Letter

From Henry Lewis in Newton to [Mary] Tooth. He is sorry to have to tell Tooth that deaths are still occurring in Alscott – old William Jenkins died on Monday morning and the fever still rages among the young women although Miss Jenkins and Master Robert [Jenkins] are much better and Mrs Jenkins remains well. [See note below]

Lewis has to praise God for the removal of the meeting to Wyken [House] as he has enjoyed two blessed ‘seasons’ there and he trusts that more good work will be done with regard to the precious souls there as he has heard from one or two people that they have been much blessed lately. They have prayer meetings on Thursday evenings at Wyken. If health and the weather permit, the journey of Tooth with ‘our venerable friend’ Mr W. to Wyken next Sunday will be a blessing, especially as there are two respectable women ready to give their hearts to God and their hands to his people ‘and you know we are all [unreadable word] in the way and can not encurage like you and our dear and ever to be lemented sister S. J. [Sarah Jenkins]…’

Notes

• This is a reference to the family of the noted female Methodist Sarah Jenkins (1808-27). Sarah was born of Anglican parentage at Allscott, in the parish of Worfield, Shropshire. She began to experience religious stirrings at the age of fifteen during a visit to a cousin in Staffordshire. Shortly after her return, she was introduced to a circle of notable Methodist women at the centre of which was Mary Tooth of Madeley, the one-time companion of the evangelist Mary Fletcher. Her family was against her Methodist leanings, although this worked to her advantage, as Sarah’s father chose to allow the preachers to have their meetings in one of his properties, rather than allow his daughter to stray elsewhere. This provided the opportunity for the first Methodist sermon to be preached in her village. Sarah, despite her age, was at the forefront of the work, distributing tracts and visiting the poor. She was also quickly appointed class leader. In 1825, she visited London for a stay of several months and worshipped at Hinde Street Chapel where she was introduced to surviving members of the Wesley family. Upon her return to Shropshire, Sarah continued her work at Allscott. In December 1826, her father died and a few weeks later her brother Charles fell ill and also passed away. Sarah was occupied in supporting her mother and her own health began to suffer. She died on January 27th 1827 at the age of eighteen. Her brother John died two months later and her sister Jane and brother William also fell ill and did not long survive the other members of her family. Of the Jenkins children who died during this three month period, all except John were teenagers or younger. The secondary sources do not reveal the cause of death, although their deaths are attributed in a contemporary letter to an epidemic of fever. Source: Memoirs of Sarah Jenkins by Mary Tooth (London, Methodist Book Room, 1829).

Notes

• This is a reference to the family of the noted female Methodist Sarah Jenkins (1808-27). Sarah was born of Anglican parentage at Allscott, in the parish of Worfield, Shropshire. She began to experience religious stirrings at the age of fifteen during a visit to a cousin in Staffordshire. Shortly after her return, she was introduced to a circle of notable Methodist women at the centre of which was Mary Tooth of Madeley, the one-time companion of the evangelist Mary Fletcher. Her family was against her Methodist leanings, although this worked to her advantage, as Sarah’s father chose to allow the preachers to have their meetings in one of his properties, rather than allow his daughter to stray elsewhere. This provided the opportunity for the first Methodist sermon to be preached in her village. Sarah, despite her age, was at the forefront of the work, distributing tracts and visiting the poor. She was also quickly appointed class leader. In 1825, she visited London for a stay of several months and worshipped at Hinde Street Chapel where she was introduced to surviving members of the Wesley family. Upon her return to Shropshire, Sarah continued her work at Allscott. In December 1826, her father died and a few weeks later her brother Charles fell ill and also passed away. Sarah was occupied in supporting her mother and her own health began to suffer. She died on January 27th 1827 at the age of eighteen. Her brother John died two months later and her sister Jane and brother William also fell ill and did not long survive the other members of her family. Of the Jenkins children who died during this three month period, all except John were teenagers or younger. The secondary sources do not reveal the cause of death, although their deaths are attributed in a contemporary letter to an epidemic of fever. Source: Memoirs of Sarah Jenkins by Mary Tooth (London, Methodist Book Room, 1829).