh.

[2] Elbridge Thomas Gerry of American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took her case to the New York State Supreme Court in 1874.

[1][11] The deliberate cruelties and deprivations inflicted on Mary Ellen Wilson by her adopted parents included the following: On April 9, 1874, the child testified in court regarding the abuse she had suffered:[11] My father and mother are both dead.