Family Circle: A Study of the Epworth Household in Relation to John and Charles Wesley

In this book Dr. Maldwyn Edwards has written a wholly absorbing study of the Epworth Rectory. In his vivid and scholarly work the members of that famous family circle come again to life. In contradiction of much recent criticism of the Rector, Dr. Edwards reveals the true and heroic proportions of the man. He examines at length the educational methods and writings of Susanna, and throws new light on her relations with her husband and her family. A fascinating chapter deals with the family ghost and not only attempts an explanation but shows the effect of ‘old Jeffrey’ upon John Wesley. An important section of the book deals with Samuel, the eldest brother. He was Churchman, Jacobite, poet, school-master, and important in his own right. The sisters have been overshadowed by their more famous brothers, but they were all remarkable, and in this book their separate stories are told. There is a careful inquiry into the life of the lovely and distinguished Hetty Wesley, the most accomplished and unhappy of them all. Finally, the relations of the family circle with each other, and with John and Charles Wesley, are brought under a lively scrutiny. Family Circle is a standard book on a subject all too little known, and yet one which is indispensable for an understanding of the Wesleys and of the rise of Methodism. It will appeal to the specialist and the general reader alike, for it tells the story of the most famous Rectory in English territory.