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Title
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Mary Myers (1731-1825)
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Publisher
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Moravian Lives Project
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Date
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1771?–1772?
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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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Mary Myers, born in 1731 near Bradford, was raised in poverty after losing her father as a child, yet from an early age she developed a deep attachment to the Moravian community and a strong devotion to the Savior. Through hard work, perseverance, and faithful attendance at Moravian meetings, she eventually joined the congregation and later the Sisters’ Choir, where she became known for her humility, diligence, spiritual seriousness, and steadfast commitment to Christ. Despite difficult family circumstances and recurring poor health, she remained grateful, disciplined, and devoted to the fellowship of the Sisters, eventually serving in leadership roles within the choir. In her final illness she spoke peacefully and lovingly about her desire to be united with her “Souls Bridegroom,” expressing gratitude for the grace she had received throughout her life. After receiving Holy Communion one last time, she died calmly and serenely, believing she was entering the arms of her Savior.
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Subject
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Myers, Mary, 1731-
Moravians--Biography
Women--Biography
Biographies
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Identifier
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Ful/3/39
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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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4 pages
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Rights Holder
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Fulneck Moravian Archives, Fulneck, UK
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transcript of
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Out of the S Srs Choirhouse in Fulneck who departed happily to our Savr on Jany 25th
Our Happily departed Sister Mary Myers was Born at Horton Bradford parish Jany 15th 1731, having left nothing of Her course thro’ this time, the following has been conducted from Sisters who has had acquaintance with Her & Her familie Circumstances from Her Earliest years at which Time she was left fatherless in a very poor & needy condition & Her mother was necessitated to permitt Her to ask for Bread & also work in the neighboring familie whose kindness she has often spoke of with the greatest gratitude of Heart Her implicit attachment to our Savr & His people was disscoverable when she was a Child & by the freindly Countenance of those who frequented the meeting which Mr Ingham kept at Horton she got Herself introduc’d Many a time to Her great pleasure when Br Helt had the care of the children she was particularly noticed by Him, & woud Earnestly tell him she wou’d love our Savr even to Her lives End. she also had the injoying the school kept at Horton once or twice a week by the Sister & to avoid Her being aprenticed out by the Town she took diligently to work with Her mother & Her other Children & sought on all occasions by industry to acquire a decency of Clothing in hopes that she shou’d come into connection with our Savrs people; she continued in a steady perserverance to attend the meetings & was received into the great Girls Choir, at wch Time she injoyd such a blessing from our Savr which was an abiding Token to Her Heart that she was Accepted of by Him & she beg’d permission to frequent the Childrens meetings altho she was now in the great Girls Choir, which this a loved blessing made everything Else of no avail to her, that nor no perswations or temptation had any lasting influence to hurt her dureing her Great Girls years, & at Her reception into the Sisters Choir she got a particular Clearness of Her Election of Grace & to become subordinate to Her Choir of Sisters & the Congregation; this followed Her thro’ all the dificulties thrown in Her way by Her Relations from whom she had no small tryals to Strugle with, yet she acounted all things Good Enough If she cou’d
