CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Antiquity of the Shirley Family. Saxon Origin. Norman Dignities. Royal Alliances. Foreign Crowns. British Coronets. The Clanricardes. Battle of Aghrim. The Parkers. The Lord High Chancellor found guilty. The Levinges. Irish Alliances. Birth of Lady Selina. Her Early Character. First Religious Impressions. The Grave of Youth. Piety. Private Prayer. Fashionable Life. Marriage. The Huntingdon Family. Its Ancestry. Tho Earl of Huntingdon. His Character. “Tears of the Muses.” Self-righteousness. The Methodists. Lady Margaret Hastings. The Light of Religious Truth. Force of Example. Conversion.

CHAPTER II.

Lord Huntingdon. The Bishop of Gloucester. Mr. Whitefield’s Preaching. Its effects. Dr. Southey. Dr. Hurd. Archbishop Seeker. First Methodist Society. Lady Anne Frankland. Lord Scarborough. Dr. Young. Lady Fanny Shirley. Mrs. Temple. Lady Mary Wortley Montague. Lady Townshend. Mr. Pope. Mr. Ingham. Mr. Charles Wesley. Miss Robinson. Lord Lisburne. The House of Lords. Hammond the Poet. Somerville the Poet. Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. Anecdotes. Duchess of Buckingham. Anecdotes. Duchess of Queensbury. Lord Orford. Lady Hinchinbroke.

CHAPTER III.

Early Methodists. Lay Preaching. Mr. Bowers. Mr. Cennick. Itinerants. Ordination. Mr. Maxfield. Mr. Wesley’s Opinion of his Call. Mr. Wesley’s Sanction. Bishop of Derry. Fetter-lane Society. Conduct of the Bishops. Opposition without. Bickerings. Shaw. The Moravians. Separation in Fetter-lane. First Division. The Society in Moorfields. Enthusiasm. Pluralities. Bishop Burnet. Mrs. Mitchell. Anecdote. Mr. Charles Wesley and the Moravians. David Taylor. General Baptists. Mr. Bennett. Grace Murray. John Nelson.

CHAPTER IV.

The Clergy. Mr. Simpson. Mr. Wesley’s Opinion of him. The One Wrong Principle. Mr. Graves. His Recantation. His Explanatory Declaration. Lady Huntingdon’s Schools. Lord Huntingdon’s Character. Miss Cooper: her Death. Letters. The Poor. Death of Mr. Jones. The Poor Penitent’s Death-bed. Mr. Wesley’s preaching on his Father’s Tomb. Donnington Park. Lady Abney. Dr. Watts. “The Grave.” Dr. Blair. Letters. Colonel Gardiner. His Marvellous Conversion. Letters.

CHAPTER V.

Lay-Preachers. Mr. Wesley’s Defence of them. Converted Clergy. Death of Lady Huntingdon’s Sons, George and Ferdinando Hastings. First Methodist Conference. Dr. Doddridge. Letters from Lady Huntingdon. Mr. Jones. The Pretender. Lord Carteret. George II. Death of Colonel Gardiner. Letters to Mr. Wesley, Dr. Doddridge, and Charles Wesley.

CHAPTER VI.

Death of the Earl of Huntingdon. His Lordship’s Epitaph. Letters from Sir John Thorold. Lady Huntingdon’s Piety. Letter to Dr. Doddridge. Lady Kilmorey. Duchess of Somerset. Welsh Preachers. Lady Frances Hastings. Mrs. Edwin. Lady Huntingdon’s adherence to the Church of England. Letter from Dr. Watts to Dr. Doddridge.

CHAPTER VII.

Mr. Whitefield arrives in England. Preaches at Lady Huntingdon’s. Letters. Lord Chesterfield. Lord Bolingbroke. Anecdotes of Mr. Whitefield’s Preaching. Appointed Chaplain to Lady Huntingdon. Christian Soldiers. Bishop of Exeter. Colonel Gumley. Mrs. Edwin. Lord St. John. Lady Suffolk. The Court Beauties. Lord Chesterfield. Marquis of Lothian. Lady Mary Hamilton. Anecdotes. Lady Townshend. English Nobility at Lady Huntingdon’s. Sir Watkin Williams Wynn. Persecution of the Welsh Methodists. Liberal Conduct of the Government. Marmaduke Gwynne, Esq.

