Joseph Haley (1727-1772)

Title

Joseph Haley (1727-1772)

Publisher

Moravian Lives Project

Date

1772

Type

Text

Format

image/jpg

Description

This autobiographical and memorial account tells the life story of Joseph Haley (1727–1770), a poor Yorkshire apprentice who struggled in early adulthood with irreligion, “wicked companions,” and spiritual dissatisfaction despite exposure to Methodist preaching. After periods of moral decline, illness, and despair, he was gradually drawn to the Moravian Brethren, especially through preaching that deeply affected him and the fellowship he observed at Fulneck. He eventually joined the Moravian congregation, where he found the spiritual peace and sense of belonging he had long sought, later serving the Brethren in several communities including Bedford and Duckenfield. Though naturally somewhat peevish and physically frail, he was remembered as honest, humble, and devoted to Christ, spending his final illness in peaceful resignation before dying of consumption in 1770.

Subject

Haley, Joseph, 1727-1772
Moravians--Biography
Autobiographies

Identifier

Ful/3/36

Place

Fulneck, England

Language

English

Extent

3 pages

Rights Holder

Fulneck Moravian Archives, Fulneck, England

transcript of

Page 1

The life of Joseph Haley who has left the following in writing
I was born at Little Town in the Parish of Birstall in YorkshireJune 25th
1727. My Parents were very poor & belong’d to the Church of England,
but before I was 11 years old, I was bound Prentice for the Space of 10
Years to a Broad Clothier, which I faithfully served in Hardshead Parish.
In the middle of my time Mr. Ingham & Delamotte began to preach at
Smith House & Rawhead, where I often went to hear them & got a lively
Impression of the Friend of Sinners. But my Master being a Cross old
Man, he would not let one go to hear the Brn, and as my time was
almost out, I begd our Savr to keep me near his Person. My time
being out I hired myself with another Master, who was a Methodist, where
I became more Religious than before but could never get any Satisfaction
& my heart grewvery dead & cold. At the end of my Year I went to
live at Hallifax to be an Hostler, there I plung’d myself into all manner
of wickedness. Soon after I went to live at Leeds where I was a
Gentlemans Servant, here I became still more wicked & miserablebeing
tho’ I was always accused in my Mind & knowing at the same time my Course was
hurtfull to body & Soul, so that my Life become burthensome to me.

My Mother being a good old Methodist & knowing of my going on,
She was much dissatisfied with me, & often desired me to come
home & settle to my own Business, but I found it very difficult
to leave my old wicked Companions, thinking I was fit for no
other Company. Now my Confliction was broke & I was befall’n
with a sore Sickness, which reduced me to great poverty & being
hardly fit for any thing, I then began to wish, that I could have
called back the Time I had lost & Spend without our Saviour.

Having served in this place 4 Years and 5 Months I left my
Master & went to live with my Parents at High Town but

Page 2

did not know what Course to take, for I was like a Spotted Bird
even amongst the worldly People. I went again to hear the Methodists
however here I could find no comfort & my poor Heart felt always
dissatisfied which made me resolved to go & hear the Brn but I always
found Something to hinder me. Soon after it happened that I
went to live with Wm Taylor a Single Man of Cleckheaton who belongs
to the Brn. Hearing that there was a very pious Minister at White Chapple
I went to hear his Sermons, but as he preached only the Law, I soon got
a Dislike & in the beginning of the Year 1757 I went to hear BrPyrleaus
who preachd on these Words: Lord, save us, we perish, there my heart
was laid so hold of that I shall never forget it. Having great uneasiness
of Mind, I wished for an opportunity to speak with a Br which happened
soon after to my great Satisfaction. I also got leave to come to the
Classes of the Single Men & in March the same Year1759 I was received into
the Society, at which I felt our Savr very near to me. I beg’d He might
keep me close to Him. I being so exposed to the world made me think
I should never come thro’. I often came to Fulneck & saw the Brn
lived so happy together as I never saw People live before, I thought
I could never be rightly happy unless I was there. Yet I could never
offer to ask for it feeling my own Misery & wickedness I thought they
would never allow in to come there. In this way I continued like a
Standing Water till March 1760 when my MasterWm. Taylor got leave to move
into the Choir House which caused me many Tears thinking our Savr had
left me alone to myself on account of my unfaithfulness, what would become
of me I did not know. As I was very uneasy & being resolved to become our
Savrs I desired leave to live in the Congn at Fulneck which I also obtain’d
& moved thitherOctr 20th 1760very glad & thankfull. March 23d 1761 I was
received into the Congn which was a great Blessing to me. In July I had
a hard Sickness, in during which our Savr gave me a new Seal of

my Grace Election & comforted me about all past things. Decr 20th 1761
I was made a partaker of my Lords Corpse & Blood in the holy Sacra
ment which was an unspeakable Grace to me, & I esteemed this Year
a Year of Blessings bestowed upon me, which I shall never be
able to express, & I wish that I may always have that Impression
of it till our Savr calls me home to himself. Oh! could I but
always prize my Call & Election sufficiently & thank our Savr
that he has granted me a nest amongst his People I cannot but
be ashamed that my heart does not burn more in Love towards Him.
Thus far his own words.

