Individual Notes
Note for: Barbara Sophia Parsons, 2 JUN 1812 - 30 APR 1867
Index
Christening: Date: 7 JUN 1812
Place: Motcombe, Dorset
Event: Type: Census 1851
Date: 30 MAR 1851
Place: 73 Motcombe, Dorset
Event: Type: Census 1861
Date: 7 APR 1861
Place: Little Walden Rd, Saffron Walden, Essex
Event: Type: Census 1841
Date: 7 JUN 1841
Place: Wrockwardine, Salop
Burial: Date: 4 MAY 1867
Place: Bagshot
Individual Note: From Memoirs and Obituaries, copy sent by Laurence Clark to Mary Allen January 2001
Mrs. BARBARA SOPHIA MOORE, the affectionate wife of the Rev. John Moore, was the daughter of John and Alice Parsons, of Motcombe, Dorset. She was born June 2nd, 1812. During her youthful days she was noted for her industrious habits, deep child-like affection, and strict regard to morality. But until she was about sixteen years of age she lacked the one thing needful. On the 1st of May, 1828, he, who now mourns his great loss, was announced to preach his farewell sermon at Motcombe, 'ere he took his departure to go forth in the capacity of a travelling preacher amongst our people. Among those who came to hear, were Barbara Sophia and her sister, and during that memorable evening's service, the word went with divine energy to the hearts of both sisters, they were deeply wrought upon by the Holy Spirit, and both commenced to seek earnestly for the "pearl of great price."
For eight months our sister struggled on, anxiously enquiring her way to the refuge of safety, and did not obtain a sweet sense of sins forgiven till January 22nd 1829; this took place in a prayer meeting conducted by the Revs. Wm. Paddison, N. Watkins, and C. Matthews, in Motcombe New Chapel. The way of salvation was clearly revealed to and her panting, believing soul, she cast her all on Christ, and was saved, there and then, from sin, shame, the guilt, and fear. Her conversion to God was clear and highly satisfactory. She felt her soul filled with love to God and to all around her. The Spirit of God, who shed the love abroad in her heart, bore witness with her spirit that she was born of God, and her peace and joy were transporting. The people of God partook of her joy, and were satisfied that the mighty change was wrought. From that time until her change from mortality to life, she lived in the full enjoyment of a pardoned, saved state. She knew "whom she believed," and the blessing of sweet assurance she never lost. What, in turn the fulness of her heart, she said when God first saved her, she said numberless times after, and to her latest breath:
"Tis done, the great transaction's done. I am the Lord's, and he is mine," &c. On the 27th of June, 1832, she was united in marriage (at Motcombe) to him who had been the agent in God's hands of arousing her to a deep sense of her need of salvation. And during the thirty-five years she was spared to share in the sorrows and joys of her husband, she proved herself to be one of the best of wives, remarkab1y clean, frugal, industrious, faithful, and deeply affectionate, always striving for her husband's welfare (in all respects), cheering him in the time of sorrow, comforting him in the time of affliction, and praying for him at all times. She was a helpmeet indeed.
In her domestic duties, she was most regular in her habits, in all things, never leaving the work of one day to be done the next. Up in the morning early she "took time by the forelock." In her house all was peace and good order there was a place for everything, and everything in its place."
She was a discreet, loving mother. She united with her husband in training her children for God-by tender authority, seasonable adaptation, earnest perseverance, holy example, and mighty unceasing prayer.
The blessed result of such mutual care, unanimity of views and spirit, and unity of effort, is the sound conversion of all her dear children, five in number, a son and four daughters, 'Three sons-in-law, and a daughter- in-law are also on their way to the better land. How glorious the thought, a whole familv saved. Three sweet babes and the mother, and one grandson have safely arrived at home, and the surviving father and children are on their way thither.
To Zion's peaceful courts above.
In faith triumphant may we soar
Embracing in the arms of love,
Dear ones, not lost-but gone before.