CHAPTER VIII.

Dr. Gibbons. Dr. Gill. Mr. Darracott. The Young Lord Huntingdon. Lord Chesterfield. The Jews. German Minister. An Impostor. David Levi. Lady Fanny Shirley. Mr. Whitefield and Mr. Wesley. Ashby-place. Mr. Baddelley. Lady Huntingdon’s Illness. Lady Anne Hastings. Mr. Hervey. Bishop of Exeter. Mr. Thompson. Duke of Somerset. Mr. Moses Bruce. Bishop Lavington.

CHAPTER IX.

Mr. Romaine. Earthquake in London. Mr. Romaine appointed Chaplain to Lady Huntingdon. Ashby-place. Dr. Stonhouse. Dr. Akenside. New Jersey College. Governor Belcher. President Burr. Dissenting Ministers. Dr. Doddridge. Education of Ministers. Mrs. Hester Gibbon. Mr. Law. Mr. Whitefield’s success at Rotherham. Lord Lyttleton. Mr. Hervey. Dr. Doddridge.

CHAPTER X.

Mr. Whitefield at Ashby. Mr. Moses Browne. Mr. Martin Madan. Lady Frances Hastings. Dr. Stonhouse. Mr. Hartley. Death of the Prince of Wales. Anecdote. Lady Charlotte Edwin. Dr. Ayscough. Lord Lyttleton. Death of Lord Bolingbroke. Dr. Trapp. Dr. Church. Anecdotes.

CHAPTER XI.

Mr. Whitefield visits Scotland. Dr. Erskine and Dr. Robertson. Scotch Nobility. Mr. and Lady Jane Nimmo. Letter to Lady Huntingdon. Mr. Wardrobe. Mr. Hervey: his “Theron and Aspasio.” Letters to Lady Huntingdon. Lady Fanny Shirley. Prince and Princess of Wales. Mr. Hervey’s Method of Preaching. Letter from Lady Huntingdon. Mr. Steward. Lady Hastings.

CHAPTER XII.

History of Mr. Whitefield’s Tabernacle and Tottenham-court Chapel. Whitefield in London. Mr. Broughton. Countess of Hertford. Fetter-lane. Mr. Cennick. Methodist Society. Tabernacle commenced. Welsh Preachers. Moorfields. Lay Preachers. Nobility at the Tabernacle. Opposition of the Dissenters. Anecdotes of Dr. Watts. Lady Huntingdon and the Moravians. Sir Thomas and Lady Abney. Tabernacle opened. Long-acre Chapel. Hon. Hume Campbell. Tottenham-court Chapel opened. Mr. Edward Shuter. Foote the Player. “The Minor.” Lord Halifax. Duke of Grafton. Mr. Fox. Mr. Pitt. Mr. Rowland Hill. Captain Joss. Mr. Matthew Wilks. Mr. Knight. Mr. Hyatt. Mr. Whitefield’s Will.

CHAPTER XIII.

Mr. Venn begins to attract notice. Revival of Religion in the Established Church and among the Methodists. By whom first commenced. Mr. Venn’s acquaintance with Mr. Broughton, one of the Original Methodists. Dr. Haweis. Mr. Law. Illness of Mr. Venn. Accompanies Mr. Whitefield to Bristol. Remains with Lady Huntingdon at Clifton. Letter from Mr. Whitefield. Letter to Mr. Venn from Lady Huntingdon. Mr. Whitefield’s Letter to Mr. Venn. Oxford Students. Dr. Haweis. Mr. Whitefield’s Letter to Dr. Haweis. Convicts. Preaching to the Nobility at Lady Huntingdon’s. Handel. Giardini. Musical Composers.

CHAPTER XIV.

