Born: 1804
Learn more about the life of Ann Marychurch
A. E. Marychurch
After a careful search through my dear
Sisters papers I regret to say, that we
have been unable to find any distinct
memory of her past life, there are various
short diaries written even in a very early
period of her life containing statements
of deep religious feeling, and even spirit
ual experience, but she seems to have
shrunk from the last of compiling
any thing like a regular memoir.
What she declined to do for herself from
a feeling a rising probably from her ex
treme humility her brother and her
friends have endeavoured in some de
gree to supply. Her life was not crowd
ed with exciting events, yet it was
one of unusual usefulness, and her
energies became more active as her
bodily strength declined; her light shone
more & more until she reached the
perfect day. Ann Elizabeth Marychurch
was bornSeptr 24th 1804 & was baptized
in the Brethrens Church in Bristol
Thus her earthly course began in that
Church which she loved through
life more than any other portion
of Gods heritage, she enbibid its spirit
in early childhood and cherished it
to the last. Her parents were esteemed
members of the Congregation & her
Father was for many years, most
faithfully zealous and active in pro
moting its interests. On the mater
nal side, her Grandmother was one
of the first members when the Congre
gation was settled in 1755. She was
brought up by a very affectionate and
tender mother who trained her early
in the ways of Gods people. In due
time she was sent to school, but her
School days were not happy, she
suffered much from those peculiar
school troubles which are often very
keenly felt by young sensitive child
ren, – speaking of her school days
she once said I was a poor little timid
thing and the unkind ridicule
of some of the older girls made me
very unhappy, and pressed down my
spirits, so that my childhood was not
so happy as it might have been.
Her mother being an invalid, she became
very early useful in the family and
the active habits which were thus
formed continued through life.
In 1821she was confirmed by the Revd
Dr. Okely the minister of the Congrega
tion and in 1822she became a received
member. A dangerous illness had excit
edSolemn thought & made her feel it
right to take these important steps
but had not at that time received any
deep religious impressions, she had not
as yet felt the burden of sin, nor the
inescpressible love of Jesus. She was in-
deed faithful in prayer and had ear
nestdesires that every thought should
be brought into captivity to Christ. She
often retired for prayer, and she wrote
out a solemndedication of herself to
her Saviour, but her heart was not yet
decided and she could not yet say
Lord I will follow thee whither so ever
thou goeth. But the Holy Spirit led her
into clearer views of her own ruined state
by nature, her sinfulness & depravity in
the sight of God, and often it later years
did she bemoan herself almost in the
language of St. Paul, “O wretched man
that I am who shall deliver me from
the body of this death.” This deep convic
tion of the corruption of her heart com
bined at times with what she deplored
as a natural tendency to sceptism
frequently robbed her soul of the peace
to be found in simply looking to the
blood & righteousness of Christ as the
sinners only hope. It was once of her
greatest sources of disquietude amount
ing at times to distracting torment,
that Satan was permitted to infuse
doubts into her mind of those great
and sacred truths which she cherished
most dearly.
Possibly her active intellect aided the
temptation. But he who permitted it
made a way to escape. Her harrased
mind sought comfort in the word
of God & in prayer; and through the
Holy Spirits help she became established
strengthened & settled in the faith. Still
through life she at times complained
of her hardness of heart & slowness to
believe was “her thorn in the flesh” often
producing poignantdistress, but like
St Paul she heard the voice of comfort
saying, “My Grace is sufficient for thee”
There were however times especially at
the Holy Comnmunion when she realized
the saving love of her Lord, & when her
heart was filled with rapture & joy
Thus as life progressed she obtained
deeper spiritual experience — her faith
was not a dead faith, but brought
forth good fruit. It led her to work
to work heartily in the Lords service.
Her natural energy of character would
not allow her to rest in inactivity
She felt religion to be a vital matter
and she became anxious to communicate
it. In her early with she was a zealous
Sunday School teacher, & even in later
years, when her infermities would have
proved a sufficient excuse for refusing
she undertook the Bible Class, when a
difficulty of supply was experienced. She
became also a faithful and valueddis
trict visitor, first in the Parish of St James
under the guidance of the Revd T T Beddulph
and afterward in the Parish of St Michael
Failing health alone compelled her to
relinquish these duties, which she had
performed during many years with
conscientious regularlity. She took deep
interest also in the work of the Bible Society
and faithfully filled the office of Association
Secretary to the end of her life. In conjunc
tion with the general work of the Bible
Society, she watched with especial interest
the origin and growth of the branch
connected with the Brethrens Congrega
tion in Bristol of which her revered
Father had been treasurer. These were
labours of love invigorating her spiritual
life, and with drawing her mind from
dwelling too much upon her peculiar
tendency to despondency to which her
nervous constitution made her constantly
liable. But it was especially to the
advancement of the Brethrens Mission
in connection with this Congregation
that she devoted her strength both of body
& mind. Her persevering self denying
labours in behalf of this great work
will not easily be forgotten. For upwards
of 30 years dating from the early part
of Br Ramftler‘s ministry in this
place, she held the office of Secretary
of the Ladies Association, an office which
she filled with increasing delight
& increasing efficiency. In the last
year of her life she would gladly have
resigned it into younger & stronger
hands, but her services were too valuable
to be lost and she was though with
difficulty, persuaded to continue them
And never did her energies flag
never with drooping health did she
omit any effort to increase the efficiency
of the branch under her charge to add
to the comforts of the Missionaries or to
extend the sphere of their labours.
