Maria Monk (1816-49) claimed she had escaped from a convent in Montreal. She said a priest had fathered her baby. Aided by Protestant activists, she reached New York not long after her story broke. Although she was at first believed, the conclusion was that she had been involved in an anti-Catholic plot. She disappeared from public view and died in penury.

Between 1830 and 1860, a campaign against convent life formed a significant part of popular culture and politics. In this battle, Maria Monk was exploited and ruined. Her story has gone down in history as a lie.

In the light of revelations about sexual abuse within closed institutions across the globe in recent years, perhaps she deserves a second look...