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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52 SUSANNA WESLEY.<br />
Epworth, June 7th, 1705.<br />
" I went to Lincoln on Tuesday night, May 29th,<br />
and the Election began on Wednesday, 30th. A great<br />
part of the night our Isle people kept drumming,<br />
shouting, and firing of pistols and guns under the<br />
window where my wife lay, who had been brought to<br />
bed not three weeks. I had put the child to nurse<br />
over against my own house : the noise kept<br />
his nurse<br />
waking till one or two in the morning. Then they<br />
left off, and the nurse, being heavy to sleep, overlaid<br />
the child. She waked and finding it dead, ran over<br />
with it to my house, almost distracted, and calling my<br />
servants, threw it into their arms. They, as wise as<br />
she, ran up with it to my wife, and before she was well<br />
awake, threw it cold and dead into hers. She composed<br />
herself as well as she could, and that day got<br />
buried.<br />
"<br />
A clergyman met me in the Castle yard, and told<br />
me to withdraw,<br />
for the Isle men intended me a mischief.<br />
Another told me he had heard near twenty of<br />
'<br />
them say,<br />
if they got me in the Castle yard, they<br />
would squeeze my guts out/ My servant had the<br />
same advice. I went by Gainsbro', and God preserved<br />
me.<br />
" When they knew I was got home, they sent the<br />
drums and mobs, with guns, &c. as usual, to compliment<br />
me till<br />
midnight. One of them passing by on<br />
Friday evening, and seeing my children in the yard,<br />
cried out, O ' ye devils ! we will come and turn ye<br />
all<br />
out of doors a-begging shortly.'<br />
God convert them<br />
and forgive them !<br />
"All this, thank God, does not in the least sink<br />
my wife's spirits.<br />
For my own, I feel them disturbed<br />
and disordered ;<br />
but for all that I am going on with<br />
it
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