As a Christian woman she was distinguished for mighty faith and prayer. Prayer was no irksome duty with her but a blessed privilege in which she delighted. She had such a way in approaching the mercy seat, with such scriptural arguments, earnest wrestling, holy fervour, and pressing pleadings, and in the exercise of such faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the great atonement, and in God's love and willingness to save, that she seldom failed to obtain the object of her pursuit, and often secured such manifestations of the divine presence, that all around her felt the effects of the holy influence which pervaded them. The closet was no strange place to her; she communed with God in private as well as in the public means of grace, and thus kept the devotional fire always burning.
She was a zealous worker in the cause of Christ. She did not work by fits and starts," but she was always zealously affected in a good cause from the time that she gave her youthful heart to Jesus, up to the hour of her departure to glory. She was an excellent class-leader for a number of years. On a number of stations she either raised, or took charge of classes, which all under the blessing of God prospered greatly, especially in Oldham, Burnley, Wrockwardine-Wood, and Swaffham circuits.
And when the state of her health became such that she could not undertake the responsibilities of a class leader any longer, she continued praying, and did all she could to instruct and encourage any of the Lord's people, especially the young, in their onward march to heaven. She was very successful in leading penitents to Christ. This was her soul's delight, and no place or time would prevent her from finding her way to the distressed soul if it were possible for her to be there. It is said by one whose testimony may be relied upon, that hundreds of souls have sprung into life while she has been pleading in their behalf. She was a visitor of the sick, &c., and though few young females ever left a more comfortable and respectable home, to become a Primitive Methodist minister's wife, than what she did, yet no cottage was too mean, nor no family too poor, for her to visit and kneel and pray with. She was a lover of peace. If any difference arose among the members of the Church, she would spread all before her heavenly Father, and use every means to restore peace and harmony. She possessed a forgiving spirit, and if any things were said by unfeeling persons detrimental to the welfare of her husband, herself, or her children, she said, "Well, never mind, it don't matter, let it drop, let it die, let us pray for them; I cannot bear for any thing to be unpleasant, we shall soon be leaving them, we shall want to meet them in heaven, we must love them," &c.
Her attachment to our Connexion was strong. She was a real Primitive Methodist, but no bigot. She loved all who loved the Lord Jesus Christ, and could rejoice if souls were saved anywhere. But the people of her choice stood high in her estimation, and to administer to the comfort of God's servants gave her great delight. in She was acquainted with many of the oldest ministers, and enjoyed much under their ministrations, especially Hugh Bourne, Wm. Taylor, Sampson Turner, John Hallan, W. Paddison, John Petty, John Wedgwood, &c. &o. Hugh Bourne often conversed with her upon the subject of faith, experimental religion, and the converting work. Those men and times she ever held in fond remembrance, and often talked about all dear old friends and their kindnesses.
She was deeply interested in the Connexion's welfare in its early days, prayed for and watched with intense interest its rapid growth, and over evinced her love and attachment to it by acts of practical sympathy, such as contributing to its support, attention to the means of grace, both public and private, entertaining the preachers, both local and travelling, and above all, in constantly praying for the blessing of God to rest upon it. We do not presume to say that our sister was faultless, or that her excellencies were of nature's growth, but her virtues were many, and her faults very few; the fear of God abode her always deep down in her heart. We therefore will ascribe all praise to that Saviour who so completely saved her from sin and its dire consequences, into the rich enjoyment of such great grace.
