She was fortunate enough to attain a position as kitchen maid with Susanna Jennens ("Parthenissa" in Leapor's poetry), who apparently encouraged her writing and allowed her the use of her library.

According to this piece, Leapor's "fondness for writing verses there displayed itself by her sometimes taking up her pen while the jack was standing still, and the meat scorching … He represented her as having been extremely swarthy, and quite emaciated, with a long crane-neck, and a short body, much resembling, in shape, a bass-viol.

"[1] She returned home to Brackley to care for her widowed father in 1744 or 1745, and despite many responsibilities and not being in the best of health herself, she continued to write, so that her work circulated in the town.

"[4] John Duncombe praised her in The Feminead (1754), and Bonnell Thornton and George Colman included her in their Poems by Eminent Ladies (1755).

After the "centuries of neglect" recognised by Prof. John Clarke ("Yesterday's Brackley", Barracuda Books, 1990) in a chapter about Mary, a window, inspired by her work and based on a design by a local resident Carolyn Hunter, was created by stained-glass artist Rachael Aldridge and installed on the first floor of the newly refurbished Brackley Town Hall in 2018.

In 2019 Carolyn commissioned the stone carver, Bernard Johnson ( http://www.bernardjohnson.co.uk ), to create a permanent memorial to Mary in Welsh (Aberllefenni) slate, which is now placed in the Lady Chapel of St Peter's Church.

The text of the memorial includes a Latin aphorism ‘(Poeta Nascitur Non Fit, i. e. "A Poet is born not made") and a quotation from Mary's poem, "Mira's Will" , in which she foresaw her early death ("My departed Shade I trust to Heaven").

At times Leapor's writing reflects her own pessimistic views on life as a woman who was described as being witty, poor, infirm and unattractive.

A great deal of money would have been needed to achieve perfection in beauty, which required creating an artificial appearance: "hardware" was fastened about the bodies of women to straighten posture, stays squeezed their waists, and faces were "caked and heavily coloured" with cosmetics.

Say, what art thou, that wear'st a gloomy Form, With low'ring Forehead, like a norther Storm; Cheeks pale and hollow, as the Face of Woe,

And Lips that with no gay Vermilion glow?Through the poem Leapor advises and warns women that beauty does not last and to improve themselves intrinsically.

This "self-portrait" attempts to break in some contemporary standards of beauty, by picking apart her bodily flaws openly, posing a challenge to a sub-culture which expected women to tuck away their defects: Corydon.But she has teeth -- Phillario.

And seem prepar'd to quit her swelling Gums.Leapor also turned her attention to the marriage market: (From Strephon to Celia) Now, madam, as the chat goes round, I hear you have ten thousand pound: But that as I a trifle hold, Give me your person, dem your gold; Yet for your own sake 'tis secured, I hope – your houses too insured Celia has admitted her love and admiration for Strephon and this is his businesslike reply.

Leapor ironically exposes the reality of the marriage market and how women are reduced to their financial worth, despite the veneer of sentiment.