Lady Huntingdon and Mr. Fletcher. Introduction to Lady Huntingdon by Mr. Wesley. Bishop of London. Letter to Mr. Charles Wesley. Mr. Fletcher preaches and celebrates the Communion at Lady Huntingdon’s. Letter to Mr. C. Wesley. Letter to Lady Huntingdon. Mr. Fletcher appointed Vicar of Madely. Writes to Lady Huntingdon and Mr. Charles Wesley. Visits Mr. Berridge. Letter to Lady Huntingdon. Induction to Madely. Success of his Ministry. Letter to Lady Huntingdon.

CHAPTER XV.

Rise of Methodism in Yorkshire. Mr. Ingham. Count Zinzendorff. Mr. Delamotte. Mr. Okeley. Mr. Rogers. Letter from Mr. Whitefield. The United Brethren. Mr. Batty. Lady Betty Hastings. Ledstone Hall. Mr. Ingham’s Marriage with Lady Margaret Hastings. Count Zinzendorff visits Yorkshire. Moravian Settlement at Fulneck. John Nelson. Mr. Whitefield’s Letter to Mr. Ingham. Mr. Grimshaw. Lord and Lady Huntingdon visit Ledstone Hall. Mr. Charles Wesley. Mr. Graves encourages John Nelson. Persecution. Provincial Magistrates. John Nelson taken to Prison. Liberated by the influence of Lady Huntingdon. Lord Sunderland. Letter from Lady Huntingdon to Mr. Ingham. The Vicar of Colne. Mr. Grimshaw’s Opinions. Moravian Nobles. John Cennick. Mr. Ingham leaves the Moravians. John Allen.

CHAPTER XVI.

Mr. Whitefield returns to England. Writes to Mr. Ingham. Visits Yorkshire. Lady Huntingdon in Yorkshire. Extraordinary Occurrence. Mr. Graves. Mr. Milner. Mr. Grimshaw. Conference at Leeds. Mr. Ingham is chosen General Overseer. Mr. Charles Wesley. Mr. Whitefield at Haworth. Inghamite Churches. Church Discipline. Inghamite Preachers. Mr. Newton visits Yorkshire. His Letter to Mr. Wesley. Anecdote of his Preaching at Leeds. Mr. Romaine’s Opinion of the Inghamite Churches. Lady Huntingdon at Aberford. Mr. Romaine preaches in Mr. Ingham’s Chapels. Mr. George Burder. Mr. Romaine at Haworth. Mr. Grimshaw. Sandeman’s Letters. Church Government.

CHAPTER XVII.

Mr. Venn removed to Huddersfield. Mr. Burnett. Lord Dartmouth. Dr. Conyers. Visitation Sermon. Mr. Thornton. Lady Huntingdon visits Yorkshire. Mr. Romaine. Mr. Wesley. Mr. Madan. Letters from Dr. Conyers to Lady Huntingdon. Letter from Mr. Venn. Mr. Titus Knight. Letter from Mr. Grimshaw. Death of Mr. Grimshaw. Letter from Mr. Venn. Letter from Dr. Conyers. Letter from Mr. Fletcher. Lady Huntingdon, with Messrs. Townshend and Fletcher, visit Huddersfield. Illness of Lady Huntingdon. Mr. Whitefield in Yorkshire. William Shent. Mr. Venn’s Irregularities. Mrs. Hannah More. Defence of Mr. Venn. Letter from Mr. Fletcher. Mrs. Deane. Lady Irvine. Mr. Occum, the Indian Preacher. Captain Scott. The London Shunamite. Mr. Wilson.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Melancholy State of Mr. Ingham. Lady Huntingdon and Mr. Venn. Illness and Death of Lady Margaret Ingham. Letter from Mr. Ingham. Letter from Mr. Romaine. Mr. Ingham’s Treatise on the Faith and Hope of the Gospel. Mr. Riddell. Lady Huntingdon sends Students to Yorkshire. Letter from Mr. Riddell. Mr. Joseph Milner, of Hull, attends Lady Huntingdon’s Preachers. Begins to Preach the Gospel. Mr. Myler. Letter from Lady Huntingdon to Mr. Romaine. Mr. Tyler’s Labours at Hull. Letter from Lady Huntingdon to Mr. Milner. York. Mr. Wren. Letter from Lady Huntingdon. Letter from Mr. Wren. Mr. Glascott. Mr. Wells. Mr. Powley. Lady Huntingdon’s Chapel at York.