In the Year 1763he got a Call to go to Bedford, of which he accepted
in a Childlike manner & served the Brn in Bedford as Cook for several
Years & then went to Duckenfield. On March 26th 1767he came again
to live here & went on in a happy Course. In the beginning of June
1770he went to live in the Oeconomy at Mirfield. He was Naturally
a peevish Temper, but his plain Honest & upright way of acting made
him beloved amongst his Brn. He was free & openhearted with his
Labourer nor did he speak better of himself than it was. He often
felt the oppression of his Sickly Tabernacle, especially in the Spring and
Autumn, but this last Spring it soon appeared that his Sickness
was a Consumption & that he would not recover again on which
account he wishd to come to Fulneck & go home in the Choirhouse
last here, which was also granted him, last July the 11th for which he was
very thankful. He spend his time in the Sick Room in a true Concession
with our Savr, waiting with resignation for the happy Hour of his Disso-
lutionwhich came to pass the 10th instant, when our Savr took himhappily
to himself as a Sinner who had found Grace in His Death and
Sufferings.

Reading Version:

1
The life of Joseph Haley who has left the following in writing I was born at Little Town in the Parish of
Birstall in Yorkshire June 25th 1727.



My Parents were very poor & belonged to the Church of England, but before I was 11 years old, I was
bound apprentice for the space of 10 Years to a Broad Clothier, which I faithfully served in Hardshead Parish. In the middle of my time, Mr. Ingham & Delamotte began to preach at Smith House & Rawhead,
where I often went to hear them & got a lively Impression of the Friend of Sinners. But my Master being a Cross old Man, he would not let one go to hear the Brethren, and as my time was almost out, I begged our Saviour to keep me near his Person. My time being out I hired myself with another Master, who was a Methodist, when I became more Religious than before but could never get any Satisfaction & my heart grew very dead & cold. At the end of my Year, I went to live at Halifax to be a Hostler, there I plunged myself into all manner of wickedness. Soon after I went to live at Leeds where I was a Gentleman’s
Servant. Here I became still more wicked & miserable being though I was always accused in my Mind & knowing at the same time my Course was hurtful to body & Soul, so that my Life become burdensome to me.

My Mother, being a good old Methodist & knowing of my going on, She was much dissatisfied with me, & often desired me to come home & settle to my own Business, but I found it very difficult to leave my old wicked Companions, thinking I was fit for no other Company. Now my Confliction was broke & I was befallen with a sore Sickness, which reduced me to great poverty & being hardly fit for anything, I then
began to wish, that I could have called back the Time I had lost & Spend without our Saviour.

Having served in this place 4 Years and 5 Months I left my Master & went to live with my Parents at High Town but

[page 2]
did not know what Course to take, for I was like a Spotted Bird even amongst the worldly People. I went again to hear the Methodists, however here I could find no comfort & my poor Heart felt always dissatisfied which made me resolved to go & hear the Brethren, but I always found Something to hinder
me. Soon after it happened that I went to live with William Taylor a Single Man of Cleckheaton who belongs to the Brn. Hearing that there was a very pious Minister at White Chaple I went to hear his Sermons, but as he preached only the Law, I soon got a Dislike & in the beginning of the Year 1757 I went to hear Br. Pyrlaeus who preached on these Words: “Lord, save us, we perish.” There my heart was laid so hold of that I shall never forget it. Having great uneasiness of Mind, I wished for an opportunity to speak with a Br which happened soon after to my great Satisfaction. I also got leave to come to the Classes of the Single Men & in March the same Year 1759 I was received into the Society, at which I felt our Savr very near to me. I beg’d He might keep me close to Him, I being so exposed to the world made me think I should never come thro’.

I often came to Fulneck & saw the Brethren lived so happy together as I never saw People live before, I thought I could never be rightly happy unless I was there. Yet I could never offer to ask for it, feeling my own Misery & wickedness. I thought they would never allow in to come there. In this way I continued like Standing Water till March 1760 when my Master Wm. Taylor got leave to move into the Choir House which caused me many Tears thinking our Saviour had left me alone to myself on account of my unfaithfulness, what would become of me I did not know. As I was very uneasy & being resolved to become our Saviour’s. I desired  leave to live in the Congregation at Fulneck which I also obtained & moved thither October 20th, 1760 very glad & thankful.
March 23d, 1761 I was received into the Congregation which was a great Blessing to me. In July I
had a hard Sickness, during which our Saviour gave me a new Seal of my Grace Election & comforted me about all past things.

December 20th 1761 I was made a partaker of my Lord’s Corpse & Blood in the holy Sacrament which was an unspeakable Grace to me, & I esteemed this Year a Year of Blessings bestowed upon me, which I shall never be able to express, & I wish that I may always have that Impression of it till our Saviour calls me home to himself. Oh! Could I but always prize my Call & Election sufficiently & thank our Saviour that he has granted me a nest amongst his People. I cannot but be ashamed that my heart does not burn more in Love towards Him. Thus far his own words.

In the Year 1763 he got a Call to go to Bedford, of which he accepted in a Childlike manner & served the Brethren in Bedford as Cook for several Years & then went to Duckenfield. On March 26th 1767 he came again to live here & went on in a happy Course. In the beginning of June 1770 he went to live in the Oeconomy at Mirfield. He was Naturally a peevish Temper, but his plain Honest & upright way of acting made him beloved amongst his Brethren. He was free & open-hearted with his Labourer nor did he speak better of himself than it was. He often felt the oppression of his Sickly Tabernacle, especially in the Spring and Autumn, but this last Spring it soon appeared that his Sickness was a Consumption & that he would not recover again, on which account he wished to come to Fulneck & go home in the Choir house last here, which was also granted him, last July the 11th for which he was very thankful. He spent his time in the Sick Room in a true Concession with our Saviour, waiting with resignation for the happy Hour of his
Dissolution which came to pass the 10th instant, when our Savr took him happily to himself as a Sinner who had found Grace in His Death and Sufferings.