Her knowledge of the special circum
stances of various Mission Stations
especially those of the West Indies
and the peculiar difficulties which
Missionaries have to encounter, was
enlarged by an extensive correspondence
which she held with those devoted
servants of God; and this intimate
knowledge of their state she turned
to good account by enlisting for them
the sympathise of children of God in
the various Christian denominations
around her. She has ceased from her
blessed labours but her works follow
her and in many a distant land
the announcement of her death will
be received with heartfeltsorrow.
May the Lord of the Vineyard raise
up from this Congregation, a suitable
and devoted successor. These were evi
dences external to herself that she was
in possession of true saving Faith
which in seasons of temptation she
sometimes doubted. She loved the Lords
people of every name and she had a
heart ever ready to sympathise in their joys & sorrows
To her own Church, she was warmlyat
tached. Few have possessed the true
Brethrens spirit in a larger degree
She loved the pious practices & habits of
her Forefathers, she opposed innovation,
she sorrowed much over what seemed
to her a declension from the good old ways
which so beautifully distinguish her Church
from other less favoured Christian bodies
Several papers were found in her desk
in which she had expressed her feelings
on these subjects
Nevertheless she ferventlyloved the people
of God amongst whom her lot was cast,
They were the people of her choice &
her Church was to her as her earthly
home. It was the strength of her love
& attachment to the Brethrens Church,
which made her peculiarly sensitive
as to any change in its rites & customs
In 1852 her venerable & beloved Father was
removed from her by sudden death.
The shock which her nervous system re
ceived by this event, she never fully re
covered, the great enemy of Souls took
advantage of her weak state to strengthen
old doubts and fears and to infuse new
ones, so that she was at times led to
question whether she had ever escperienced
real saving grace. Her condition for a
time was most unhappy it was evi
dently in a great degree the result
of a morbid state of the nervous system
& excessive bodily weakness. But as her
heath gradually improved, she was en
abbled to overcome these temptations to
despondency and to prove more than
conqueror through Him that loved her.
In 1860 her health received another shock
by the fracture of a leg, whilst on a visit
at Calne. Under this severe affection, she
manifested the true spirit of the child
of God by her extreme patience & resignation
Indeed all these troubles seemed to ripen
her for her heavenly home. She even spoke
of the state of her soul with humility
and fear, but her faith and love were
growing stronger & stronger.
In reference to her illness at Calne she wrote
thus, I feel that I must be satisfied to be
an invalid, but it is all right, I feel more
about it for my dear sympathising friends
than for myself. I only want the work &
grace of Christ to be more manifested
within me & by me and my coldness
& deadness to be absorbed in the warmth
and life of Christ. Again she wrote in
prospect of a change for her healths sake:
“It may do me good if the Lordplease,
but I wish to leave it without any anxiety
& without a choice, I expect to go halting
to the end of my days, but I trust a
cheerful mind & patience will be given
me.” Though so long a sufferer, her death
seemed to come suddenly. In the summer
of 1862 she had spent four happy weeks
with her Brother & Sister in the North
of England who accompanied her to
Fulnec
She was always cheerful, delighted
of the state of her soul with humility
and fear, but her faith and love were
growing stronger & stronger.
In reference to her illness at Calne she wrote
thus, I feel that I must be satisfied to be
an invalid, but it is all right, I feel more
about it for my dear sympathising friends
than for myself. I only want the work &
grace of Christ to be more manifested
within me & by me and my coldness
& deadness to be absorbed in the warmth
and life of Christ. Again she wrote in
prospect of a change for her healths sake:
“It may do me good if the Lordplease,
but I wish to leave it without any anxiety
& without a choice, I expect to go halting
to the end of my days, but I trust a
cheerful mind & patience will be given
me.” Though so long a sufferer, her death
seemed to come suddenly. In the summer
of 1862 she had spent four happy weeks
with her Brother & Sister in the North
of England who accompanied her to
Fulnec
She was always cheerful, delighted
to meet old friends, but withat indica
ting great bodily weakness, & great difficult
ly breathing.
