Born: 1721, Little Gomersal
Died: 1770, Fulneck

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Learn more about the life of James Charlesworth

Personalia of our late d^r B^r James Charlsworth
who enter’d into the Joy of his Lord July 30th 1770 .
Our late dr Br. James Charlesworth has left the following short account
of some of the most remarkable particular Circumstances of his Life till
to the year 1753.

I was born at Little Gummersal in the parish of Birstal in the
County of York on the 16th Dec^r 1721. And was Educated by my Parents in
the principles of the Church of England, in a strict & careful manner, & preserv’d
from the Seductions w^ch many people ^youths are expos’d to. When at the Age of
12 to 14 Years I began to keep company & frequent some of the places
of Diversions in the World; I never ^ed do it with the same ease &
Satisfaction w^ch I saw other people did, but always felt Remorse of
Conscience, & when I was alone often pray’d to our Sav^r to have Mercy
upon me & keep & preserve me from all Sin. At ab^t the age of 15, I
left off all Pleasures & became acquainted with a small Company of Mysticks
to whom I join’d my Self, Read their Books & became very sober &
Religious, but found my poor heart wanted something w^ch I had not.

When I was about 7 years of age (in the Year 1739) I become
acquainted with the B^rn at their first coming to Yorkshire, & my dear
Sav^r made me sensible of my lost state & condition, & the Misery & Corruption
of my Nature, & that it was his Blood alone w^ch in make me happy,
& as such a poor Sinner. I fled for Refuge to his wounds & found peace
thro’ the Virtue & power of his merits & Death. In the year 1740 I went
to Londⁿ. I staid some time w^th the B^rn there, & return’d again to
Yorkshire the same year. I was Reced into the Cong^r Decr: 8^th. 1742
soon after the Congⁿ was establishd here, & was admitted to be a
Partaker of the Body & Blood of my Crucified Sav^r w^th the CongⁿJuly
6^th 1743. I was Confirmd as a witness of the sufferings & Atonem^t
of the Lamb of God by B^r Spangenberg the 21^st Dec the same year
before w^ch had left my Busyness & Relations & went to Live at the

first S. B^rns Oeconomy at Holbeck where I continued till the 20
July 1744, when I was bless’d by imposition of hands to the Office of
Vorsteher of the S. B^rn, after wch I was mostly employd in Preaching &
visiting the young Men in the different Societies, which I continued till 1748
about w^ch time I was obliged to engage so deeply in the Manufactory and
other outward affairs that I declin’d preaching, & for sev^l years together
went thro’ a Scene of Distress in my own Mind with the External affairs
in w^ch I was engagd, however I continued therein to assist therein, & went
several times to Holland on that Acc^t & bore a part in most of the Transac
tions till the year 1753, when Ruin seem’d to threaten our whole Constitution,
if our dr Sav^r had not miraculously interpos’d & Inspird the d^r Disciple
w^th Courage & Generosity more than Human, whereby he was enabled to
satisfy all the Creditors, being willing to take all the Debt upon himself
w^ch had been Contracted without his knowledge & Consent. ‘Tis true I endea
vour’d to hinder his engaging himself for such vast Sums of Money
w^ch He had no visible fund to discharge withal, & wo’d rather have
suffer’d any hardships myself, than be the occasion of Involving his
dr. Person, but he was Resolv’d to do it & did it I dout not at the
Command of his Lord & Master, who has indeed has miraculously
help’d him thro’ to the wonder & astonishmt of all men both Friend
& Enemies, & wch certainly among the Surprising Transactions of
his Life in the Kingdom of our Sav^rwill see transmitted down to the
latest posterity as an unparrelld act of hislove & faithfulness &
Generosity to his people. with the conclusion of these dangerous
& troublesome Affairs of the Congⁿ, I reckon I may also conclude
one period of my Life w^ch probably contains pretty near the whole
of the mortal past & when I look back how I have spent it and
consider that I have been almost twice seven Years in the Kingdom
of our ^dr Sav^r, I really Blush & my heart is asham’d before my
faithful Creator & Redeemer, that I have been so little Joy to Him

