Grace Murray

Model Leader and John Wesley's True Love

   Two perspectives on Grace Murray's life, one from the twentieth century and the other from the nineteenth century.

Grace Murray

By Ruth Daugherty

   Grace Murray was a member of Foundery Society in London and a model leader in the early Methodist movement. In her memoirs she wrote:

Mr. Wesley made me a Leader of a Band; I was afraid of undertaking it, yet durst not refuse, lest I should offend God. I was also appointed to be one of the Visitors of the Sick which was my pleasant work.

   John Wesley said, "May not women as well as men, bear a part in this honorable service? Undoubtedly they may; nay, they ought; it is meet, right and their bounden duty. Herein there is no difference, 'there is neither male nor female in Christ Jesus.'"

   After the death of her husband, Grace returned to northern England and was appointed one of the first class leaders of the newly established Society of Newcastle. She traveled through the northern counties of England and into Ireland to meet with the female societies. Wesley commended her work by saying: "I saw the work of God prosper in her hands. She was to me both a servant and friend, as well as a fellow-laborer in the Gospel."

   Ruth Daugherty, former president of the Women's Division, General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church is study guide author for John Wesley: Holiness of Heart and Life © copyright 1996. The material above is excerpted from the guide.

John Wesley and Grace Murray

By J. B. Wakeley

   Grace Murray was one of John Wesley's spiritual children. She was a widow, young and beautiful, with a superior education. Mr. Wesley appointed her matron of the Orphan House at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Afterward, at Mr. Wesley's request, she traveled through the northern counties to meet and regulate the female classes. Like other itinerants of those days she traveled on horseback. An eye-witness said he saw her take leave at a house door in Yorkshire. Her horse was waiting, and as she came out, a glance of her eye told her all was right. She needed no assistance, but laying her hand upon the intelligent beast, which knelt to receive her, sprang into the saddle, waved her hand, and in a moment was out of sight.

John Wesley (T), Charles Wesley (L) and George Whitefield (R)

   None will venerate the memory of John Wesley less if we say he loved Grace Murray, and had a desire she should become his wife. They were engaged to be married; but his brother Charles and Whitefield were opposed to his marrying at all, and took steps which were but too successful to induce her to marry another. John Bennet was one of Mr. Wesley's early preachers and was very successful. He afterward separated from Mr. Wesley's societies, became a Calvinist, and the pastor of an independent Church in Cheshire. He had once been sick of a fever and Grace Murray nursed him, and from that period he desired she should become his wife. Favored with the influence of Charles Wesley and of Whitefield, he succeeded in winning Grace; she having been persuaded by these influential friends that her marrying John Wesley would in all probability lessen his usefulness in the itinerancy.

   John Wesley felt the disappointment most keenly. He poured out the sorrows of his heart not only in prose but in verse. In one of his letters he says, "The sons of Zeruiah were too strong for me. The whole world fought against me, but above all my own familiar friend. Then was fulfilled, 'Son of man, behold I take from thee the desire of thine eyes at a stroke, yet shall not thou lament, neither shall thy tears run down.' The fatal, irrecoverable stroke was struck on Thursday last. Yesterday I saw my friend that was, and him to whom she is sacrificed."

   Nearly thirty years after her husband's death Mr. Wesley, who had never mentioned her name since her marriage, went at her own request to see her. He spent a short time with her, and after this interview never mentioned her name. In 1803 she died, and Jabez Bunting, who had known her for many years, preached her funeral sermon from Psalm xxvii, 13, 14.

   Source: J. B. Wakeley, Anecdotes of the Wesleys: Illustrative of Their Character and Personal History (New York: Nelson & Phillips, 1869).

Next: Wesley and Women

Graphics
The drawing near the top of most the web pages for Holiness of Heart and Life depicts the Reverend John Wesley (1703-1791) at age 48. All of the black and white drawings have been scanned by Nancy A. Carter for the General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church from public domain nineteeth century or early twentieth century Methodist history books. Please acknowledge this web site, John Wesley: Holiness of Heart and Life, http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/, if you reproduce these. We now have some graphics available in high resolution format, suitable for print media.