CHAPTER XIX.

Death of the Hon. Henry Hastings. Lady Huntingdon’s Exertions at Brighton. Joseph Wall. Mr. Whitefield’s first Visit to Brighton. Lady Huntingdon sells her Jewels. The Chapel opened by Mr. Madan. Mr. Romaine. Oathall. Captain Scott. Anecdote. Old Abraham. Letters from Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Romaine. Christian Perfection. Mr. Maxfield and Mr. Bell. Letter from Mr. Romaine. Mr. Madan. Letters from Messrs. Berridge, Romaine, and Venn. Mr. Jones (of St. Saviour’s).

CHAPTER XX.

Dr. Haweis. Mr. Romaine driven from the Chapel of the Broadway. Lord Dartmouth. Letters from Messrs. Romaine and Conyers. Sinless Perfection. Letters from Messrs. Romaine and Wesley. Erasmus, Bishop of Arcadia. Mr. Toplady. Letters from Messrs. Fletcher and Berridge. Death of Lady Selina Hastings. Colonel Hastings. Account of Lady Selina’s Death. Letters from Lord Dartmouth. Mr. Venn. Mr. Fletcher. Mr. Berridge. Oathall Chapel. Letters from Mr. Berridge. Mr. Venn’s “Complete Duty of Man.” Letters from Messrs. Venn and Berridge.

CHAPTER XXI.

Mr. Romaine. Lectureship at St. Dunstan’s. Lord Mansfield. Darkness Visible. The Bishop of Peterborough. Popular Election. St. Ann’s, Blackfriars. Probation Sermon. Contest. Canvassing. Scrutiny. Second Election. Suit in Chancery. Gratitude of Lady Huntingdon. Mr. Jesse. Mr. Shirley. Mr. Romaine’s Views of his Preferment. Lewes. Lady Huntingdon procures an opening for Mr. Romaine, for Mr. Madan, and Mr. Fletcher. The Oratorio. Musical Taste of Mr. Madan and Dr. Haweis. Lady Huntingdon’s Chapel at Lewes opened and re-opened. Mr. Mason. His Work on the Catechism. Mr. Edwards, of Ipswich. Mr. Berridge and the Bees. Southey’s “Reflections.” Their Refutation. Character of Berridge. His Wit. His Labours. Berridge and the Bishop.

CHAPTER XXII.

Mr. and Mrs. Powys. Letters. Mr. Whitefield. Mr. Fletcher. Mr. Venn. Sir C. Hotham. Howel Harris. Chapel at Brighton re-opened. Letters. Mr. Romaine. Mr. Talbot. Mr. Berridge. Anecdote of the Countess. Mr. De Courcy. Mr. Vincent Perronet. Mr. Toplady. Mr. Bliss. Mr. Pentycross. Chapel at Chichester opened. Chapels at Petworth, at Guildford, and Basingstoke. Enlargement of that at Brighton. Mr. Thomas Jones.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Public Fast. Extracts from Lady Huntingdon’s Letters. Prayer-meetings for the Nation. Mr. Venn. Mr. Berridge. Singular Effects of his Preaching. Mr. Romaine and Mr. Madan’s visit to Everton. Mr. Wesley preaches at Everton. Convulsive Motions amongst the Congregation. Letters to Lady Huntingdon. Lady Huntingdon visits Mr. Berridge. Mr. Venn and Mr. Fletcher preach at Everton. Loud Cries amongst their Hearers. Duke of York. Dr. Dodd. Murder of Mr. Johnson. Lord Ferrers. Tried by his Peers. Visited in Prison by Lady Huntingdon. Singular Conduct of Lord Ferrers. Execution.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Proposed Union among the Evangelical Clergy. Methodism in Scotland. Lady Frances Gardiner. Mr. Townshend sent to Edinburgh. Mr. De Courcy. Lady Glenorchy. Mr. Wesley. Lady Maxwell. Samson Occum, the Indian Preacher. Mohegan Indians. Dr. Haweis. Affair of Aldwincle. Lady Huntingdon purchases the Advowson; writes to Mr. Thornton. Lady Huntingdon’s Letters to Lord Dartmouth and Mr. Madan. Anecdote.

