Susanna Wesley
This is the story of Susanna Wesley, 1669-1742 Mother of Charles and John Wesley, who were founders of the Methodist Church. Susanna and her husband, Samuel, had nineteen children, ten of whom survived to adulthood. Her son Charles became a well-known hymn writer and her son John became the found of Methodism.
Susanna was brought up in a Puritan home as the youngest of twenty-five children. As a teenager, she became a member of the Church of England. She became the wife of a chronically debt-ridden parish rector in an English village. She said, "I have had a large experience of what the world calls adverse fortune." Nonetheless, Susanna managed to pass down to her children Christian principles that stayed with them.
This is the story of Susanna Wesley, 1669-1742 Mother of Charles and John Wesley, who were founders of the Methodist Church. Susanna and her husband, Samuel, had nineteen children, ten of whom survived to adulthood. Her son Charles became a well-known hymn writer and her son John became the found of Methodism.
Susanna was brought up in a Puritan home as the youngest of twenty-five children. As a teenager, she became a member of the Church of England. She became the wife of a chronically debt-ridden parish rector in an English village. She said, "I have had a large experience of what the world calls adverse fortune." Nonetheless, Susanna managed to pass down to her children Christian principles that stayed with them.
160 SUSANNA WESLEY. afterwards he was very free, and expressed great kindness to them all. " He was strangely scandalised at the poverty of our furniture, and much more at the meanness of the children's habits. He always talked more freely with your sisters of our circumstances than to me, and told them he wondered what his brother had done with his income, for 'twas visible he had not spent it in furnishing his house or clothing his family. " We had a little talk together sometimes, but it was not often we could hold a private conference ; and he was very shy of speaking anything relating to the children before your father, or indeed of any other matter. I informed him, as far as I handsomely could, of our losses, &c., for I was afraid that he should think that I was about to beg of him ; but the girls (with whom he had many private discourses), I believe, told! him everything they could think " on. He was particularly pleased with Patty [who was then twenty-five years old] ; and, one morning, before Mr. Wesley came down, he asked me if I was willing to let Patty go and stay a year or two with him in ' London. Sister,' says he, I have endeavoured already to make one of your children easy while she lives ; and if you choose to trust Patty with me, I will endeavour to make her so too/ Whatever others may think, I thought this a generous offer ; and the more so, because he had done so much for Sukey and Hetty. I expressed my gratitude as well as I could, and would have had him speak to your father, but he would not himself he left that to me ; nor did he ever mention it to Mr. Wesley till the evening before he left us. He always behaved himself very decently at family prayers, and, in your father's absence, said grace for us
PARTINGS. 161 before and after meat. Nor did he ever interrupt our privacy, but went into his own chamber when we went into " ours. He stayed from Thursday to the Wednesday after ; then he left us to go to Scarborough, whence he returned the Saturday se'nnight after, intending to stay with us a few days ; but, finding your sisters gone the day before to Lincoln, he would leave us on Sunday morning, for, he said, he might see the girls before they set forward for London. He overtook them at Lincoln, and had Mrs. Taylor, Emilia, and Kezzy, with the rest, to supper with him at the < Angel.' On Monday they breakfasted with him ; then they parted, expecting to see him no more till they came to London ; but on Wednesday he sent his man to invite them to supper at night. On Thursday he invited them to dinner, at night to supper, and on Friday morning to breakfast, when he took his leave of them and rode for London. They got into town on Saturday about noon, and that evening Patty writ me an account of the journey. " Dear Jacky, I can't stay now to talk about Hetty and Patty, but this I hope better of both than some others do. I pray God to bless you. Adieu ! " SUSANNA WESLEY." The poor Rector, after his brother's return to London, received a stern letter from him on the sin of not having better provided for his family. It does not appear, however, that he was addicted to any worse personal extravagance than his pipe and a little snuff; but on the one hand he had no aptitude for business, and on 11
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PARTINGS. 161<br />
before and after meat. Nor did he ever interrupt our<br />
privacy, but went into his own chamber when we went<br />
into " ours.<br />
He stayed from Thursday to the Wednesday after ;<br />
then he left us to go to Scarborough, whence he<br />
returned the Saturday se'nnight after, intending to<br />
stay with us a few days ; but, finding your sisters gone<br />
the day before to Lincoln, he would leave us on Sunday<br />
morning, for, he said, he might see the girls before<br />
they set forward for London. He overtook them at<br />
Lincoln, and had Mrs. Taylor, Emilia, and Kezzy, with<br />
the rest, to supper with him at the < Angel.' On<br />
Monday they breakfasted with him ;<br />
then they parted,<br />
expecting to see him no more till they came to London ;<br />
but on Wednesday he sent his man to invite them to<br />
supper at night. On Thursday he invited them to<br />
dinner, at night to supper, and on Friday morning<br />
to breakfast, when he took his leave of them and<br />
rode for London. They got into town on Saturday<br />
about noon, and that evening Patty writ me an account<br />
of the journey.<br />
" Dear Jacky, I can't stay now to talk about Hetty<br />
and Patty, but this I hope better of both than some<br />
others do. I pray God to bless you. Adieu !<br />
" SUSANNA WESLEY."<br />
The poor Rector, after his brother's return to London,<br />
received a stern letter from him on the sin of not having<br />
better provided for his family. It does not appear,<br />
however, that he was addicted to any worse personal<br />
extravagance than his pipe and a little snuff; but on<br />
the one hand he had no aptitude for business, and on<br />
11
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