The affliction which terminated in her decease was short and severe. She had been a sufferer more or less for some few years, especially during and since the winters of 1863 and 1864, through taking severe colds by …. During the past winter, and more so since last Christmas, but it was hoped that as the weather grew warmer, her house would become more dry, and that she would rally again, but there were not many days and nights
of distressing pain appointed her at last. On April 19th, she rode in a fly with her husband and a friend or two to a tea meeting, eight miles, at Maybury, and much enjoyed herself. On Monday morning, 22nd, she made the cakes and provided for tea meetings, to be held in Bagshot Chapel on the Tuesday and Wednesday following, and in the afternoon walked with her husband to a tea.meeting at Sunninghill, three miles and-a-half, and returned through cold rain, which injured her, but the two next days she attended the said tea meetings in Bagshot Chapel. On Friday, April 26th, she wa1ked eight miles with her husband, and took tea at the house of some much beloved friends, amid enjoyed their company much. On walking home a cold wind blew in her face, and she felt it difficult to stand against it. On reaching home at a quarter past seven, she complained of much pain in her chest and sickness, and retired to bed. An eminent physician was called in next day, who pronounced her case dangerous from bronchitis, and strong inflammation of the lungs. The next day he had a little better hopes of her, but a change for the worst took place by the time he came again and he could but give little or no hope of her, thus she lingered on enduring much pain for the brief space of only three days and four nights. Amidst all her acute pain she was perfectly calm, peaceful, and happy. Not a murmur escaped her lips. Weeping ones gathered around her, but she was ever very cheerful and prayerful, and talked much, and said most encouraging words to her dear husband, son, and all who came to see her, and begged them not to weep for. Her daughters were all from home. Mr. Wheeler and Mr Nash, local preachers, and Mrs. Wheeler, and Mrs. Beard, went up to see her the night before she died, and she seized their hands and said, "Ah, Brother Wheeler, Ah, Brother Nash ….
right; bless the Lord, he's doing all right; all is right brother Wheeler." She had the complete victory through Christ, and to all the rest she spoke in similar strains, full of peace amid and joy. She was sensible to the last moment, and showed the strongest affection to the last to all about her.
On the night before she died, missing her husband, she expressed a wish that he should once more read a portion of God's word, and engage, as usual, in family prayer with her, which he was going upstairs to do. The lesson was Mark ii., and then all kneeled while he engaged in prayer; all seemed to take hold of God; and heaven so filled the room that they were praying a long time, and knew not how to cease praying, and then all could say, "0, Lord, thy will be done." She was filled with God. As it was then twelve o'clock, she begged her worn husband to lie down and take a little rest.. At five in the morning time the son went into the room where his father was resting and said, "Father, come, dear mother is going; she would like to see you." The father hastened to the side of his dying wife, placing his face near hers, began speaking words of comfort to her, when with both arms she seized him round the neck and held him for some time, giving him expressions of her love to him and her Saviour, and that she was ready to depart to be with Christ.
She then caused her son, and all in the room to come that she might give and receive the farewell kiss. After which all in the room, at her wish, promised her individually that they would serve the Lord and meet her in heaven. About an hour before she breathed her last, among other questions put to her by her husband, as to her loving the Lord, and of her prospects of heaven, &C., he said, ''then my dear wife, you still believe in the Lord Jesus Christ," when with brightening countenance she replied with emphasis, '' Yes, I do with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul, and with all my strength." She counselled her dear son, and spoke with deep feelings of affection of her daughters, &.c, who could not get in time to see her die. was failing, said, " My dear wife, we shall meet again; you are brave in death, when you feel unable to speak, if your prospects are bright and your soul be happy in God, and you feel sure of glory, give us a token of it by lifting up one of your hands ;" she instantly threw up her left hand in token of triumph over the last foe, as high as she could reach it, it fell, she spoke no more.
Angel bands conveyed her home, leaving a husband, five children, three sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, and eight grandchildren to mourn their great loss.
Devout men (local preachers) carried her to her grave in the Primitive Methodist burial ground, Bagshot May 4th, surrounded by a crowd of weeping friends and spectators, who highly esteemed and loved her.
EMANUEL MASTERMAN.
Individual Notes
Note for: John Parsons, 1769 - 1853
Index
Christening: Date: 19 MAR 1769
Place: Motcombe, Dorset
Occupation: Place: Builder
Event: Type: Census 1851
Date: 30 MAR 1851
Place: Motcombe, Dorset
Will: Date: 1845
Burial: Date: 1853
Place: Motcombe, Dorset
Individual Notes
Note for: Alice Butt, 1772 - AFT. 1851
Index
Event: Type: Census 1851
Date: 30 MAR 1851
Place: Motcombe, Dorset
Individual Notes
Note for: Mary Anna Elizabeth Moore, 13 OCT 1809 - 7 APR 1868
Index
Event: Type: Census 1861
Date: 7 APR 1861
Place: Marshall Houses, Scotforth, Lancs
Individual Note: From Connexional Biography, copy supplied to Mary Allen by Laurence Clark January 2001
MRS. CORDINGLEY.