CHAPTER XXV.

Progress of Piety at Cambridge. Rowland Hill. Oxford. St. Edmund’s Hall. The Six Students. Expulsion. Sir Richard Hill. Dr. Horne, Bishop of Norwich. Mr. Goodwyn. Charges against Lady Huntingdon. Account of the Students, and the Proceedings against them. Letter from Lady Huntingdon. Lady Buchan. Letter from Mr. Wesley. Cheltenham. Lord Dartmouth. Letter from Mr. Venn. Mr. Wells. Mr. Trinder. Mr. Whitefield to Mr. Madan. Mr. Madan to Mr. Wesley. Lady Huntingdon to Mr. Alderman Harris. Gloucestershire Association. Lady Huntingdon to Mr. Brewer. Chapels at Gloucester, Worcester, and Cheltenham. Lady Huntingdon’s Letter concerning them.

CHAPTER XXVI.

Chapel at Bath. Pope the Poet. Warburton, Bishop of Gloucester. Lady Fanny Shirley. Charles Wesley. John Wesley. Beau Nash. Anecdote. Mr. Hervey. Methodist Conference. Mr. Larwood. Potter, Archbishop of Canterbury. Dr. Doddridge. Hon. Mrs. Seawen. Mr. Cruttenden. Mr. Neal. Dr. Doddridge visits Bristol. Visits Lady Huntingdon at Bath. Anecdote. Dr. Oliver. Dr. Hartley. Prior Park. Death of Dr. Doddridge. Mr. Grinfield. The Moravians. Count Zinzendorff. Elizabeth King. Lady Gertrude Hotham. Death of Miss Hotham. Marriage of Sir Charles Hotham. Death of his Lady. His own Decease. Death of his Mother, Lady Gertrude. Mr. Theophilus Lindsay. Mrs. Brewer. Lord Huntingdon and Mr. Grimshaw. Lord Chesterfield and Mr. Stanhope. Countess of Moira. Mrs. Carteret and Mr. Cavendish. Countess Delitz. Lady Chesterfield. Earl of Bath. Lord Cork. Anecdote of George II.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Chapter at Bath. Bretby Hall. Mr. Townsend and Mr. Jesse. Mr. Romaine. Mr. Shrapnell. Mrs. Wordsworth. Letters from Mr. Romaine. Chapel opened at Bath. Mr. Whitefield and Mr. Townsend. Mr. Fletcher’s Labours at Bath. Lord and Lady Glenorchy. Letter from Lady Glenorchy to Lady Huntingdon. Death of Lord and Lady Sutherland. Lady Huntingdon, the Wesleys, and Mr. Whitefield. Letter from Lady Huntingdon to Mr. Wesley. Horace Walpole. Lady Betty Cobbe. Nobility attend Lady Huntingdon’s Chapel. Letter from Mr. Whitefield to Mr. Powys. Mr. Stillingfleet. Mr. Venn and Sir Charles Hotham. Anecdotes of Mr. Venn. Mr. Andrews and the Bishop of Gloucester. Mr. Venn at Trevecca. Mr. Lee. Captain Scott and Mr. Venn. Anecdotes of Captain Scott. Letter from Mr. Venn. Mr. Howel Davies. Anecdote. Dr. Haweis. Mr. Cradock Glascott’s Letter from Mr. Fletcher.

George Whitefield

LIFE AND TIMES

OF THE

COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON