1. INTRODUCTION
This process of reading and learning about Susanna Wesley and the influence her life has had in the world has been a privilege, a joy and humbling all at the same time. I hope the heart of this story touches you in the same way.
2. MEET A REMARKABLE LADY
Susanna Wesley was born in London on January 20, 1669. She was the youngest of 25 children born to a Non-conformist Anglican minister and so brought up in an English Parsonage. Little is known of her childhood but her home life was a happy one with plenty of fun.
Susanna was pretty, the most beautiful of her family. She was slim and graceful, and said to have retained her figure to old age. She was cultured and gracious and of a more serious and contemplative temperament than her sisters. An even disposition with a “deep and natural piety” inherited from her mother, is a fitting description of her. She possessed an air of quiet elegance and determination throughout her life.
Susanna never went to college as women’s education in her day was not heard of. Generally speaking, even a high-born lady’s library was limited to a prayer book and a collection of recipes. That she received a good education, however is evidenced by the classic simplicity of her writing and ability to hold her own in the theological discussions that made up the table talk in homes such as hers. Her father recognized the intellectual ability of his favorite daughter and took part in her education. She possessed a logical mind and her exercise of it was to have great influence in fashioning the mold of the people called Methodists.
In a quote from her Meditations she writes: “Religion is not to be confined to the church or closet, nor exercised only in prayer and meditation, but everywhere I am in His presence.”
She was educated in a way so as to think for herself. By the age of thirteen she had carefully sifted her father’s Dissenter beliefs and decided in favour of the doctrines of the Established Church of England. Samuel Wesley had made a similar decision as he too was the son of a Non-conformist clergyman. So it was only natural than that he and this beautiful girl should become attracted to one another.
Samuel Wesley was a fine student and a young man of excellent character. These two serious young people had a quaint courtship and were often in deep discussion of religious principles. It was in these times that Samuel helped Susanna establish a firm and lasting belief in the Trinity. The two were married in about 1689 when Susanna was nineteen or twenty and Samuel twenty eight. They loved each other till the end of their lives together.
This was a women who filled her sphere of influence which was but the narrow circle of her home and the church. Susanna was the mother of John and Charles Wesley - two geniuses of the first rank. John, founder of the Methodist movement and largely, together with other men, responsible for the first Great Awakening and Charles, one of the greatest hymn writers of all time.
3. HER SUFFERING
“The best preparation I know of for suffering is a regular and exact performance of present duty.” Susanna Wesley
The couple started out in small parish in South Ormsby with a living of 30 pounds and later moved to Epworth with a better living of 200 pounds. Regardless of the better salary the couple were debt-ridden. The pressures of raising a rapidly growing family, the move and giving annually to Samuel’s mother did not help the predicament. Susanna’s father, to whom she was very close, had died shortly before their arrival in Epworth.
The landscape of the new parish was a desolate one. The low-lying “island” of Axholme, surrounded by four rivers, was at times and inaccessible swamp. The parishioners had little contact with the outside world and so viewed with suspicion any intrusion of either new people or fresh ideas. These were described as brutish folk and their “manners were coarse and vicious” and their thinking extremely narrow.
The England of that period was a dark place. Sensual dissipation and drunkenness was the main sin of the land. Mistresses and immoral women abounded. London was filthy and thievery was on the increase. At the time of Susanna Wesley, the idea of a balanced diet was unknown and lack of proper medical and unsanitary methods accounted for an enormous death rate exceeding the birth rate. Routine and safe vaccinations were yet to be discovered.
The religious life of England too was at a low ebb in these times. There were some godly ministers but the clergy of the 18th century were gross and unspiritual because they their faith was lifeless and exhausted of all spiritual force.
“We saw but one bible in the parish of Cheddar,” said Hanna More, “and that was used to prop a flower pot.” It was for such a time as this that John Wesley, raised in a dismal swamp by parents of strong faith, was called to arouse all England from its spiritual lethargy.
Susanna was delivered of all her babies by a mid-wife who in those days had no formal training and experience, but only a license issued by the Bishop! Remembering that at that time, asepsis and anesthesia were unknown. This period of English history knew nothing of planned parenthood and Susanna gave birth to 19 children in 21 years. Nine of these died as infants.
