Mary has been carrying out research into poverty in Sussex for several years. She completed a PhD on The impact of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act in Eastern Sussex in 2022 and has published an article on aspects of her research in Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol.155. She has also contributed a chapter to a book on Workhouse Officials and Visitors to be published in spring 2025. Her research interests include poverty in Tudor and Stuart England and she is currently involved in a project on the work of female guardians.