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The course of life, of the great boy Richard Fenton
who departed December 29, 1772.

Richard Fenton, son of our Brother Richard Fenton was born
the 16th of May 1757 at Pudsey, in the Parish of Calverly.
As a child, he went to the Brethren’s School at Lane
End where he learned till he was 12 years old. In June
1769 he was bound apprentice to Brother John Spicer
to learn the Glover’s business and came at the same
time to live in the Choir House, where he went on in a
still and quiet course to the satisfaction of his Brethren
In the following year, he began to be sickly, and as all
endeavours for his recovery proved ineffectual, he grew
weaker and weaker from time to time and as his parents
lived near, it was proposed to him to go and live with them
whereby he might enjoy more of their parental care and
nursing; but he declined it. However, as he grew more
helpless, he, in the beginning of last July, agreed to go
and be with his parents, where he has enjoyed a happy
and sabbatical time waiting with patience and resignation
when it would please our Saviour to take him
into his eternal joy and Security. He was now and then
visited by the Brethren, to whom he declared that although
he was resigned to our Saviour, yet he knew that it would
be better for him to be with Christ, than to recover

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his health, and live here still longer. He had an impression
of our Saviour’s love towards him, which made
him look and pray to our Saviour with confidence. When
he was visited by Brethren whom he was acquainted with,
he desired that they might sing some verses with
him, and several times he mentioned in particular that
the following should be sung: “I am a poor sinner, yes
’tis true I am” and he came here to the meetings as long
as he was able to walk, or ride, which always seemed
to be a refreshment to him, and when he was no more able
to come to the meetings, he was very sorry for it, especially
when he thought that he should not have the pleasure
to attend the meetings on Christmas Eve, on which
account he proposed that a couple of Brethren should carry
him to the hall in a sedan [chair]. But on the 19th of December
in the night, he had such a gracious visit of our
Saviour that he became quite satisfied with his not
being able to come to the meetings on Christmas Eve,
for when he got up in the morning and dressed himself
he began to speak to his mother about it and told her there
had happened an alteration with him last night
when she asked what way, he told her that our Saviour

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had been very near to him and he had kept a band with him
about everything, and our Saviour had forgiven him all and
would take him soon to himself. He also said: “I gave
myself quite anew to our Saviour, and he accepted me as
his own child, believing his time would be short, he
desired that his Sisters in the Choir House might be
sent for, to tell them how happy our Saviour had
made him, and that he would soon take him to himself
to be happy and to live with him forever. Since this
time he grew weaker so fast, that one could see the
time of his departure came on very quickly. Some
days before his going home, his master came to
see him, and when he was going to leave him, he reached
his hand to his master and thanked him for all the
love and favours he had shown to him, telling him
he very likely might never see him any more in this
world, and so it came to pass, for on December 29th, 1772
in the morning his soul took its flight, to that
God, who had created and redeemed him and made him
so happy by his precious nearness, in the 16th
year of his age.