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.
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168 SUSANNA WESLEY.<br />
childbed of her first child. He was so inconsolable at<br />
her loss, that I was afraid he would soon have followed<br />
her; to prevent which I desired his company here at my<br />
house, that he might have some amusement and business<br />
by assisting me in my Cure during my illness.<br />
was then, Sir, 1 just received the favour of yours, and<br />
let him see it for his diversion, more especially because<br />
John Lyndal and he had been fellow parishioners and<br />
schoolfellows at Wroote, and had no little kindness<br />
one for the other. I made no great reflection on the<br />
thing at first ;<br />
but soon after, when I found he had<br />
thought often upon it, was very desirous to go to<br />
Georgia himself, and wrote the enclosed letter to me<br />
on the subject, and I knew not of any person more<br />
proper for such an undertaking, I thought the least I<br />
could do was to send the letter to your Honour, who<br />
would be so very proper a judge of the affair and if<br />
;<br />
you approve, I shall riot be wanting in my addresses<br />
to my Lord Bishop of London, or any other, since I<br />
expect to be in London myself at spring, to forward<br />
the matter as far as it will go.<br />
" As for his character, I shall take it upon myself<br />
that he is a good scholar, a sound Christian, and a<br />
good liver. He has a very happy memory, especially<br />
for languages, and a judgment and intelligence not<br />
inferior. My<br />
eldest son at Tiverton has some knowledge<br />
of him, concerning whom I have writ to him<br />
since your last to me. My two others, his tutor at<br />
Lincoln, and my third of Christ Church, have been<br />
long and intimately acquainted with him and I doubt<br />
;<br />
not but they will give him at least as just a character<br />
as I have done. And here I shall rest the matter till<br />
I have the honour of hearing again from you ;<br />
and<br />
shall either drop it or prosecute it as appears most<br />
It
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