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Title
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Deborah Thornton (1699-1771)
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Publisher
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Moravian Lives Project
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Date
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1771
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Type
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Text
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Format
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image/jpg
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Description
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This memorial account recounts the life and faith of Deborah Thornton (1699–1771), born Deborah Walker in England. Married in 1723, she lived peacefully with her husband until she experienced a spiritual awakening around 1740 through the preaching of John and Charles Wesley and later became connected with the Moravian community. After being widowed in 1746, she devoted herself more fully to religious life, moving to Fulneck and working faithfully among the Single Sisters. The narrative emphasizes her humility, diligence, devotion to prayer, and deep concern for her soul, especially during periods when she struggled with feelings of unworthiness and spiritual doubt. Over time she gained increasing comfort through communion, worship, scripture, and fellowship within the Moravian church. The final pages describe her declining health and peaceful final days, portraying her as spiritually prepared, calm, and joyful in anticipation of eternal life before her death in 1771.
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Subject
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Thornton, Deborah, 1699-1771
Moravians--Biography
Women--Biography
Biographies
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Identifier
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Ful/3/22
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Place
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Fulneck, England
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Language
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eng
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Extent
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3 pages
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Rights Holder
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Fulneck Moravian Archives, Fulneck, England
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transcript of
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Personalia of the Widow Deborah Thornton. and of the
Widows house in Fulneck, who Jan 10th. 1771
The late Sr Deborah Thornton, whose Maiden Name was Walker,
was born the 13th of May 1699, & brought up in the Church of
England. In the Year 1723 she was mard. to her late Husband
with whom she lived chearfully & contentedly. She was awakened
in the Year 1740 by the preaching of the late Br Delamotte & Mr
Ingham. In 1741 she became a Member of the Society at Spen.
Altho’ her Husband did not belong to the Brn he laid nothing
in her Way but rather was helpful to her that she should
miss no Opportunities among the Brn. She became a Widow
in 1746, at which Time she made a Covenant with our Savr
to become his entirely in Soul & Body. She soon left her
House & moved to Br & Sr Hunt at Gummersal, & her chief
Concern was to become better acquainted with our Savr &
his People. In Order to be nearer the Congn she moved to
Widow Robinson in Pudsey. She was found frequently
alone praying our Savr to have Mercy upon her. In 1750
she moved to Fulneck which she esteemed as a great Fa=
vour, & was employed in washing for the Single Brn which
she performed faithfully. In 1752 she was recd. into the Congn,
which was a Favour she esteemed herself unworthy of, and
which proved the Means of new Work being begun in
her by the holy ghost, whereby she learned to know more of
her deep Depravity & Unbelief; & in this her Distress she
wept before our Savr, begging Him to wash her in his pre=
cious Blood. In 1753 she had the Grace to be admitted to
the holy Communion with the Congn. She thought meanly
of herself, but had that Confidence to our Savr that she
could venture to Him with all her Misery, as a poor Sinner.
She served 6 Years in the Kitchen of the Children’s Oconomy
where she did her Work very faithfully & diligently; but
had also Opportunity of learning to know herself better &
that she stood daily in Need of fresh Grace. Circumstan=
ces requiring it, she moved into the Widows House, where
the holy ghost began a new School with her, by which Means
many Things were discovered to her which she had not
attended to before, & which caused her often to weep with
Concern of Heart on Account of her past Course & to
pray our Savr for a new Look of Grace, & that He would
heal her wounded Heart with his Blood; He heard her
Prayer & granted her Request, & she obtained Mercy as a
Sinner. She was of an anxious Disposition, which,
with her unfirm State of Body, made her sometimes
peevish among her Srs; but she was soon a Sinner about
it, & thought meanly of herself. Her Sickness, which was
a heavy One, caused her often to sigh to our Savr to take
her to Himself if it were his Will. She swelled very
much, but attended the Meetings diligently as long as
she was able, & was afterwards glad to live under the
Choir Meeting Hall where she was able to hear the Srs
sing in their Meetings & which was a Blessing to her.
Her Election of Grace was weighty to & highly prized
by her. She enjoyed the Communion 3 Times in her Room
with great Eagerness, & thought each Time would be the
last. She slept but little in the Night, but often prayed
our Savr to have Mercy upon her, & in the Day she slept
in a Chair. She was thankful for all the Kindness shewn to
her, & often wished with Tears that she was able to express
her Gratitude rightly for all the Mercy & Patience our Savr
had shew?st to her in her Course in the Congn, but in this Point,
said she, I must remain a great Debtor. She took great
Delight in the Watch-Word Book, & frequently opened Verses
in it for herself. What the Srs related to her concerning
Christmas & New-Years Night-Watches were very pleasing
to her. She often said, My Time here will not be very long.
When Sr Cammerhoff wished her a happy new Year, she
replied; I shall be compleatly happy when I am with Him,
& I hope that will be soon. She did not seem to be worse
than for some Time past, excepting that she was more
swelled. The 2 last Nights she slept better than she had
done for a long Time past. Jan. 10th Sr Cammerhoff
went into her Room as usual, & asked how she did? She
answered; I am very poorly. She afterwards spoke ?
? of several Matters, so that her Dissolution
did not appear to be so near, but she begun to quiver
being seized with a cold Fit, & immediately her Soul
took Flight to its Mother-City. We recommended her
Soul to the Wounds of Jesus, being surprised at her
sudden Departure.