Mrs. CORDINGLEY was the only daughter and youngest child of William and Anna Moore, of Motcombe, near Shaftesbury, Dorset. She was born October 13th, 1809, and afterwards baptized according to the rites of the Church of England, Mary Anna Elizabeth. Methodism had an ancient and respectable standing in Motcombe, and to its Sunday-school Miss Moore, along with her brothers William and John, were sent; probably this laid the foundation of their Methodism.
Miss Moore was early trained to habits of industry, early rising, and perfect propriety in all things ; hence she was held in universal esteem by those who were favoured with her acquaintance.
Visiting Nunney, near Frome, she first heard of the Primitives, under the name ranter, but what this meant she could not tell, but seeing a number of children singing, she said to her cousin, Mrs. Rabbits, "Who are those children" "Oh, they are ranter children, their parents are ranters, they sing and pray all the day long." "Oh, I thought they perhaps were some foreign people, but they are like ourselves." ''Yes," said Mrs. R., they are natives of the place, and Mr. - has fitted up a room to preach in, and there is a woman going to preach, and you shall go and hear her." At the time appointed she went; the solemnity of the preacher, her quaker dress, and the effect of the meeting, graciously influenced her mind.
Some time after this event, the Primitives made their way to Motcombe (spring of 1826). Mr. Drudge, a local preacher, was followed by Miss Ruth Watkins, and Mr. W. Paddison, and by the end of November following a host were converted to God, among them the brothers and cousins of Miss Moore. H such a glow of heavenly influences, and surrounded with such an atmosphere, it was not likely Miss Moore would be long behind. Her conversion was sudden, heavenly, happy, estatics; her cousin. Mr. Walter Bartley prayed as few do pray; Miss Moore believed with her heart unto' righteousness, and made confession unto salvation. (Rom. a. 9.)
Twenty young females and upwards were led in class every Sabbath morning by a Wesleyan lady of experience, who left her own chapel to guide these young lambs in the way they should go, most of whom became efficient pillars to go out no more.
At the September quarter, 1827, Miss Moore was placed on the Motcombe circuit plan along with her friend Miss Perham. Soon after they preached at Sutton and Twyford to crowds of people with great effect; some bear a grateful remembrance of those services to this day. Miss Moore had then scarcely reached the eighteenth year of her age. Her brother John, who had become a. travelling preacher, failing in health, she went to supply his place while he rested a little; during this period she attended the great and ever to be-remembered missionary meeting, held at Wootton Basset, on Good Friday. 1829, when it was determined to send missionaries into Berkshire,. and its adjacent parts.
August 7th, 1830, she was sent by her own circuit as a missionary to Salisbury; her labours were great, and success considerable. Dr. Goode sent for her, he inquired into her conversion, views of the ministry and motives, and being satisfied he gave her instructions which were of service to her in after years. Mr. C. Broadway, who was an old Wesleyan local preacher, a native of Motcombe and a distant relation to her father, received her with open arms, wept, called her "his dear little angel," assisted her to hammer out her texts as he called it, visited with her from door to door. He had erected for the Primitives a chapel at Martin, and as Mr. Jukes says of him in a memoir in the Primitive Methodist Magazine, "He gave much alms to the people and prayed to God alway." These were some of her bright, happy, and successful, days.
Ludlow was her next station, and including Leominster, Kidderminster, Bewdley forest, her journeys were often very long, and performed on foot. At Tillerstone hills she got lost, the fog was so great; arriving with great difficulty at a farm house, the dog ready to tear her down, the mistress of the house cried "Who's there?" and coming to the door to see, she said, "0, some Methodist thing, I suppose;" feeling nearly exhausted she wept, and enquired her way to Mr. Dolphin's, where she had to preach; the large congregation was waiting, and after a few minutes she commenced the service.
