Susanna Wesley's Epworth Memoirs by Colin Ella - Part 15 Jilted and Forlorn
WHEN Hetty Wesley told her father she wanted to marry a young lawyer from Lincoln, the Rector was enraged and in a blazing row he told his daughter in no uncertain terms that her choice was totally unsuitable and out of the question.
The headstrong redhead took matters into her own hands and eloped to Lincoln with her lover. What exactly happened with Hetty at Lincoln I cannot say but the very next day she returned home, desperately unhappy and dejected. Never before had I seen her in such a state and in her torment and frustration she vowed to marry any man who would take her.
I was utterly shattered beyond belief when my husband made arrangements for Hetty to marry a journeyman plumber and glazier from Louth. He was called William Wright. He had a very rough and coarse nature.
Our stubborn lass did marry her man in October, 1725, in St Nicholas' Church at Haxey, and Samuel did not allow any of us to attend the ceremony.
In her own plucky style Molly remonst-rated with her father in regard to his attitude towards Hetty but to no avail. I have to say that for the most part we were all thoroughly ashamed and we were unable to accept the disgrace and degradation which Hetty's misconduct had brought to the household.
Samuel wanted her out of the parish and was glad to see her go off to Louth to live. In fact Samuel completely disowned Hetty and would never forgive her for the way her conduct had threatened his reputation. He went to his grave without ever forgiving her.
There was a bright interval in all this sordid affair when John was ordained the month before Hetty's marriage, under the ministry of Bishop Potter, and an even prouder time came when our learned lad was made a Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford.
Even though at that time we had only five pounds to keep the family going until after harvest all that mattered to my husband was that our Jacky had been elected to a Fellowship.
When John did come back north to take over the Curacy at Wroot he was a tremendous help to Samuel. He really came in the nick of time for Samuel was in a very poor state of health having suffered a stroke.
Flood water and the damp and dismal mists frequently persisted even in the summer months and Epworth could only be reached by boat. The dampness caused us a good deal of suffering and poor Emilia was struck down with fever and malaria and was forced to go back to her school work at Lincoln to get away from such adverse conditions.
Back there we hoped she would soon regain her health and strength and have no difficulty in getting into the swing of her work at the Boarding School.
John stayed at Wroot for two years but of course his academic genius was better used at Oxford where he now returned and was given the Post of Lecturer in Greek and Moderator of the Classes.
In this position he was well able to give much help to his brother, Charles, who was himself then at Christ Church College.
On a visit to Wroot both John and Charles were of the opinion that their father's treatment of Hetty had been too harsh, especially considering that Hetty had deeply regretted her mistake and wanted her father's forgiveness. Samuel remained completely unmoved and refused to have anything to do with her.
John had some angry exchanges with him over this and Samuel was very angry when John delivered a sermon at St Pancras' Church clearly intended to suggest that Hetty was worthy of her father's understanding and forgiveness. More heated arguments followed but eventually it was John who accepted that his remarks from the pulpit were an error and the two of them had a tearful, but happy reconciliation.
Next week in Part 16 - Charles Rejects a Fortune
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Weather for Epworth
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