Although there was mutual love and respect between Samuel and Susanna, they had their share of difficulty in their marriage. Samuel Wesley was a quick tempered man. He also proved himself inadequate in his business affairs and with their increasing debt, Susanna with her poise took over the management of the glebe lands (church land which was used for farming) and the finances. She was careful however, never to discredit her husband and loyally and firmly taught her children to do the same. After a particular disagreement, Samuel left home and lived in London for some time leaving Susanna to take care of the children, their home and church affairs. Once at home again, he faithfully pastored his flock and visited them from house to house, even though he was not popular. In spite of all their difficulties and their ever increasing poverty, their home was a happy one and they were known as being a loving family.
On the night of February 9, 1709, a fire broke out and completely destroyed the house. It was a traumatic and narrow escape for the whole family. Susanna was 8 months pregnant with her last child at the time and John Wesley was snatched out of his bedroom window shortly before the roof collapsed. The shivering family fell to their knees to give God thanks that all were spared. Susanna and Samuel were wealthy in courage and fortitude but this catastrophe robbed them of every material thing they owned: their home, their furniture, the books, her father’s precious papers and sermons which he had left to her, and their own writings costing much time and labour. To Susanna’s great distress, following the fire the family had to be separated until the rectory could be rebuilt. During this dispersion the children learned rough ways and uncouth speech quite foreign to their upbringing and it took time and great patience on the part of their mother, when they finally got back home to correct such things.
Many of her children, especially her daughters, had great misfortune and unrelenting tragedy which she would have done anything to avoid. But as the years unfolded, each of them found faith which was sufficient in the midst of their circumstances.
Once Samuel Wesley passed away in April of 1735, the debts were settled up by her sons and she would from then on depend on her children. Susanna’s frailty was increasing. She suffered from no specific disease except gout. She had never had a strong constitution, and the many hardships of her life and her frequent childbearing were contributing factors to this decline at the end of her life.
4. HER CHARACTER
In observing the suffering through which this strong lady endured, one can hardly imagine bearing the weight of it all. The scripture comes to mind Romans 5 : 3 - 5 “... we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame ..” In Susanna’s life this certainly was the case and the fruit of her suffering were evident.
Her hard-working ethic was clearly demonstrated in her daily routines and tasks of mothering, constant childbearing, home schooling all her children, managing the glebe lands and financial affairs of their home and she did it all well.
She was a devoted and loyal wife.
Her patience was demonstrated by all she did for her children and others. One day, during classes for the children, Samuel said to her “I wonder at your patience! You have told that child twenty times the same thing.” To which she calmly replied : “If I had satisfied myself by mentioning it only nineteen times, I should have lost all my labour. It was the twentieth time that crowned it.”
-She was a thankful woman.
-She was humble
-She bore humiliation with composure
-She redeemed the time by spending it well
-She raised 10 children with strong Character
-She was a woman of great courage.
-She was concerned with the glory of God and the salvation of souls!
5. SUSANNA AS TEACHER
Historians have said that Susanna was a born teacher and that she had the patience for it.
She home schooled her ten children and although the boys were sent to preparatory schools later on, the girls had no other education than that received at home.
Susanna gave to he pupils a love of learning that was to unfold, particularly with John and Charles, in an astonishing way.
Her teaching material was anything she found on library shelves but mainly the Bible, and that which she had written herself. Textbooks were too expensive to buy. Samuel Wesley also played a part in the children’s education of classics teaching them Greek and Latin.
The children were all taught to read from an early age, and were taught orderly conduct with no loud talking and shouting allowed.
Their education continued into the future once the children had left home, by means of letters of wise counsel which both parents wrote them.
6. HER METHOD OF EDUCATION
To accomplish her enormous daily tasks as well as she did, she had to work out a systematic method of procedure:
6.1 Her System and Routine
She had principal rules in educating her family. The children were always put into a regular method of living as they were capable. This included dressing, undressing, changing of their linen, etc As babies they were put into a routine right from the outset and if possible, laid into their cradle awake and thus brought them into a regular course of sleeping. When they turned one year old (some before) they were taught to fear the rod and to cry softly! The crying and whining sound of children was rarely heard in the Wesley household. They were soon taught that they got nothing which they cried for but rather learned to speak and always say “please” and “thank you”.