Her next station was Shefford, Berkshire, under the superintendency of Mr. John Ride; there were upwards of twenty preachers in various departments of that and the adjacent counties, but to relate the incidents and travels would make a large book.
View a solitary female travelling town and country through, preaching some five times on work days, and often three times on the Sabbaths, chiefly in the open air, visiting the poor in their dwellings, and sometimes the rich. Her dress is that of a quaker, she is under the middle size, healthy; her countenance beams with meekness and serenity, ruffians who literally tear off the coat laps of the men preachers allow her to pass, her very helplessness and innocency seem to awe their minds.
Another view. It is Sabbath morning, the clock has struck nine; she stands in Abingdon market place, a thousand people are before her, two or three police on each side of her. She makes her way to an adjacent village at half-past one, the gentry follow in their coaches, she preaches in the open air, makes her quarterly collection, at five o'clock preaches in another village, and when done retires with a few females to a distant village to rest.
In the midsummer of 1834 she became the wife of Richard Cordingley. After a short visit to her parents in Dorsetshire she came to reside at Oswestry. She preached in most of the villages of that extensive circuit.
Bromyard was her next station. Here she usually preached at 9 o'clock every Sabbath morning, weather permitting, led a class of Borne thirty members visited and relieved the sick-, taught a select class on work days, missioned in all the villages round, walked her journeys.
Madley, in home part of Cwm circuit, was her next station. Here she had sweet intercourse with Mr. W. Gilbert and family, Mrs. Lea, who was then living, and her family, and various other devoted souls.
At Alton, in Rarnsor circuit, she commenced a new class and Sabbath school. In the "black country" her engagements were so numerous in preaching charity, anniversary and other special sermons, that her family have collected a volume of printed circulars of those services.
Presteign, Preece, a second and third visit into the "black country," then came her removal into Yorkshire. During her second year at Easingwold we had signal prosperity in the lowering of a chapel debt and in a revival of religion. At Middleton prosperity was again the rule, but health failed. Failing health setting in with both husband and wife, they both finally sat down at Lancaster. Being unable to walk, her friends at Middleham had provided a small hand carriage ; in this she often rode, and even visited a number of friends in Lancaster. Gradually new friends appeared, Colonel Yeadle, Mr. T. Lane, Mrs. Sergent Mills, Mrs. Quarm and family, and various others, kindly and repeatedly visited her. And in addition to our own ministers and members living near us, she had visits from J. Petty, T. Russell, M. Lupton, J. Guy and other brethren.
Her experience during her long affliction, but more especially during the latter part of it, was that of a real Christian, her own unworthiness, the fulness and freshness of the atonement in all its glories. She had at times temptations, she longed to be gone, asked why the chariot wheels delayed; in calmness she died, in the arms of her daughter Elizabeth, close beside her husband, at a quarter past six o'clock on the morning of Tuesday, April 7th, 1868, aged. Fifty-eight years.
Individual Notes
Note for: Richard Cordingley, ABT. 1809 - UNKNOWN
Index
Occupation: Date: 1861
Place: Primitive Methodist Minister Superannuated
Event: Type: Census 1861
Date: 7 APR 1861
Place: Marshall Houses, Scotforth, Lancs
Event: Type: Census 1871
Date: 2 APR 1871
Place: 3 Marshall Houses, Scotforth, Lancs
Individual Notes
Note for: Lora Mary Harris, 1897 - 1929
Index
Alias: /Kitty/
Individual Notes
Note for: William Hiscock, 1802 - 26 DEC 1837
Index
Christening: Date: 27 DEC 1802
Place: Fontmell Magna, Dorset
Occupation: Date: 1834
Place: Yeoman
Burial: Date: 1 JAN 1838
Place: East Stour, Dorset