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.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
LATER MARRIED LIFE. 25<br />
Mrs. Dunton throws a side light on Mrs. <strong>Wesley</strong>'s<br />
own personality.<br />
Mr. <strong>Wesley</strong> had been present at the wedding of the<br />
Duutons, and then presented them with an " Epithalamium<br />
" which was all doves and loves, and Cupids<br />
and Hymens. He evidently had a shrewd suspicion<br />
that the widowed bookseller was not made to live alone,<br />
for in the letter enclosing the epitaph he slily remarks<br />
that he hopes<br />
it<br />
may arrive before another Epithalamium<br />
is wanted. Mr. Dunton did marry again,<br />
within six months, and Mr. <strong>Wesley</strong> dropped his<br />
acquaintance as precipitately as Dr. Primrose might<br />
have done under the same circumstances. He was<br />
never tried in the same way himself, as Mrs. <strong>Wesley</strong><br />
survived him, but, judging from what we know of his<br />
character, it is more than probable that he would not<br />
have lived long without a wife had he had the misfortune<br />
to lose his faithful partner.<br />
Most likely it was when Mrs. <strong>Wesley</strong> was first installed<br />
at Epworth that she faced the problem of<br />
education for her children. Had she not done so,<br />
her daughters would have grown up ignorant, for<br />
funds wherewith to send them to school would never<br />
have been forthcoming. Strenuous efforts would<br />
naturally have been made for the boys; for education,<br />
and that at a public school, was regarded as<br />
& sine qua non by the father, and he would have<br />
moved heaven and earth to procure<br />
it for them. Mrs.<br />
<strong>Wesley</strong> was a quietly practical woman, who, having<br />
much to do, found time to do everything, by dint of<br />
unflagging energy and industry and a methodical<br />
habit of mind. It was, of course, impossible to<br />
teach her eldest boy till he was able to speak, but as<br />
soon as he began to talk she began to instruct him.
Change language