Susanna Wesley's Epworth Memoirs by Colin Ella Part 17 Samuel Has An Accident
I WAS delighted to hear about the Holy Fellowship which Charles had started at Oxford and which John later joined. It was a joy to read about their meetings for prayer and study but in this dissolute age it did not surprise me that their enterprise attracted some obnoxious epithets.
Some of them were terribly unkind but there could be no shame in being labled sacramentarians or members of the Holy Club and still less Methodists. They were indeed methodical in making true religion their business. And then this club was practical too as its members visited prisoners in Oxford Gaol and also helped and comforted sick and needy townsfolk.
Matthew, my brother-in-law, gave William and Hetty five hundred pounds to help them set up a plumbing and glazing business in London. They had been in lodgings but this money enabled them to buy some premises in Frith Street, Soho. Poor Hetty had such hard time of it and by this time she had seen her three babes all buried in infancy. Unless William could give up his craving for liquor I saw little hope of any settled relationship for them. I had a great longing to visit my unfortunate daughter but at the same time I felt I had to be faithful to my husband's command and not be seen to have anything to do with Hetty.
Samuel's brother Matthew stayed with us at Epworth for nearly a week, having put in on his way to holiday in Scarborough. I was ever grateful for his generosity towards my girls and in particular for the way he helped and comforted Sukey and Hetty when they had lived with him in Johnson's Court. But when Matthew saw how we lived at Epworth he was appalled at the poverty of furniture and even more shocked by the threadbare nature of our attire. He immediately offered to let Martha spend some time with him and this was very clearly an attempt to to make her life easier and more fulfilling.
When Matthew got back to his home a very stern letter to my husband was not long in coming. It really slated Samuel for not having better provided for all of us. There was undoubtedly some grounds for Matthew's complaints but it simply saw my fellow completely unmoved. He pointed out that his brother's one and only son had turned out badly and that he had little idea of the cost of feeding and clothing a lot of grown up children. I had to agree with him in the main and he did not really deserve the harsh condemnation Matthew had given him but I did just gently remind him of his extravagance with his tobacco.
Friday, the 4th of June, 1731, turned out a black day for us. Samuel had been in poor health for a long time and mostly looked more dead than alive. We had occasion to pay a visit to some land which we rented off Mrs Knight at Low Melwood. Samuel and I, along with Martha and Betty, set off in the waggon along the undulating track. My husband was seated in a low chair in the bottom of the waggon.
To this day I do not know what suddenly caused the horses to bolt, but bolt they did, and worse still, we were already rolling down a hill.
The inner wheel struck some solid object and Samuel was catapulted from the waggon. At length our driver managed to pull up the frightened steeds and we rushed back up the hill to find my dear man laid motionless on the ground and receiving attention from neighbours.
Samuel's face was battered and black but even as we gazed at him in horror his senses were returning. Now his eyes stared out wildly and as I cradled his head in my hands I did not know whether or not he recognised me. When I told him of his fall I have to say that his answer was not unexpected. He said he knew nothing of any fall and was as well as he had ever been in his life! We bound up his head and helped him back into the waggon. Back at the Rectory Mr Harper later bled him but he passed a troubled night. There was no doubt he was very badly shaken up by the accident and in very truth it was something from which he never thoroughly recovered.
Next week in Part 18 - Molly Gets Married
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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