Mary Bosanquet Fletcher

Mary Bosanquet was born in September 1739, in Leytonstone, near London, England, to a wealthy family of Huguenot descent. Her father, Samuel Bosanquet, was a merchant, and the family was part of the elite. She grew up in comfort, with fine clothes and parties. At an early age, she felt a deep sense of the emptiness of this life. She was of a religious turn and was drawn to the Methodist movement. At the age of seventeen, she was moved by a message from a Methodist preacher, and she gave her life to Christ. Her family was opposed. They hoped for a good marriage and were distressed by her enthusiasm.

She left her family's home, and in 1763, she bought a house at Leytonstone, which she turned into an orphanage and school. She took in poor children and cared for them. She lived with a few like-minded women, with whom she shared a simple life. The home was marked by a strict discipline and by prayer. She was supported by an inheritance from her aunt, which she used for the work. In 1768, she moved her household to Cross Hall, near Morley, in Yorkshire, where she continued her work. She became a leader of the Methodist society in the area.

She began to hold prayer meetings and to speak to the people. In time, she began to preach, which was a bold step for a woman in the eighteenth century. She was uneasy about it and wrote to John Wesley to ask his advice. In 1771, he replied that he thought that she had an extraordinary call and that she should go on. He said that the Lord sometimes made exceptions. It was a milestone in Methodist history, as it gave a measure of approval to the preaching of women. She became one of the first women to preach in the Methodist movement. She was a gentle and effective speaker.

Her relationship with John Fletcher, the vicar of Madeley, was a source of comfort for many years. They had known one another for a long time, and he had proposed to her in 1770. She had declined, because she felt that she was needed at her orphanage. They remained friends and corresponded for years. In 1781, she married him, at the age of forty-two. He was fifty-two. They had a short marriage, which was happy. She moved to Madeley and joined him in his parish work. She cared for the sick and the poor. She ran a school and held classes.

His death in 1785 was a great blow. He died of a fever that he caught from a parishioner. She was left a widow after four years of marriage. She stayed in Madeley and continued to serve the people. She maintained the parish work and held meetings in the vicarage. She preached in the area and was a leader of the Methodist society. She was a friend of the poor. She also took an active part in the life of the Methodist societies in Shropshire. Though the vicar who followed did not accept her work, she carried on.

She was a woman of deep piety and common sense. She kept a diary and wrote letters, which were collected and published after her death. She was a close friend of Sarah Crosby and Sarah Ryan, other women preachers. She had a strong sense of her calling. She faced the opposition of some who thought that a woman should not preach. She answered with courage.

She died on December 9, 1815, in Madeley, at the age of seventy-six. A biography of her life, written by Henry Moore, was published in 1817. It was widely read among the Methodists. Her life shows that a woman of wealth can give herself to the service of the poor, and that the Lord may use the gifts of women in ways that the church had not expected.