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I was born July 2nd 1820 at Mapperley, a small village in Derbyshire. My dear mother being a decided child of God endeavoured to bring her children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and I do not remember the time when my thoughts were not wont to dwell upon serious things; but alas they sceptical were too much of a reasoning, sceptical nature. Very little took place during my childhood that is worthy of recording; I had the privilege of attending a small school, that was kept by the daughters of a most worthy and excellent independent minister, whose loving and affectionate manner will ever be sweet to my memory. I attended their School until I was in my 14th year, when my dear mother placed me in the Sisters’ House at Ockbrook, where, after a few weeks, I became exceedingly happy and comfortable; the life of a Sister’s House being well adapted to my natural

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cheerful, yet somewhat timid reserved disposition. In the beginning of 1737 I received with several others of my companions, instruction for confirmation, or rather in my case for adult baptism; my dear mother being a Baptist I had consequently not received that sacrament in infancy. But I cannot say that either the instructions or the rite itself made any lasting impressions upon my mind; I enjoyed the instructions, as I did, imbibing knowledge of any kind that came within my reach. Unaware almost to myself, I formed my own views on the way of salvation, and as might be expected, stumbled upon many errors. At one time, instead of simply going to Jesus, I was seeking the fruits of the spirit; and at another, I was fully impressed with the idea, that though I was very, very far from what I ought to be as a Christian, yet I must wait the Lord’s time to make different, I could do nothing. At this

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time, “Baxter’s Saints Rest” fell into my hands, which by the blessing of the Lord made a very deep impression on my mind and showed me that there was much for me to do, viz. an earnestness of spirit, and a determination to give the Lord no rest till he was graciously pleased to reveal himself to me. From this time I was much more in earnest, but my adorable Saviour was not my all in all; consequently, the way seemed long, and I often felt inclined to exclaim, “who is sufficient for these things!” In the year ’50, I received a call to be the Warden of the Single Sisters’ in Fulneck, and though deeply conscious of my own insufficiency for such a post, I felt such a strong conviction that it was from the Lord I dared do no other than accept it. In the first year I had many trials and difficulties caused in a great measure by my own inexperience, but afterwards my work was very pleasant, and light to me. The year after I came to Fulneck, the texts for

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my birthday struck me very much on looking at them sometime before. The daily word was “In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall be glory.” (Isaiah 45: 25), and the doctrinal text was Acts 2: 47, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” I felt to hope that these texts had a reference to some that were very near and dear to me, who were not added to any Christian church, and over whom my heart had often yearned. I never once thought of them in connection with myself. I thought I was added to the church, and of the real meaning of the daily word I had at that time very little knowledge. Oh, how possible it is to deceive ourselves and others. On the morning of my birthday, I found three verses on my table which had been drawn and placed there by a very dear and worthy sister, as was her custom, the three were very striking, but the text of one was “Lovest thou me”

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to which was added the verse,

“Lovest thou me, I hear the Saviour say, Would that my heart had power to answer yea: Thou knowest all things, Lord in heaven above And earth beneath, thou knowest that I love, But ’tis not so in word, in deed, in thought I do not, cannot love thee as I ought, Thy love must give that power, thy love alone with clasped hands.” On reading the last line I exclaimed, oh my beloved Saviour that is the very thing. Why didst thou not show me that before? It is indeed thy love that must give me power to love thee in return, there is indeed “nothing worthy of thee but thine own. Oh do thou grant that” with the love wherewith thou lovest me reflected on thyself, I may love thee. My dear Saviour had that instant drawn me to himself but when he put his Holy Spirit into my heart, oh the sink of iniquity I saw there, “Sin did indeed revive and I died.” (Rom: 7: 9) So heavy was the