On the way homewards she paid a week
visit to a dear & valued friend in Stafford
shire.
On her arrival at home, she seemed ra
ther improved in health than otherwise
by her long journey. But as the winter
advanced increased symptoms of weak
less appeared especially in the re
gion of the heart & the lung.
Kind friends were around her one
especially watched over tenderly & an
xiously until the close of life. She received
also the incessant attention of an attach
ed servant who had lived in her family
more than 20 years
But God had thoughts of peace con
cerning her. She had at times ex
pressed fears of death, but she never
knew what death was, she departed
in sleep.
The above is a sketch of a very unevent
ful life, but yet one of unususal christi
an activity. She possessed a strong
mind in a very weak body. Her love
for Christ and for Christ’s people was
great, and her labours in His cause
were unremitting. She now rests in
peace, she has realized what she wrote
in 1860 concerning a happily depart
ed and beloved Sister in Christ. “The
beloved Saint is with Christ, no longer
clad in weakness, and faint with suf
fering, but clothed in the bright robes
& our Saviour’s righteousness, and
rejoicing in the presence of God for
ever” We may truly say this of
herself, she is with that Saviour, for
whom she felt it an honour to labour
Friends will indeed mourn & her
place on earth may not easily be
filled up, but we cannot wish to
bring her back, we would withdraw
her an instant from the presence of
Him, with whom there is fulness
of joy & life for ever more.
H. W. M.
A few loving words of remembrance are
added to the above by one whose intimate
association with the beloved Subject of
this little sketch, renders it a most
touching but filial duty to add her testimony
of deep appreciation of and respect for the
character of one, so justly endeared to all
who had the privilege of her intimate
friendship, and perhaps none of those
who now tenderlymourn her loss can
speak of the departed, with so much real
knowledge of her both as an individual
& a Christian having shared the same
home for 13 or 14 years. Her mental
powers were of no common order. She
possessed naturally an unusual
amount of sound judgment fortitude
& self sacrificing generosity as well as
consistancy of action, together with a
true ardour & depth of affection, which
when once bestowed, was rarely if ever
withdrawn. As a Christian her light
shone with unwavering steadfastness,
though a feeble body and of late shattered
nerves, often beclouding her otherwise
strong mind, giving a morbid tone
to her own expressions concerning her
spiritual experience, but to those who
had before them such an undeviating
pattern of consistancy there remained
nothing, but the precept / speaking
by example / “Go ye and do likewise”
Her humility before God was a marked
feature of her high attainments in
the Christian life. In her last letter
to the writer of those few lines she says
I feel a mass of sin & weakness: but
follows on to say, that the all wise, bur
den bearer will enable her to cast it
all on Him. Nearness to her Saviour
was the one thing her soul most
ardentlycraved. About two months
ago she wrote. “Do pray dear that the
Lord may be more near than ever
He is very gracious, but I want to see
Him face to face, to touch Him as
it were.” To these remarks little need
be added to prove that though her
spiritual life was a warfire, Yet
that in the apostle’s words her weapons
were not carnal but mighty through
God to the pulling down of strongholds.
Of a truth she was clad in the armour
of God and her spirit was found
ready waiting When she for the
last time unconsciously closed her
eyes in sleep to wake in that glorious
world, where conflict & strife & suffering
are known no more.
The Church of which our beloved
one was so devoted a member, has
paid its tribute to the worthiness of one
of its brightest ornaments. Yea her
works do follow her. And we must
add from our own knowledge that
its glorious Missionary Society has lost
in this place its most energetic and
painstaking supporter. Neither were
her efforts confined alone to the Moravian
Church, but her well grounded and
large hearted Christianity taught
her that wherever good was to be
done & she felt called upon to give her
aid. Hither she went and with all
her power & even beyond her power work
ed with lovingzeal in her Masters
cause. Mongst the rest the Ladies
Association of the British & Foreign
Bible Society would warmly respond
to the acknowledgment of her most
valuable and long continued
help. The Lord ordereth all things
well for His children, & it is a comfort
ing thought that this dear Servant
of God who so often ministered to the
bids of others, was also herself abundant
ly comforted both by her intimate
relatives and friends as well as
by her Brethren & Sisters in Christ
and it is especieelly sweet to think
that for the last fortnight one was
constantly beside her administering
with tendersolicitude to her every
want. These services were continu
ally acknowledged, as were those
of her faithful servant who has serv
ed her with an affectionateinterest
for a period of 20 years. May she
Lord reward them, & give to them
& us the answer to those prayers
which the dear departed so earnest
ly and believingly offered on their
and our behalf, until we all meet
in the mansions prepared in our
Father’s home in heaven
Bristol
Janry 18th /63
