Mary An Unusual Vagrant is the account of a possible life of a vagrant. Author Robert Bennie reminds her wandering around his workplace. When she died alone, Bennie felt terribly sorry for her and, moved by such a feeling and by the concept that "behind every person there is a story to tell", he decided to put together the small bits of life that he knew about that silent, lonely and grumpy woman and create a plausible story of her life. He makes up her origins, her true name, Margery Hopkins (nee Mummery), her survival of the war, medical training and the spiralling turn of events that lead her to homelessness and begging. After humble beginnings in the village of Hemelsham, Margery follows her dream of becoming a nurse and despite the harsh realities of World War II, she succeeds in gaining a place at Charing Cross Hospital in London.

Margery sees her share of the stark realities of warfare, by treating the wounded men brought back from the front. These become even more real when she falls in love with Kevin, an Australian wireless operator for crew no.196 Squadron, who was decorated for bravery and later became a Flight Sergeant. Her happy marriage is cut short when Kevin is delayed in returning from operations and is later presumed dead.

Margery must work hard to gain recognition as a qualified staff nurse after the war, but this miraculous occurrence is short lived when she is raped by a doctor and is forced to leave nursing when his money and influence cloud the medical board’s judgement.

Bennie made up a story of life creating a very plausible character and existence as it could have been, yet it is not given to know how was the true life of that woman called Mary wandering for the streets of central London and who died alone on the step of a building.