Moravian Lives @ Moravian U

Our late Br. Jo. Stott jur. was
born at Lane-end or Bankhouse hill
Jan. 26th. 1798 & baptised a few days
afterwards in our Chapel, his parents
being then, as they still are (for they
are both living) members of our ch.
From his childhood it would ap
pear the H. Spt. operated graciously
in his heart, for he was always
seriously disposed, a pleasant son
& maintained, in youth & maturity
a sturdy character. After his marriage
24 or 25 yrs. ago, he became a comt.
member of the church in which he
was born & brot. up. About 4 yrs
ago his mind was a good deal harassed
& depressed by a circumstance, for
which neither he nor any one, here was
to blame, but which involved him to
an amount very large for our
us his circumstances of life; in debt
??? Lord blessed & his wife partner’s
honest endeavours to discharge all
claims upon them; yet the fear
of bringing disgrace upon his fami
ly & his Christian profession so affected
his mind, that it is not improba
ble, the epileptic fits to which he
was thenceforward subject, were the

brought on. From that time his
life was very precarious & he was
well aware of it & he appeared to have
sought, with increasing earnestness,
to make his calling & election ???
he loved the house of God & would fre
quently say to his friends & rela
tives, how much good the saviour had
been the means of doing his soul
& he would doubtless have been a
more frequent attendant in the
Lords courts, had he not been de
terred by the fear of causing alarm
or disturbance, if he should be seized
in the Chapel, as actually was the
case on one occasion; as it was,
however, he was frequently seen
among those who went up to the
house of the Lord.
He was frequently known to retire
for the purpose of prayer, &, we hope,
was habitually watching for that
coming of his Lord, which he knew
must & would be sudden. The evening
before his death, being asked by a
friend, how he was in health, he re
plied, “I am very well; but I have
not a minunte to call my own;”
meaning, doubtless, that he might

be taken at a moment’s warning.
Of late the fits seem to have been
more frequent, & he always fell down
in a moment utterly unconscious.
Last Saturday morng. he went, un
known to his wife, between 7 & 8
a.m. to the well called Bank-house
well to fetch water, where he was
no doubt seized with one of the
fits while standing by the winch
of this well, fell into it, & was
very soon drowned. tho’ the well is
not 3 feet deep, & he had not been
above 1/4 of an hour absent from
his house. All means were tried
in vain to restore animation; his
spirit had fled to God who gave
it, & who saw fit to call him
home in this mysterious & striking
way. That well, then, was a well
of death to him; but we trust there
was in him a well of living water,
the flowing of which was not stopped
by the cold waters of that fountains,
but which rather, at that moment
sprang up with eternal life; for
our late Br. believed & put his whole
trust in that Savr, whom to know is
life eternal & who giveth living
water to all that ask of Him. Our

late Br. was 46 years old, & has left
a widow & 6 children to deplar his
loss. May the Lord be their Provider
and Comforter & lead them all to walk
with unwavering diligence the heart of great
price- the good part that shall not
be taken from them– that so they
may be prepared for length of days
or fit for early death.

Our late Brother John Stott Jr. was born at Lane-End or Bankhouse Hill on January 26th, 1798 and baptized a few days afterwards in our chapel, his parents being then, as they still are (for they are both living) members of our church. From his childhood, it would appear the Holy Spirit operated graciously in his heart, for he was always seriously disposed, a pleasant son and maintained, in youth and maturity, a sturdy character. After his marriage 24 or 25 years ago, he became a committed member of the church in which he was born and brought up. About 4 years ago, his mind was a good deal harassed and depressed by a circumstance for which neither he, nor anyone, here was to blame, but which involved him to an amount very large for us in his circumstances of life; in debt ???. The Lord blessed his and his partner’s honest endeavours to discharge all claims upon them; yet the fear of bringing disgrace upon his family and his Christian profession so affected his mind, that it is not improbable, the epileptic fits to which he was thenceforward subject, were then brought on. From that time, his life was very precarious and he was well aware of it, and he appeared to have sought, with increasing earnestness, to make his calling and election ???; he loved the house of God and would frequently say to his friends and relatives, how much good the Saviour had been doing to the means of his soul, and he would doubtless have been a more frequent attendant in the Lords courts, had he not been deterred by the fear of causing alarm or disturbance, if he should be seized in the chapel, as actually was the case on one occasion; as it was, however, he was frequently seen among those who went up to the house of the Lord. He was frequently known to retire for the purpose of prayer, and, we hope, was habitually watching for that coming of his Lord, which he must have known would be sudden. The evening before his death, being asked by a friend how he was in health, he replied, “I am very well; but I have not a minute to call my own”, meaning, doubtless, that he might be taken at a moment’s warning. Of late, the fits seem to have been more frequent, and he always fell down in a moment utterly unconscious. Last Saturday morning he went, unknown to his wife, between 7 and 8 a.m., to the well called Bank-house well to fetch water, where he was no doubt seized with one of the fits while standing by the winch of this well, fell into it and was very soon drowned, though the well is not 3 feet deep, and he had not been above 1/4 of an hour absent from his house. All means were tried in vain to restore animation; his spirit had fled to God who gave it, and who saw fit to call him home in this mysterious and striking way. That well, then, was a well of death to him; but we trust there was in him a well of living water, the flowing of which was not stopped by the cold waters of that fountains, but which rather, at that moment sprang up with eternal life; for our late Brother believed and put his whole trust in that Saviour, to whom is life eternal and who giveth living water to all that ask of Him. Our late Brother was 46 years old, and has left a widow and 6 children to despair his loss. May the Lord be their provider and comforter and lead them all to walk with unwavering diligence the heart of great price — the good part that shall not be taken from them — that so they may be prepared for length of days or fit for early death.