As they grew, they were taught impeccable table manners such as the correct way of eating with a knife and fork and always eating what was set before them and never shouting out for more. Eating between meals was never permitted and at six every evening, after family prayer, they would eat supper together.
Interestingly even though the family were poor, they had the help of a maid which was according to the custom of the time. The maid would bathe the children at seven starting at the youngest, and put them all to bed by eight. There was no such thing as sitting by a child till it fell asleep.
Once the house was rebuilt and the children all brought home after the fire, a new system was developed whereby psalms were sung morning and evening. At five o’clock, the eldest would take the youngest that could speak, and the second the next, to whom they read the psalm for the day and a chapter in the New Testament and in the morning they would read the psalms and a chapter in the Old Testament, after which they went to their private prayers before breakfast.
It seems that in running a home and raising a large family, a routine and a logically thought out method of working is essential for success. Susanna used this talent of hers and thought of everything as well as using her creativity to feed the family on such a tight budget.
6.2 Her Practice of Conquering the Will
She believed that in order to form the minds of children, the first thing to be done is to conquer their well and to teach them obedience. Subjecting the will was a thing which was handled at once and the sooner the better. In her eyes timely correction was crucial. She thought of “kind and indulgent” parents as “cruel” parents. She continues that when the will of a child is subdued and it is brought to revere the parents then much of children’s foolishness will be avoided. Susanna insisted that this conquering of the will was the only foundation of a religious education.
She believed that self-will is the root of all sin and misery in the world and that whatever encourages self-will in children ensures their wretchedness but whatever checks and kills it, promotes their future happiness and piety. She was strict on this subject and says that “religion is nothing else than doing the will of God and not our own” and that no indulgence of our self-will can be trivial. The parent who subdues it in his child, she believes to be working with God in “renewing and saving a soul”.
It would seem that the strictness and talk of “working to save a child’s soul” could be part of the roots of the Arminian beliefs held so firmly by Susanna and handed down to her son John. The Methodist movement and theology was greatly influenced by this system of beliefs.
At a first look it may appear that this “subjecting the will” might mean breaking the spirit of a child, but this is untrue. To manage such a large family, home schooling together with all her other duties, Susanna was almost forced to be strict and to work out a rigid routine. She believed that this stringent regime was part of the children’s preparation for the battle of life ahead.
6.3 The 8 Valuable Bye-laws
There were several bye-laws observed which I believe are quite useful to us today:
1. As fear of punishment often leads children to lying, a law to prevent this was made that if the guilty party would confess and promise to rectify their doings, they should not be beaten. This rule prevented a great deal of lying.
2. No sinful action or disobedience should ever go unpunished
3. No child should ever be punished twice for the same fault, nor reminded of it once it was over with.
4. That every act of obedience should always be commended, and frequently rewarded.
5. If any child performed an act of obedience with an intention to please, the obedience and intention should be kindly accepted, even though the performance of it was poor.
6. That propriety (the rights of property) always be preserved. No one was allowed to invade the property of another in the smallest matter.
7. That promises be strictly observed and if any gifts were given, any rights to the gift were passed from the giver and not to be resumed.
8. No girl should be taught to work till she could read very well.
These so called “bye-laws” make for sound common sense and good child psychology and she managed to carry these out with precision, also treating each child individually.
6.4 The Results
Mrs Wesley’s system of education may run counter to modern day experts on discipline but her method worked. Her children developed into members of one of the most eminent families in English history, remembered for their looks, their intellect and their strong character. Her daughters, though limited by the times were spirited and well educated. Her three distinguished sons would never have influenced their spheres the way they did had they been “crushed” in spirit.
Her system was always geared to a future so that when each child reached maturity they could regulate their own lives and do it well. The forming of strong character was the purpose of all her striving.
These methods which may seem harsh and inflexible to us now, were performed against a back drop of an age of cruelty to children. Even the the presence of the “rod” is horrifying to most of society today, but the motto “Strength guided by kindness” ruled in the Wesley household and her love was evidenced by the fact that she for many years set aside a special time every week for each child! Nowhere to be found is any record of resentment of the Wesley children against their mother’s method of education. John, in fact sought to find out everything about his mother’s method, which she worked out for herself and these very findings and methods were used by him later in setting up what he believed God had called him to.