first S. B^rns Oeconomy at Holbeck where I continued till the 20
July 1744, when I was bless’d by imposition of hands to the Office of
Vorsteher of the S. B^rn, after wch I was mostly employd in Preaching &
visiting the young Men in the different Societies, which I continued till 1748
about w^ch time I was obliged to engage so deeply in the Manufactory and
other outward affairs that I declin’d preaching, & for sev^l years together
went thro’ a Scene of Distress in my own Mind with the External affairs
in w^ch I was engagd, however I continued therein to assist therein, & went
several times to Holland on that Acc^t & bore a part in most of the Transac
tions till the year 1753, when Ruin seem’d to threaten our whole Constitution,
if our dr Sav^r had not miraculously interpos’d & Inspird the d^r Disciple
w^th Courage & Generosity more than Human, whereby he was enabled to
satisfy all the Creditors, being willing to take all the Debt upon himself
w^ch had been Contracted without his knowledge & Consent. ‘Tis true I endea
vour’d to hinder his engaging himself for such vast Sums of Money
w^ch He had no visible fund to discharge withal, & wo’d rather have
suffer’d any hardships myself, than be the occasion of Involving his
dr. Person, but he was Resolv’d to do it & did it I dout not at the
Command of his Lord & Master, who has indeed has miraculously
help’d him thro’ to the wonder & astonishmt of all men both Friend
& Enemies, & wch certainly among the Surprising Transactions of
his Life in the Kingdom of our Sav^rwill see transmitted down to the
latest posterity as an unparrelld act of hislove & faithfulness &
Generosity to his people. with the conclusion of these dangerous
& troublesome Affairs of the Congⁿ, I reckon I may also conclude
one period of my Life w^ch probably contains pretty near the whole
of the mortal past & when I look back how I have spent it and
consider that I have been almost twice seven Years in the Kingdom
of our ^dr Sav^r, I really Blush & my heart is asham’d before my
faithful Creator & Redeemer, that I have been so little Joy to Him

of thy People, & so impregnate my Tabernacle w^th thy holy Humanity,
That all the Seeds of Corruption may be destroy’d in me, & help me thro’
this world w^th an unspotted Garment, w^th a Robe washed & kept clean in
thy precious Blood.”

The office w^ch he had in the Cong^r at Fulneck requiring that he
sh’d have a Helpmate, He enter’d Nov^r 19^th 1754into the M^r State with the
S S^rEleanora Gutbier his present Widow, to whom he had approv’d himself
a faithful tender Husband, & they have liv’d near 16 years together in
Grace & Blessing.

In the year 1755 when the place Congⁿ was Settled, He was
appointed to be the Vorsteher (or Warden) of the Congⁿ at the same time ^that he
had the direction of the Manufacture, & in this Office He continued till
it pleased our Lord to call him to his Eternal Rest.

From the very beginning of the Settlement here, He was particularly
engag’d in every undertaking & till the year 1763, all the external
Affairs of this Congⁿ relating to the Settlement viz the Administration
of the Estate & Buildings, were in his Hands. In this Situation
he had many difficulties to struggle with, & felt often the Lord that
was upon him with much concern. From the year 1755, he was
not only employed in the External affairs, but He & His dear wife
assisted in the Internal Labour. ^{In 1754 He was ordain’d a
Deacon of the Brn’s Church}

In June 1756, he with his wife went to the Synod at Berthelsdorf.
Tho’ he was chiefly to the Service of the Cong^ns in Yorkshire, yet he was
also engag’d in the Affairs of Ockbrook, Duckenfield, & in sundry concerns
of the Unity & our Lord having bestow’d upon him particular Gifts & Grace
to his Service, he remain’d active in all those matters.

In the Year 1757 he was appointed to be one of the Board of
Administation of the Affairs of the Unity in England, & was usefull
therein, & when the Oconomates Con^fr was Settled, he was appointed a

a member thereof & continued as such till that Con^fer ceas’d in the
year 1769. Tho’ his Talents in the Conducting the external ^affairs were
known & priz’d by his B^rn & on that account He was constantly
employ’d in that way, yet he also wish’d to be rather employ’d in
the Internal Labour, & often express’d his desire to be freed from all
his External engagements. In consequence of this his repeated
Request, He was Released in 1763 from being immediately active
in the Manufacture, tho’ he remain’d the Counsellor in it till the
year 1766; when it came into another Channel.

Being Proprietor of the Estate, He frequently attended the Meetings
of the Parish for conducting the Town’s Busyness, & by his prudent
advice He gain’d the esteem of the acting persons in the Parish &
was of Service in this point of view to the Settlement.

