I was born in holbeck in the parish of Leeds in the year of our
Lord 1717 May ye 18 of very dear & tender parrents who were
prebytouryons but I was baptiz’d by a Minister of the Church
of England on account of their thinking of my soon departing
this life Else I was educated in the Religion of the presbytierens
When I was a little Child and my mother Dressing of me
She generaly told me I was now going amongst other Children
to play, and I should perhaps hear them say bad words
and Charg’d me to take care I did not so, for it was a bad thing
and this had such an Impression on my mind that It never
left me, no not when I was amongst the Children, but always
remain’d in my mind that it was such a bad thing to do so
from 7 years old I often went into a Corner to pray, that god
would have Mercy on me and often wept before him, when I
had the Smallpox it was thought by every one who Saw me
that I should have gone home, then being but 7 years old, but
my mother on her knees often pray’d the Lord to Spare my Life
howsoever I might be disfigur’d with them I used to ask my
mother what one might do to be Saved, and she told me I must
pray to the Lord and beleive on him and I should be Saved
and I asked her if one could not be sure she said no she beleiv’d
not, but one must pray to him and beleive in him in my young
years I came into Several dangers of my Life Especially once
when I was drawing water at a deep Well, the Roulor which
winds up the Rope came out of the frame, and it with the Swape
went all into the well and pulled me on to my knees after it
I Liv’d Still with my parrents in a private manner kept no
Company and at nights when work was done I used to go into the
feilds and pray that ye Lord would have Mercy on me, I often
Sigh’d & thought O that I was sure of my Salvation till I was
about fourteen years of age Some neighbour Girls about that
time was throng in gotting fine Cloaths I also fell in with them

with great eagerness I tought now I will have some pleasure
of my Life Living a Religious Life & takeing care as much as
possible to avoid every thing that was bad thinking I might
by that means injoy some pleasure of my Life and go to heaven
as others did before I was sixteen years of age I met with a young
man who told me, he had pitch’d on me for his wife, I told him
I was too young, he told me he would wait till I was older I
found my self thereby drawn in to something, which when my
dear & tender parrents as well as my Sister heaped of they did all in their
power to brake it off out of tender love to me this greiv’d & troubld
me very much for some years I could not got it out of my mind, nor
could I take any pleasure in any thing as before I had many good
offers but being disapointed once it set me quite against it when
I had gone now some years in this disatisfied Condition I heard
that Mr Ingham was going about to preach the Gospel, I went
to hear him, and he preach’d concerning the forgiveness of sins
which was so much to me that it directly eas’d me of all my
former trouble & uneasiness I came home weeping all the way
for 3 mile which I had never gone before nor did I know the way
till then my Dear parrents were much affected seeing me in such
a weeping Condidition I pray’d our Saviour to give me my parrents
and the whole Family, which he did directly, I went to the meetings
and often wept after the forgiveness of my sins & the full assurance
of it in my heart it was often to me in the midst of my prayers
as if the Person above mention’d stood before me & I was praying
to him this troubl’d me very much I strove & pray’d with weeping
to get him out of my mind at Last I turn’d to our Saviour &
with great Egarness & said to him Lord Jesus thou canst help me
take this away from me which hinders me from seeking thy rich
forgiveness for the sake of which I wou’d part with every thing
else I found he did help me and took it quite away where upon
I thought he can do all things for me being Sure I could no

by no other means have got rid of them I pray’d heartily to him, for the
full asurance of the forgiveness of all my sins, which I could no
Longer be satisfied about, at the same time hardly knowing what
I wanted forgiving, but at once it came into my mind, that I had
never Lov’d God in my Life from thence flow’d all my sins which
I ever had done or said, then I went on mourning night & day
thinking I must be Lost, & wishing myself any sort of creature
but what I was, I work’d at the same time among a company of 8
or 10 very wicked people in a shop, who spent their time in Singing
songs or Swearing the day long, while I sat weeping & praying
they thinking that I to be sure was going of my Senses, at that
time in the midst of all this company, it was to me as if I saw our
Saviour Cover’d all over with Blood & wounds, standing before me
who told me that he had dy’d for me & received all those wounds
in his Sacred Body on my account, my heart was filld with rapture
& I wish’d that the whole world coul’d Join with me, to praise him
I went a qarter of year without ever losing this impression, and
feeling I then got, after this I begun to feel my self very poor, and
left that feeling of Joy which I had, this Causd me to mourn, & think
what I had grow’d my dear Lord with about this time dear Br Bohler
came into those parts who preach’d our dear Saviours death & wounds more
clear then ever I had heard before, by this I learn’d to know that I should
remain poor and Low in my self, & go to him in his wounds & Blood
Just as I was, then I begaun to reason over myself that I had not known
his wounds & blood aright, & could not be satisfied about till I had
Learn’d to know them better so I wept and pray’d so long before
him till he again satisfied my poor heart, & afresh let me feel
the power of his wounds and Blood here upon I ask’d my dear parrents
to forgive me every thing where with I had grow’d them & thank’d them
at the same time for Learning me to read which struck them very
much but I was glad to read the scriptures which were a very great
comfort to me, & the dear Holy ghost pointed out to me thro them
How I should go on, When I heard of the Brns Settling in yorkshire

my heart was very much rejoiced Br Dicky Uttly spoke to me
about writing to the Congregation for reception but I thought
my self too poor & mean to think of such a favour but I thought
if it was our Saviours will y he had Calld me I wou’d write to
the Congregation in his name which I accordingly did and
was re’d on Christmas day old Stile the impression I then
got continu’d with me wherever I went of I was as if the spirit
of the Congregation rested upon me, and I went on happilly till
the next communion day, when I was admitted Candidate, what I then
felt I shall never forgot, tho it is beyond description to describe
the feeling of my heart on that Ocassion the next time
I injoy’d the Communion with the Congregation, to my deepest abasement
for the first time to are abiding Blessing & Comfort to my poor
heart, I Lived still with my dear Parrents at Holbeck & being
of a Sickly constitution, & timrous Disposition, often came with
difficulty’s, to my dear fullneck, but my dear & faithfull
Saviour graciously preserved & help’d me thro all, till at last
being not able to walk so far I with my Br mov’d into Pudsey
While I remain’d in holbeck it was my greatest pleasure with my
Dear Br to Entertain the Brn & Sisters who came to the
Soceity meetings kept then at our House & as far as laid in
my power to serve them since I have removd to pudsey I have
injoy’d more of the Congregation meeting to a real Blessing
for my heart for which and all other favours rece’d by me
from him & his dear Congregation I am truly thankfull.