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weight of guilt upon me, that I often felt I must sink under it, or that I should lose my senses; I stood a guilty hell-deserving sinner, and felt that I must be lost if my Saviour had not died for me; but I could take no comfort, the promises were as tho’ I had never heard them, except occasionally a text such as “I will not always strive with man least the spirit which I have made should fail before me” was as a little gleam of sunshine, and then the cloud passed over again. I remained in this state of mind some weeks, till one Sunday evening the text was from some part of John’s first epistle, but what chapter or verse I have no recollection from the distressed state of my mind. During the sermon, I earnestly besought the Lord to reveal himself to me. And he did, the peace and joy that I felt that night, none but a pardoned sinner can have any conception of. I had not a shadow of a doubt of my acceptance in the beloved. And though God has not at all times

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been in my thoughts, yet my beloved Saviour has never suffered my feet to slide. O thou who hast begun a good work in me, do thou perfect it unto the end. Oh, do thou empty me of myself, and fill me with thyself be thou my all in all. 1857 I again devoted myself body soul and spirit unto thee dear Saviour, but oh do thou keep me, thou knows how weak and frail I am, how prone to stray from thee, and how contrary I continually act to thy mind. Thus far her own words.

In addition to what our late Sister has stated her fellow laborer adds the following on behalf of herself and the choir, and can truly say, that both she and every inmate of the house, feel that they have lost in our late Sister, a sincere and valued friend and conscientious Christian.

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Upright in principle and faithful in business, she did all she had to do, with a single eye to the interest of the concern she was entrusted with, and never for an hour, would sacrifice duty to pleasure. To be unexpectedly called upon to part with a friend so faithful and untiring in her exertions for the good of the whole household, does indeed fill all our hearts with sorrow, we deeply mourn our loss, but we cannot but say, that our loss is her eternal gain. She knew in whom she believed, and when the summons came for her to lay by her earthly duties, she was enabled to say: “Thy will be done!” And we doubt not would hear the welcome: “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!” As a fellow labourer and member of our Elders’ Conference, our dear Sister Fletcher was much esteemed by us all, for the candour of her mind, and her

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strictly conscientious discharge of her official duties. She would ever openly and clearly state her views on any subject she was interested in, and in case of a difference of opinion firmly and faithfully maintain her cause, without however in the least being self-opinionated or obstinate. her warm interest in the Lord’s work and the spread of His kingdom, both at home and abroad, she quietly, yet continuously manifested, not only unto the Searcher of hearts, who delights to hear the prayers of his people, when they plead with him for the furtherance of his gospel, but also unto man, by the lively and intelligent interest she always displayed in conversations on the subject of missionary labours, and by her untiring and successful endeavours, to collect subscriptions for such objects, as the Foreign and home missions, the Bible Society and so forth. The local committees of these associations will miss in her a valued member, and a successful collector.

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We were often struck with her correct memory of men and things, relating to missionary enterprises, especially those connected with our own Church, of which she was a very consistent and attached member. she also took her place as a teacher in our Sunday school, and by her prayerful and careful preparation for her work, succeeded in securing the love and gratitude of her scholars, to whose hearts her memory is much endeared by her valued instructions in spiritual things. she now rests from her labours, and her works do follow her. Whatever she did, she did unto the Lord, and this imparted real worth to her activity. Her memory is dear to us. When the minister of the Congregation saw her on the evening of the so-called ” Sisters’ coming in Day,” she was remarkably calm and cheerful in her mind, and resigned to the Lord, who had laid her on a bed of sickness,

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while the other inmates of the house, were holding their festive meetings in the adjoining prayer hall. For the visit paid to her and the prayer offered up by her bedside, she expressed her thanks in a very cordial and lively manner. Little did the minister think, that on his return from Crook, whither duty called him away for several days, he should no longer be permitted to see her among the living. To a fellow labourer who visited her late on Sunday evening, and who engaged in spiritual conversation and prayer with the dear patient, she remarked on his inquiry, if she felt her Saviour near, that He was her only real comfort and true support: “for what should I do without him now?” And truly He was with her in her last hour. Her own memoir tells us, that she knew in whom she believed. Trusting in his merits, and saved by his bloodshedding and death, she gently fell asleep in Jesus to be forever with the Lord.