If she cou’d but keep the hold of Him, who had redeem’d Her Soul & body from sin & its condemnation. Novbr 13th 1753 she was receivd into the Congregation for which Grace she had wept Many Tears, & much pain’d on account of of the reception of Her Sister whose ??? & conduct was no Edification but rather a dissgrace. dureing those years between Her reception & communion, she had a fever at which Time she got a deeper insight into Her own depravity & shortness in the Sinnerpoint; which she communicated to some Sisters on a visit, to whom she said I must begin quite a new & being also prity Close by spoke too by Her Labourer, she feard that some indifference was Creeping in with Mary as she made no speed to shelter herself from danger by coming to the Choirhouse, Her intireness of Heart soon Closd in with the kind admonition & she seek afresh determination to make short work with her usual diligence kept her ???things in readyness & on Sept 4 1756 she had the Grace to become a participant of the Holy Sacrament which so incorage & strenghd her inward course, so that she thought it nither safe nor good to remain a Moment longer in her present situation, yet thro’ various circumstances she injoyed not the previledge of coming to the choirhouse till June 1757, the Time Since then she with bowedness confessd has been the Most valuable to Her in all Her Life, & she has given unalterable proves of a steady attachment to Her souls bridegroom & with a chereful Heart has industerously Labourd to bring Her self thro’ with decency & order & has given & an Exemplary Testimonie proof of Her thankfulness for what the poorest she has enjoyed, in Common with her Choir meal of victuals in the Scarcest times which has put dissatisfied Conscience often to the Blush. in the year 1768 she became Accoluth & soon after came amongst the intercessors & in the year 1770 became Choir Diciples which period was Closed with Her; she had the inspection of a room of Sisters & felt mothers smart with real concern when she percived
anything that was no sisterlike & Her conduct was plain ????? was a check to all unuprightness wch might appear in others undisguised which ???? those who has as yet ??? ???? ???? & ???ness of the Human Heart to get a dislike to Her ??? ???? ???? for it causd Her pain to see such precious moments ??? ??? ??? of Grace so poorly made use of. Her incessant prayer was that our Savr might become their only Object & then there wou’d be no ??? ???? ????, for she Carryd no refreshment but as she Loved them very much this 3 years past our dear Sister Mary Myers has been in a State of Health & tho’ she cou’d Earn little yet she proportioned Her Expenses accordingly with all thankfulness haveing always a ???? small her wants, & we was in hopes that her dissorder of ???? appitite wou’d be strengthen so that her bodily ??? wou’d be more suporting. in the foregoing week of departure it was perceived she had taken cold & sufficiently cared for Her sickly constitution, yet she continued Her usual work & conversation with the Sisters as if nothing was the Matter, but on wednesday it was ???? she rested little & had frequent Reachings & when ??? ????? said she was quite sufficiently attended to, & was very thankful to the Sister on the following she was moved into the Sick room & rested a little better that night, but in the Morning complain’d of a voilent pain in Her ???? which was present accompanied with continual Reaching, so that the docter who was very attentive to help her on all ???? found the Medicnce to take no Effect, &sthe constantly repeated to the Sisters both those she ???? & those that came to see Her, that she shou’d soon now be with our dearest Savr, thank’d them kindly for their Love & desired them to pray for Her that she might have patience to wait the approaching Hour of her disolution the Sisters was quite affected & perceived an uncommon serenity in Her Countenance & a peaceful feeling from our Savrs precious nearness ??? ???
to the Holy commuion the Choir helper told Her what she had the Last occupied with all or she wou’d have been more present with Her, at which she Expressed Her Eager desire to partake once more of the body & blood of our dearest Lord which gave Occasion for a most Happy & Sinnerlike conversation between them as following my dear Sister Love my Heart has been always one with you upon the death & sufferings of our dear Lord, who has bore with me in the greatest weakness & infermitie, & alone has brought me thro’ as a neverfailing freind from first to Last I am you know a very poor Sinner one whom he hath much forgiven & I cou’d tell you every thing from the very bottom of my heart whatever concernd my poor self but now all is over & all is right I am in peace both in Heart & Conscience towards you & all my dear Sisters, whose fellowship has been a real blessing to my heart may our dear Savr bless you & them together for I shall soon go to my Souls Bridegroom as His poor & needy sinner, Last Sunday I requested of Him to take me soon & got a promising feeling that Chere’d me with a lively hope that I shou’d not be long Here, but I shou’d with have all I wanted, she was then askd If she how long she thought of Continueing she said not over night & if I have the Grace to injoy his body & blood once more that is all I want, she had the Saccrement administerd to Her according to Her desire with inExpressable feeling from our Savr precious nearness & Her Countenance was filld with a devine serenitic & a God like peace was felt during the Liturgey & at half an hours after about Six in the Evening Her precious Soul took fleight into the arms of Her beloved Bridegroom with the blessing of Her Choir.
