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Home August 22, 1765 letter from M. B. [? i.e. Martha Biddulph?] to Mrs. [Judith Townsend] Wordsworth

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August 22, 1765 letter from M. B. [? i.e. Martha Biddulph?] to Mrs. [Judith Townsend] Wordsworth

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Title	August 22, 1765 letter from M. B. [? i.e. Martha Biddulph?] to Mrs. [Judith Townsend] Wordsworth
Post Date	August 22, 1765
Author	M. B. [?Martha Biddulph, 1730-1783]
Recipient	Wordsworth, [Judith Townsend], [Mrs. Thomas Haweis] (1738-1786)
Date	1765-08-22
Physical Description	4 pp. total; 3 pp. text; 1 p. address
Dimensions	20.5 x 32.7 cm
Location (Box, Folder)	Box 1, File 02
Address To	At the Revd Mr [Joseph] Townsend's, Pewsey, Wilts
Country To	England
Address From	Tottenham [, London?]
Country From	England
Transcriber	Gareth Lloyd
Plain Text Transcription	From [Martha Biddulph] at Tottenham near London to Mrs [Judith] Wordsworth’s at the Reverend Mr [Joseph] Townsend’s in Pewsey, Wiltshire. The day that Martha received Judith’s letter, she had just sent a letter to the post addressed to her at the Pump Room in Bath, Somerset - this direction was probably wrong if Judith is now in Pewsey. Martha knows that Judith’s movements and decisions are guided by wisdom and that chance or accident has no part in them, so she rests content. However, she will just say that she cannot approve of her going to a place so far from physical assistance or the company of female friends, who must at this time be a comfort to her. (Martha Biddulph is referring to the health problems caused by Judith's failing marriage). Martha feels a great deal for Judith’s physical weakness but is not worried about her spiritual state because she knows that her friend is safe in the care of the Lord. Spiritual matters are further discussed in detail. Martha recommends that Judith read the account of the death of Mr [Samuel] Walker – it always afforded Martha great comfort with its description of faith triumphing over pain and weakness. Martha hopes to hear from Judith soon. If she is unable to write, perhaps someone else can write for her. Judith’s sister has been at Croydon near London and has not yet returned and Martha has not therefore been able to pass on Judith’s message. They are all fairly well here. (1 sheet, 3p.) 22 August 1765 Martha Biddulph (1730-1783) was the daughter of John Tregenna, Rector of Mawgan in Cornwall from 1725 to 1754. She was a close friend of Haweis before he went up to Oxford in 1755 and the two continued to correspond until shortly before her death nearly thirty years later. Martha married Thomas Biddulph, Vicar of Padstow in Cornwall in 1761. Judith Wordsworth (1738-1786) was the daughter of a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament Chauncy Townsend. She was converted by the ministry of Reverend Martin Madan at the Lock Hospital in London and remained a devout evangelical for the rest of her life. Judith was married in 1758 at her parents’ wish to John Wordsworth but the marriage proved deeply unhappy. Her husband was drunken and dissolute in his behaviour and over a period of time this affected Judith’s health. She was eventually removed from the marital home by her brother Joseph and placed under a friend’s care in London. T.H. had known Judith before her marriage and visited her during her illness to render spiritual counseling. They remained in contact when Judith returned to her husband and eventually left to act as housekeeper for her brother Joseph at his parish in Pewsey. In 1770 John Wordsworth died and Haweis immediately proposed marriage to Judith and was accepted. The couple was extremely happy with Judith proving a very enthusiastic support for her husband’s ministry until her death, probably in an accident, on 24th August 1786. Joseph Townsend (1739-1816) was the son of a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament Chauncy Townsend. He graduated from Cambridge in 1765 and after election as a Fellow of Clare Hall, studied medicine in Edinburgh. Joseph served as Rector of the Wiltshire parish of Pewsey for over fifty years and played a very active role in local affairs. He was involved in local government and showed particular interest in poor relief, health care and the maintenance of roads and bridges. Joseph also itinerated for the Countess of Huntingdon. His sister Judith was the first wife of Haweis. Samuel Walker (1714-61) was born in Exeter, Devon. He was educated at the local grammar school and Exeter College Oxford. After Anglican ordination in 1736, he was appointed Curate of Doddiscombsleigh in his native county, but resigned after a year to accompany the brother of Lord Rolle as tutor/companion on the grand tour. After his return he became first Curate and then Vicar of Lanlivery in Cornwall. Walker was also appointed Curate of Truro in 1746 and it was there that he made his greatest impression. Shortly before taking up his post at Truro, Walker was converted to evangelicalism under the influence of a local headmaster named George Conan. Walker introduced the class system and also founded a clerical club to meet for monthly discussion. He was friendly with the Wesleys but as a loyal Anglican, was opposed to the irregularity of lay preaching. He published a collection of sermons in 1755 and a second volume appeared posthumously in 1763. These remained in print for many years and were very well-regarded - Charles Simeon for example described Walker's sermons as the finest in the English language. His theology can best be described as mild Calvinism. Walker's ministry was considered by John Wesley to be the only exception to the rule that no lasting good could be achieved by restricting work to one parish.
Notes	Endorsed: "Truman." This is an account of the death of Samuel Walker of Truro, who had died at Blackheath, July 19, 1761; see ASW, p. 77. She also mentions, "Your sister has been at Croyden and not yet returned." Judith Townsend had married John Wordsworth in 1758, but it was an abusive relationship and by the date of this letter, she was living at Pewsey with her brother who was rector there; later (in 1771), she married Thomas Haweis.
Digital Resources Type	Image
Digitization Date	Digitized: 2012
Digitization Process	Digitization process: Derivatives resized at 4030 pixels in height or width
Digital Publisher	Bridwell Library, Special Collections; Perkins School of Theology; Southern Methodist University
Rights	Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the Head of Special Collections of the Bridwell Library
Decade	1760-1769