Love was always present in this rectory, however strict the discipline. The children loved and respected their parents and one another till the end of their lives even though, as in any family, they had their troubles at times.
7. THE KITCHEN PARISH
Susanna read a story of the Danish mission to Tranquebar and was greatly inspired by the exploits of these Danes. She felt that her own life was not as worthwhile as it might be and decided to do something about it in the only place she could - her own home. Amongst other things she decided to pray more for the people of the parish and to speak to them with more warmth. It was also under the inspiration of this book that she decided to give more time to her children individually and so set up a schedule of conferences in the evenings and continued this practice as long as they were under her roof.
While Samuel Wesley spent a year in London, the substitute minister proved a poor one by continually harping on the theme of paying your debts. This was obviously aimed at Samuel himself and his arrear payments were common knowledge. Susanna bore the humiliation with composure.
Since there was no afternoon service at the church, Susanna felt obligated to have evening worship for her family. These services were held in her kitchen and consisted of singing of psalms and reading of prayers and a short sermon taken from her husband’s library shelf. The servants first begged to come and then their relatives and friends and finally the neighbors. It was reported that attendance increased to more than two hundred people obviously squashed into one kitchen!
She regularly sent a report of these meetings to her husband in London. Her passion was to advance the glory of God and the salvation of souls. In one of her responses to her husband she describes the good effects of the meetings and how the people’s favour was finally won over. Some families who seldom went to church were now going constantly. Even though women were not allowed to minister in these times, she held to her convictions in her husband’s absence. Upon his return, the kitchen services were discontinued in favor of evening worship at the church. It was clear that after these kitchen meetings, the old spirit of suspicion and animosity towards the rector and his family was gone forever.
8. THE CHILDREN
8.1 The Daughters
In the their day, marriage was about all the future could hold for an English lady. Else a position as a resident governess in a rich family or a teachers post. Womanly graces and household know-how were considered to be the best preparation for life in the home - where a woman belonged at that time.
The prospects for happiness for Susanna’s daughters were never bright and to add to it their father was sadly lacking in his understanding of women and their needs. His daughters took second place after his sons and although he loved them, it is said of him that he was callous toward them.
There were seven daughters surviving infancy:
Emilia
She was good-looking and smart with plenty of common sense like her mother. It was her who frequently took over the management of the household with very little money. Emilia worked as a governess and taught in a boarding school with long hours and poor pay, and later set up her own school with the help of her brother John. In her forties, she married a man named Robert Harper which was short lived. He left her with none of her savings and a sickly child to bury.
Susanna
Also considered beautiful, with a good mind and a happy nature. She made a hasty and regrettable marriage marriage to Richard Ellison who although was from a fine family, he himself was coarse, vulgar and immoral. His treatment of his wife was extremely degrading and she later fled and never lived with him again. She had four surviving children and her brother John later helped her with the means to raise and educate them.
Mary (Molly)
Although deformed in body, Mary had a beautiful face and her gentleness and even temper made her a favorite. She never expected romance but at the age of thirty eight married John Whitelamb who loved her devotedly. After less than a year she died giving birth to their first child and Mary and the infant were buried together.
Mehetabel (Hetty)
Hetty was her father’s favorite daughter, and endowed with gifts and graces. In the end however, her father disowned her for bring him disgrace by falling pregnant with a man who promised to marry her and left her after one night together. Her father married her off to a plumber. Despite the unsuitable match, Hetty tried to make amends and make this man happy. She tried to win back her father’s favour but in vain. She lost all her children in infancy but despite such tragedy, her life also was a triumph of a human spirit - one refined in the crucible of unremitting sorrow and rejection.
Anne (Nancy)
Anne married John Lambert and it is said of them they had a happy marriage. Their home was always open to John and Charles Wesley for breaks during their demanding schedule of itinerant preaching.
Martha (Patty)
Martha was most like her brother John in appearance and disposition. She possessed a composure nothing could disturb and was serious and thoughtful. She got engaged secretly to Westley Hall. Martha bore him 10 children of whom only 1 survived infancy. He was an unfaithful husband but Martha forgave him and persuaded him to return home and took care of both his children conceived in adultery. With all her trouble, she was never known to speak unkindly of her husband or complain about her own suffering. The wonder that she could maintain her composure in the face of such dire circumstances! She threw herself into the work of the Methodist Societies in London after her husband left for good. Martha outlived the rest of her large family, and in her true character, told her niece as she was dying not to grieve for her more than half-an-hour.