He went as Deputy of this Congⁿ to the Gen Synods at Marienborn
in 1764 & last Year, & returned from the last very infirm, tho’ his disorder
w’d not permit him to go much about, yet he assisted in the Labour
in the Congⁿ & from this time, the publick Testimony of our Savr & his
Suffrings & the Discourses w^ch he Deliver’d to the Congⁿ & Choirs were
particularly Anointed, & being delivered with warmth of heart were
attended with Blessing. So that some B^rn made for thence the
Remark that they believed he wo^d not stay long in the Church below
for he was preparing for the Church above. It was also observ’d
in his Discourses & Conversation, the apprehensions He had of the
dangerouse principle of Free thinking & acting w^ch had crept in
amongst us, w^ch might be more hurtful to our Constitution, than
any other difficulty we were sensible of

He had for many years past frequent Sicknesses, & having a
great portion of sensibility, when matters did not go well & contrary
to his hopes, his Body felt the effects thereof. He was of a
thinking disposition, & when he was shut up in himself, his

inward Grief prey’d upon him, of w^ch he was sensible & wo^d speak
of at times with concern. All this seem’d to impair his Body &
of the after land carnal which He often said & wrote that his chief
Busyness & concern was now to be prepar’d to leave this Body, &
to enter into the presence of his Lord.

Last spring He had a very severe attack of the stone Cholick
of w^ch He Recovr’d so as to be active in his Office, yet the Effects
were Visible. He had a second fitt of sickness with an Inflamation
in his Face & a violent pain in his Head by w^ch he was confin’d
to his Room ab^t a fortnight, but was again so well Recover’d
as to go about, but his Constitution was apparently weaken’d w^ch
rais’d the apprehensions of his going home of w^ch he spoke frequent
ly with desire. He preached on the 15^th to a very large Auditory
with Life & Energy, of the efficacious power in Jesus‘ Blood &
Death to make us New Creatures, and his last meeting kept in
the Hall was a Discourse to the Congⁿ on the 16^th for the Conclusion
of the Congⁿ Day on the W. W^d “Shew forth his Salvation from Day
to Day.” which he earnestly Recomended to the Brⁿ & S^rs to put
in practice in Life & Conversation,& entreated our D^r Lord, kneeling
to happily effect it with each & the whole; this has prov’d his
Valedictory discourse & prayer for this Congⁿ & the work of the
Lord in general. He soon after had a Boil w^ch gathered on his
Shoulder & was attended with much pain & inflam’d his Back
w^ch threw him into a Bilious Fever. Even during his sickness
he shew’d his wonted paternal heart in Counsel & Friendship to
those who came to him, as long as he had strength to speak.
He was tender & loving to all, saying once “I have nothing against
any one & hope no one has any thing against me.

we were still in hopes that by the discharge of the Abcess in
his Back (w^ch was pretty large) his Constitution might have been
Reliev’d & he Restor’d to Health, but on the 29th ab^t 2 in the Morning
we observ’d an Alteration & that the weight of his disorder was
fallen upon his Lungs, then it became evident that our gracious
Lord intended to take him soon into his Joy, w^ch he himself expect
ed wo^d be accomplished by the sametime real moving, amidst
his pain & weakness. He spent his time in such a tender loving
& Paternal manner towards all & especially towards his dear
wife & Niece, & those by orphans to whom he had been Guardian,
& in looking ardently to his faithful Lord in expectation of the
happy Moments quick approach; that it was truly edifying
to all who came near him.

After 12 o Clock in the Night he ask’d what were the Texts
for the Day, w^ch being Read as follows, the W: W^d. “My Soul
breaketh for longing that it hath unto thy Judgments at all
times” Feelest thou the Blood Churches ardentLonging
Cheek bedew’d with Million Tears forth thronging from th’
enamour’d Churches Face? And the Text,. “Righteousness
shall be the Girdle of his Loins & faithfulness the Girdle
of his Reins.” With the whole merit of thy Life, Bless
us O d^rLord & god;” of which He took great notice, saying,
how comfortable & pretty they were, believing confidently
the time drew near when Faith sho^d be turn’d into Vision.
when the Clock struck two, he seem’d something disappointed that he
was yet here, & when another hour was elapesd, He look’d up in
an earnest manner, & expressed in his great weakness & pain

his Desire to his d^r Lord, to take him to himselfcomplaining
that this hour had been very long. Thus he continued looking
for the happy moment being quite Sensible, & when He co^d speak
no more, his Looks & Gestures discover’d the object his Soul
was engaged with, & about half past Six his Lips turn’d Pale
in Jesus’ Arms & bosom with the Blessing of the Congⁿ during
a blessed Liturgy. A very happy Sensation of our d^r  Lord’s presence
was felt during this Night by the B^rn & S^rs present, & many
Tears accompanied his precious Soul to it eternal home.

He has finish’d his course in a very blessed manner in
the 49^th year of his Age.