Table Of Content

W H Library ESLEYAN ERITAGE Biographies T W O M HE OMEN F ETHODISM By Abel Stevens, LL. D. “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” Heb 12:14 Spreading Scriptural Holiness to the World Wesleyan Heritage Publications © 1997, 1998 THE WOMEN OF METHODISM: Its Three Foundresses, Susanna Wesley, The Countess of Huntingdon, and Barbara Heck; With Sketches of Their Female Associates and Successors in the Early History of the Denomination by Abel Stevens, LL.D. A Centenary Offering to the Women of American Methodism, From the American Methodist Ladies' Centenary Association New York: Published by Carlton & Porter, 200 Mulberry Street 1866 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866 by Carlton & Porter, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. [In order to facilitate easier searches with less confusion, I have renumbered the chapters consecutively throughout the book instead of beginning a new series of chapter numbers under each part. -- DVM] THE WOMEN OF METHODISM: by Abel Stevens, LL.D. DEDICATORY PREFACE To Mrs. Bishop Hamline and Miss Francis E. Willard Ladies: In submitting to you the volume which the "American Methodist Ladies' Centenary Association" has, through you, as their president and secretary, requested me to write, an apologetic remark is due to both the public and myself. A good authority has said that "no man can do anything thoroughly in literature or art unless he rides it as a hobby." Hobbyism in literature is, however, particularly obnoxious to criticism, to popular criticism at least, especially if it inflicts on the public a multiplication of books of substantially the same subject. If I incur this risk I cannot blame myself. In my historic writings on Methodism I have contemplated but two tasks; having concluded the first of these attempts, and issued two volumes of the second, I had hoped to complete the latter before the present date, and then turn to quite other labors. But the command of the Centenary Committee, to prepare its "Centenary Book," could not be disobeyed. This centenary volume had hardly been published before your command also reached me, and here is my response. So important is this centenary occasion of Methodism, so capable and promising of transcendent results, not only to the Church, but to the religious welfare of the country general, that I have felt compelled by my conscience to respond to your call. The preparation of this small volume has deeply interested me. My previous historical studies of early Methodism have convinced me that no other modern, perhaps no ancient, section of the Church possessed richer materials for the illustration of female piety and agency in religion than Methodism. My recent revision of these materials convinces me, as I have remarked somewhere in the following pages, that there could hardly be a better revelation of the primitive and interior life of the denomination than would be a thorough account of its early "devout women," especially the female correspondents and associates of Wesley; but such a work would require elaborate research in the contemporary Methodist literature, and especially a minute study of Wesley's letters, and of the frequent but obscure allusions of his Journals, and their collation with our old and numerous biographical works. The limits imposed necessarily on the present volume by its immediate purpose have forbid any such comprehensive attempt; I have endeavored, nevertheless, to so plan the book, and condense and group its materials, as to serve in part this object, and to prepare a record of our "elect ladies," which, after the centenary is passed, may abide a permanent part of our Church literature, till at least a better hand shall give us such a volume as here indicated. As in the preface to my "Centenary Book," I may express the hope that you and other readers, who may have followed me over some of the same ground in my larger works will not find these sketches uninteresting, though they must be, in part substantially, a reproduction of data already given, and sometimes with but little variation of style. In my larger books they occur in detached fragments; here they are given in more biographic unity and detail. Of many of the present characters I have, however, heretofore had no occasion to treat; of the familiar ones I have endeavored, with some success, to procure new materials. Several of the sketches include facts never before published in this country; and some of them, like Grace Murray, the dearest of all her sex to the pure and great heart of John Wesley, are not without romantic interest. I have succeeded also in obtaining some new data respecting Barbara Heck; and though our information concerning that memorable woman must forever remain irreparably deficient, I have been able to trace her dimly to her peaceful end. It is my fervent prayer that this small tribute to the great designs which you and the women of American Methodism generally are so magnificently planning may have some humble share in promoting your success. Abel Stevens Mamaroneck Parsonage, January, 1866 THE WOMEN OF METHODISM: by Abel Stevens, LL.D. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Women in Church History Their Peculiar Activity in Methodism Wesley and Women He organizes their Activity in Religion PART I SUSANNA WESLEY AND WESLEYAN METHODISM Chapter 1 SUSANNA WESLEY Religious Condition of England in the Eighteenth Century Epworth Rectory Early Life and Character of Mrs. Wesley Her Beauty Her Husband, Samuel Wesley Life in the Rectory Its Children Its singular Domestic System Adam Clarke's Opinion of the Family Domestic Trials The Rectory the Cradle of Methodism Mrs. Wesley's Influence on her Son and Methodism Important Examples Her Death Results of her Agency in the Religions World Present Extent of Methodism Chapter 2 MARY FLETCHER AND HER COMPANIONS Her Relation to Wesley Her Character Her Early Life Her Schools and Usefulness Margaret Lewen Mrs. Fletcher's Public Labors Her Marriage to Fletcher Her Life At Madeley Her Happy old Age Her Death Madeley Mementos Her Companions Sarah Ryan Wesley's Letters to her Sketch of her Life Her Death Sarah Crosby Wesley Corresponds with her Sketch of her life Her Death Sarah Lawrence her Devotion and Usefulness Women and Methodism Chapter 3 FURTHER NOTICES OF WESLEYAN WOMEN Lady Fitzgerald Her Sufferings Her Good Works Her Death by Fire Hester Ann Rogers Sketch of her Life Interview with Fletcher She witnesses Wesley's Death Her own Death Elizabeth Ritchie (Mrs. Mortimer) Her Relations with Wesley Mysticism She resides with Wesley Her Usefulness Her Death Lady Maxwell Her Co-operation with Wesley Her Death Grace Murray Her Character Sketch of her Life Wesley in Love with her Her Account of herself Wesley's Disappointment His Interview with her in Old Age His Unfortunate Marriage with Mrs. Vizelle Dinah Evans The Heroine of a Novel Sketch of her Life The Dairyman's Daughter Sketch of Elizabeth Wallbridge PART II SELINA, COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON, AND CALVINISTIC METHODISM Chapter 4 THE COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON Unity of Calvinistic and Arminian Methodism Sketch of the Life or Lady Huntingdon Her Relations with Wesley Whitefield and his Noble Hearers Her Female Companions Her Travels and Usefulness Her Control of Calvinistic Methodism Lord Dartmouth Remarkable Scenes Trevecca College Interesting Scenes there Lady Huntingdon's Connection Consequences of Whitefield's Death The Countess's Plans for America Missionary Scenes Her Death Her Charities Her Character Results of Calvinistic Methodism PART III BARBARA HECK AND AMERICAN METHODISM Chapter 5 BARBARA HECK Her Position in American Ecclesiastical History Story of the "Palatines" Barbara Heck's Early Life Voyage to America Philip Embury Falling Away of the Palatines Their Restoration Names of the First Congregation Captain Webb The Old Rigging Loft First Chapel and Parsonage Wesley's Missionaries The Palatines retire to Northern New York Death of Embury The Emburys and Hecks go to Lower Canada To Upper Canada They Found Methodism at Augusta William Losee The First Itinerant in Canada Death of Paul Heck Death of Barbara Heck Descendants of the Emburys and Hecks The "Old Blue Church" Graveyard The Heck Homesteads Extraordinary Results Chapter 6 ASBURY AND HIS FEMALE FRIENDS Asbury and Celibacy Marriage and Location of Preachers Asbury's Character His Influence over the Higher Classes Mary Wilmer Mary Wallace Mrs. Baker Mary White Sketch of Judge White's Family Mrs. Senator Bassett Services of her Family to Methodism Bohemia Manor Mary Ennalls Methodism in Dorchester County, Maryland Garrettson Imprisoned Prudence Gough Life at Perry Hall Sophie Gough Asbury's Female Friends in Baltimore Mrs. Moore Mrs. Owings Mrs. Triplett Rachel Hulings Mrs. Chamier Martha F. Allison Eleanor Dorsey Asbury among the Holston Mountains First Conference beyond the Alleghenies Mrs. General Russell