Kezziah (Kezzy)
The youngest of nineteen children was sickly as a child. She was a shy girl and decided it best never to marry. She died at the age of thirty two with her brother Charles by her side. The two had a very close bond.
These stories of most of the Wesley girls are tragic, some of it avoidable and some not. Susanna suffered tremendously through all this and in some instances was bed-ridden because of them.
The Wesley daughters never showed any jealousy of their brother’s advantages but was always proud of them. The love in this family circle was evident and no-one has been able to figure out how the 3 sons cared for the needs of their 7 sisters through the long years and for their children and even their sister’s grandchildren.
8.2 The Sons
The three sons of Samuel and Susanna were as follows:
Samuel Jr
The first born Wesley, less prominent than his two famous brothers but non the less famous in his own right. Classicist, poet, teacher, clergyman and humanitarian, he had a substantial quality to him. As long as he lived he continued to share his income with his parents, though the income was never large. He also assumed expenses for both his brothers’ schooling and never allowed any mention to be made of the help he gave his family. He married Ursula Berry and they had a happy marriage. Of the several children born to him only two lived to maturity.
Samuel Wesley Jr disapproved of the Methodist movement and could not accept that both his brothers, ordained clergymen of the Church of England, could preach out in the highways and hedges. There was honest disagreement between them but the love and consideration between these three brothers was never any less. The words carved on his grave stone were as follows: “An excellent preacher, but whose best sermon was the constant example of an edifying life.”
John
The ties between John and his mother were very close. She was the greatest influence on his life. One of his outstanding traits, inherited from his mother, was his ability to systematize both his personal life and that of his followers. He was unhappily married for fifteen years and never had any children.
John was the founder of Methodism and as a movement they focused on Bible study and a methodic approach to the scriptures and Christian living. He believed God had called him to be an evangelist and he was a dynamic preacher. He preached with a prophetic voice and with authority. His words seared into the depths of the uncouth folk with such convicting power. He went on to awaken all England from its religious apathy and influenced the course of history as few men of his generation. He was a humble man, full of the power of the Holy Spirit who used him in an extra ordinary way. He was accused of fanaticism because of his enthusiastic preaching of which the main focus were the doctrines of the New Birth, Justification by Faith and the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. The preaching was met by many strange and wonderful manifestations and so the church of the day would not hear of John Wesley taking their pulpits. Thus began the field preaching under the influence of George Whitfield who became a good friend of John Wesley.
John Wesley visited the sick, the poor and prisoners and lived a very simple life. Most of the money he earned in his life was spent on others. He died at the age of eighty seven having preached his last sermon just one week before.
Charles
Charles Wesley was also a powerful preacher but of a different sort. It was said of him by William Fitchett “he was a preacher.. talking in sentences that had the rush and impact of bullets, but which vibrated with electric thrills of emotion.. He felt truth rather than reasoned about it.” He married Sarah Gwynne and it proved to be a happy marriage. Two sons and a daughter was born to Charles and Sarah and all survived their parents. Charles Wesley was greatly influenced by his brother Samuel who had been almost like a second father to him, but it was to John that he was the closest. He and both his sons were musicians and his real contribution was as a hymn writer - perhaps the greatest of all time. Over nine thousand hymns were written by him. John and Charles were different in temperament but their unfailing love and respect for each other made them a powerful team. It is said of Charles that he drew people and that he was made for friendship. Though Charles and his brother differed at times, they were so devoted to one another that each yielded to the other on occasion.
