James Charlesworth (1721-1770)

Title

James Charlesworth (1721-1770)

Creator

Charlesworth, James, 1721-1770

Publisher

Moravian Lives Projext

Date

1770

Type

Text

Format

image/jpeg

Description

This autobiographical and memorial account recounts the life of James Charlesworth (1721–1770), a prominent Moravian leader in Yorkshire who was raised in the Church of England and drawn early toward serious religious life. After joining the Moravian Brethren in the 1740s, he became deeply devoted to Christ, preaching, pastoral care, and the administration of Moravian settlements and businesses at Fulneck and elsewhere. Though gifted in leadership and trusted with major financial and organizational responsibilities, he often struggled inwardly with stress, spiritual concern, and the burdens of external affairs, longing instead for more direct spiritual ministry. In his later years his preaching became especially heartfelt and spiritually powerful, while his health steadily declined. During his final illness he remained loving, peaceful, and eager to “go home” to Christ, dying calmly in 1770 surrounded by prayer, hymns, and the Moravian congregation.

Subject

Charlesworth, James, 1721-1770
Moravians--Biography
Autobiographies

Identifier

Ful/3/02

Place

Fulneck, England

Language

English

Extent

8 pages

Rights Holder

Fulneck Moravian Archives, Fulneck, UK

transcript of

Page 1

Personalia of our late dr Br 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 Decr 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 wch 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 wch I saw other people did, but always felt Remorse of
Conscience, & when I was alone often pray’d to our Savr to have Mercy
upon me & keep & preserve me from all Sin. At abt 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 wch I had not.

When I was about 7 years of age (in the Year 1739) I become
acquainted with the Brn at their first coming to Yorkshire, & my dear
Savr made me sensible of my lost state & condition, & the Misery & Corruption
of my Nature, & that it was his Blood alone wch 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 wth the Brn there, & return’d again to
Yorkshire the same year. I was Reced into the Congr Decr: 8th. 1742
soon after the Congn was establishd here, & was admitted to be a
Partaker of the Body & Blood of my Crucified Savr wth the CongnJuly
6th 1743. I was Confirmd as a witness of the sufferings & Atonemt
of the Lamb of God by Br Spangenberg the 21st Dec the same year
before wch had left my Busyness & Relations & went to Live at the

Page 2

first S. Brns 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. Brn, after wch I was mostly employd in Preaching &
visiting the young Men in the different Societies, which I continued till 1748
about wch time I was obliged to engage so deeply in the Manufactory and
other outward affairs that I declin’d preaching, & for sevl years together
went thro’ a Scene of Distress in my own Mind with the External affairs
in wch I was engagd, however I continued therein to assist therein, & went
several times to Holland on that Acct & 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 Savr had not miraculously interpos’d & Inspird the dr Disciple
wth Courage & Generosity more than Human, whereby he was enabled to
satisfy all the Creditors, being willing to take all the Debt upon himself
wch had been Contracted without his knowledge & Consent. ‘Tis true I endea
vour’d to hinder his engaging himself for such vast Sums of Money
wch 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 Savrwill 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 wch 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 Savr, I really Blush & my heart is asham’d before my
faithful Creator & Redeemer, that I have been so little Joy to Him

Page 3

first S. Brns 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. Brn, after wch I was mostly employd in Preaching &
visiting the young Men in the different Societies, which I continued till 1748
about wch time I was obliged to engage so deeply in the Manufactory and
other outward affairs that I declin’d preaching, & for sevl years together
went thro’ a Scene of Distress in my own Mind with the External affairs
in wch I was engagd, however I continued therein to assist therein, & went
several times to Holland on that Acct & 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 Savr had not miraculously interpos’d & Inspird the dr Disciple
wth Courage & Generosity more than Human, whereby he was enabled to
satisfy all the Creditors, being willing to take all the Debt upon himself
wch had been Contracted without his knowledge & Consent. ‘Tis true I endea
vour’d to hinder his engaging himself for such vast Sums of Money
wch 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 Savrwill 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 wch 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 Savr, I really Blush & my heart is asham’d before my
faithful Creator & Redeemer, that I have been so little Joy to Him

Page 4

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

The office wch he had in the Congr at Fulneck requiring that he
sh’d have a Helpmate, He enter’d Novr 19th 1754into the Mr State with the
S SrEleanora 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 Congns 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 Confr was Settled, he was appointed a

Page 5

a member thereof & continued as such till that Confer ceas’d in the
year 1769. Tho’ his Talents in the Conducting the external affairs were
known & priz’d by his Brn & 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 wch he Deliver’d to the Congn & Choirs were
particularly Anointed, & being delivered with warmth of heart were
attended with Blessing. So that some Brn made for thence the
Remark that they believed he wod 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 wch had crept in
amongst us, wch 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

Page 6

inward Grief prey’d upon him, of wch he was sensible & wod 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 wch 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 wch he was confin’d
to his Room abt a fortnight, but was again so well Recover’d
as to go about, but his Constitution was apparently weaken’d wch
rais’d the apprehensions of his going home of wch he spoke frequent
ly with desire. He preached on the 15th 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 16th for the Conclusion
of the Congn Day on the W. Wd “Shew forth his Salvation from Day
to Day.” which he earnestly Recomended to the Brn & Srs to put
in practice in Life & Conversation,& entreated our Dr 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 wch gathered on his
Shoulder & was attended with much pain & inflam’d his Back
wch 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.

Page 7

we were still in hopes that by the discharge of the Abcess in
his Back (wch was pretty large) his Constitution might have been
Reliev’d & he Restor’d to Health, but on the 29th abt 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, wch he himself expect
ed wod 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, wch being Read as follows, the W: Wd. “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 drLord & god;” of which He took great notice, saying,
how comfortable & pretty they were, believing confidently
the time drew near when Faith shod 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

Page 8

his Desire to his dr 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 cod 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 dr  Lord’s presence
was felt during this Night by the Brn & Srs present, & many
Tears accompanied his precious Soul to it eternal home.

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