8.3 The Epworth Wesley Family
NAME BIRTHPLACE BORN DIED AGE
Samuel Wesley Sr Whitchurch 1662 25/4/1735 73
Susanna London 20/1/1669 23/7/1742 73
1 Samuel Jr London 10/2/1690 6/11/1739 49
2 Susanna South Ormsby 1691 1693 Infant
3 Emilia (Harper) South Ormsby 1692 1771 79
4 Annesley (A twin) South Ormsby 1694 31/1/1695 Infant
5 Jedediah (A twin) South Ormsby 1694 31/1/1695 Infant
6 Susanna (Ellison) South Ormsby 1695 7/12/1764 69
7 Mary (Whitelamb) South Ormsby 1696 1734 38
8 Mehetabel (Wright) Epworth 1697 21/3/1750 53
9 Unknown whether boy or girl Epworth 1698 soon died Infant
10 John Epworth 18/5/1699 soon died Infant
11 Benjamin Epworth 1700 soon died Infant
12 Unnamed twins Epworth 17/5/1701 soon died Infant
13 Unnamed twins Epworth 17/5/1701 soon died Infant
14 Anne (Lambert) Epworth 1702 ? ?
15 John Epworth 17/6/1703 2/3/1791 87
16 Son smothered by nurse Epworth 8/5/1705 30/5/1705 Infant
17 Martha Hall Epworth 8/5/1706 19/7/1791 85
18 Charles Epworth 18/12/1707 29/3/1788 80
19 Kezziah Epworth 1709 9/3/1741 32
9. A LIFE WELL SPENT
9.1 Her Contribution to the World.
In evaluating the life of Susanna Wesley, one can conclude that her greatest contribution to the world was in her children. It was on them she poured out an intelligent and selfless devotion from the birth of her first son till the end of her life. She raised ten children to maturity. This lady of the parsonage would never have been remembered except for the fame of her sons; yet her claim as an honoured lady in history, is as the successful mother of many children.
It was from her that John inherited the singleness of purpose that characterized his leadership. It was this same son who changed the course of English history.
9.2 The Real Goal
Looking back over her eventful life, she could see the most important objective for which she had worked in the training of her children and that it had been attained. The development of their character was the real goal of all her striving. She had reached her goal. In her own words her principle intention was that in devoting her life in the hope to “save the souls” of her children, however unskillfully or unsuccessfully managed.
10. LESSONS FOR US TODAY
I believe there is much we can learn from the story of Susanna Wesley’s life. It is in bringing our natural and spiritual children to maturity that parents and specifically mothers, can apply these principles.
10.1 Pray - This lady prayed everyday for her children and the people.
Isaiah 32:9 - “Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice, you complacent daughters give ear to my speech.” This section of scripture has the title “Complacent women warned of disaster”. If we do not take up this all important task of praying for our children, then who?
10.2 Routine - Susanna’s methodical approach served her well and was handed down to her children. A good routine and a well ordered life is essential for success and can definitely reduce the chaos in running a home and raising children. Never being one for routines I have had to learn this the longer way around. A routine can be tailor-made to suite our own family and style of doing things and will further cut the clutter from our as well as our children's lives. Children growing up this way learn from young to plan and be organised in all areas of their life. We can save time and energy by applying this to our everyday.
Ephesians 5 : 15 - 16 “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time (redeeming the time), because the days are evil.”
10.3 Discipline - Susanna’s methods of discipline especially her bye-laws are worthy to be taken notice of. Her practice of Conquering the will but never breaking the spirit is ageless.
Proverbs 22 : 15 “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.”
Proverbs 29 : 17 “Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.
10.4 Individual conference with each child - Susanna Wesley made this a priority. To be present and available to our children as well as to lavish them with our affection, love and encouragement is essential. In the midst of leading busy lives, quality time can often be overlooked and having a weekly appointment (or a “special time”) with each child, is a beautiful way to let our kids know we love them and are interested in them.
10.5 Building for future generations - Susanna’s methods and systems were always geared with the future in mind.
Isaiah 59 : 21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them says the Lord: My spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring from this time forth and forevermore.”
10.6 Respect for Authority - The Wesley children were taught to respect authority, especially their father and a shining example of this was given to them by their mother.
She honoured her husband throughout all the difficult seasons of their lives.
SOURCES
*Rebecca Lamar Harmon, “Susanna, Mother of The Wesleys” Copyright 1968 by Abingdon
Press
*Scripture References taken from the English Standard Version. Compact Thinline Edition
Copyright 2003 by Crossway Bibles.
Internet sites:
*Wikipedia on Susanna Wesley
on John Wesley
on Charles Wesley
on Methodism
*Article on Susanna Wesley : Beverly Whitaker: “Viewpoint Susanna Wesley” Kansas City,
Missouri, 1998.