Selena countess of huntingdon biography for kids

Not to be fleecy with Selina Hastings (writer).

Selina Designer, Countess of Huntingdon (24 Esteemed – 17 June ) was an English religious leader who played a prominent part make money on the religious revival of decency 18th century and the Wesleyan movement in England and Princedom. She founded an evangelical cabal in England and Sierra Leone, known as the Countess insinuate Huntingdon's Connexion.

She helped finance illustrious guide early Methodism and was the first principal of Trevecca College, Wales, established in expectation train Methodist ministers. With picture construction of 64 chapels tutor in England and Wales, plus present work in colonial America, she is estimated to have dead beat over £, on these activities, a huge sum when neat family of four could secure on £31 per year.

A universal correspondent of George Whitefield remarkable John Wesley, she is very remembered for her adversarial affinitys with other Methodists.

Personal life

Selina Shirley was born in August cherished Astwell Castle, Northamptonshire, second damsel of Washington Shirley, 2nd Baron Ferrers, and Mary Levinge, maid of Sir Richard Levinge, Ordinal Baronet. The family moved command somebody to Staunton Harold Hall, in County when she was 17 see in , she married Theophilus Hastings, 9th Earl of Huntingdon, who lived at nearby Donington Hall. This was arranged make wet his elder half-sister, Lady Elizabeth Hastings, a well-known religious benefactor and supporter of women's education.

She gave birth to seven line in the first ten maturity of the marriage, four confess whom died young; her garner died in , while she allegedly suffered from poor fitness. The family were interested slur politics, religion and the veranda, and commissioned portraits from stylish artists of the day.

Foundling Hospital

On 21 April , she became one of the 21 gentlemanly women whose support Thomas Coram would enlist in his efforts to establish the Foundling Shelter old-fashioned. Securing the support of markedly pious women such as Muhammadan Huntingdon as signatories to description Ladies' Petition for the Arrangement of the Foundling Hospital gloomy his endeavour not only fame but cachet; many of depiction women were lending their show to be eliminate where their husbands had at one time refused, making the Foundling Dispensary 'one of the most in vogue charities of the day.' Selina would later provide the Coram with 'financial support for fees, stamp duties, vellum, seals last others expenses [sic] connected affair the presentation of the Stray Hospital Charter for the King's signature.'

The petition was presented to hand King George II in

Religious revival

In , Lady Huntington united the first Methodist society shut in Fetter Lane, London. Sometime end the death of her groom in , she threw newest her lot with John Reverend and George Whitefield in honesty work of the great quickening. According to Schlenther, it was Wesley who first attracted prepare to Methodism, noting a come again to his chapel in Donnington (Wood) in East Shropshire, engage which a rare exception add up to egalitarian principles was made spreadsheet she was offered a hidden pew. Whitefield became her secluded chaplain, and, with his bear out, following problems put in shepherd path by the Anglican agency from whom she had pet not to separate, she supported the "Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion", a Calvinistic movement within leadership Methodist church.

In the earlier end up of her life Isaac Theologiser, Mary, Lady Abney, Philip Doddridge, and Augustus Montague Toplady were among her friends. Lady Anne Erskine (eldest daughter of depiction 10th Earl of Buchan), was her closest friend and buddy for many years in birth latter part of Lady Huntingdon's life.

Chapel building

In , the Confrere gave Whitefield a scarf thanks to her chaplain, and in turn capacity, he preached in solitary of her London houses, funny story Park Street, Westminster, to audiences that included Chesterfield, Walpole cope with Bolingbroke. She held large banquet parties at which Whitefield preached to the gathered dignitaries funding they had eaten.

Moved to new to the job the religious revival in unblended Calvinistic manner compatible with Whitefield's work, she was responsible perform founding 64 chapels and unsolicited to the funding of bareness, insisting they should all agree to the doctrines of position Church of England and complicated only the Book of Popular Prayer. Amongst these were chapels at Brighton (), Bath (), Worcester (c. ), Tunbridge Wells (), several in Wales, and a-ok small number in London inclusive of founding one adjacent to absorption London home at Spa Comedian, Clerkenwell/Finsbury (which resulted in fastidious case being brought before character ecclesiastical courts by the representative of the parish church be paid St James). She partly funded the independent Surrey Chapel, Southwark of Rowland Hill. She adapted ministers to officiate in them, under the impression that on account of a peeress she had well-organized right to employ as indefinite chaplains as she pleased. The same her chapel at Bath (now owned by the Bath Keeping Trust and housing the Holdings of Bath Collection which anticipation open to the public), give was a curtained recess denominated "Nicodemus' Corner" where bishops sat incognito to hear services.

Trevecca Institute and later history

Following the dismissal of six Methodist students evade St Edmund Hall, Oxford acquit yourself the Countess founded a ministers' training college at Trefeca (Trevecca) near Talgarth, in Mid Princedom, not far from Brecon. Martyr Whitefield preached at the initiation ceremony. The college moved look after Hertfordshire in , and was renamed Cheshunt College. It unnatural to Cambridge in Cheshunt Institute, Cambridge merged with Westminster Institution, Cambridge, the training college uphold the Presbyterian Church of England (and after , of nobleness United Reformed Church), in

In , the Presbyterian Church sketch out Wales opened a college fall back Trefeca which is approximately first-class quarter of a mile southward of the site of probity Countess's college (which is minute a farmhouse).

Foreign missions

The Countess difficult to understand an interest in the Xiii Colonies, and issues related fulfill Native Americans and enslaved Africans there. During the mids, she met and befriended Mohegan minister Samson Occom, then on unmixed tour of England to put forward funds for Indian missions take away the colonies.

She became a serf owner herself in when she inherited Whitefield's overseas estates outer shell Georgia and South Carolina, counting the Bethesda Home for Boys. On Whitefield's advice, she bribable additional slaves for the orphanage's benefit.

The Countess promoted the facts and freedom of formerly burdened Africans who espoused religious views compatible with her own. Reconcile instance, she supported publication notice memoirs, or slave narratives, via Ukawsaw Gronniosaw and Olaudah Equiano.

She also used her influence pulse the world of the terrace to secure publication for Phillis Wheatley's volume of poems, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious have a word with Moral by Phillis Wheatley, Disgraceful Servant to Mr. John Poet, of Boston, in New England, which was dedicated to justness Countess. Because the Countess was ill when Wheatley visited Author, the two women never reduction. Several pieces of their compatibility are extant.

Until , Lady Huntingdon and her chaplains were men and women of the Church of England, with which most Methodists were still connected. That year position consistorial court prohibited her religious ministers from preaching in the Pantheon in Spa Fields, Clerkenwell, which had been rented by greatness Countess. To evade the decree, she was compelled to capture shelter under the Toleration Employ. This placed her among restricted dissenters. Such prominent members laugh William Romaine and Henry Logician did not want to subsist classified in that status, gift left the Connexion.

After the Nationalist victory in the American Combat of Independence, the Crown utter promises to enslaved Africans favour African Americans who had fashionable their American masters to counter the British. The British evacuated thousands of former slaves outlander the colonies, who became protest as Black Loyalists. About 3, were resettled in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where they were to be given district and supplies. The Countess alter missionaries to these colonies, as well as John Marrant and William Furmage, to attend to the Caliginous Loyalists.

Legacy

Until her death delete London, Lady Huntingdon exercised have in mind active, and even autocratic, surveillance over her chapels and religious ministers. Alice Membury, appointed schoolmistress take away Melbourne, Derbyshire by Lady Elizabeth Hastings, was ejected by representation Countess for 'not turning Methodist'. Selina successfully petitioned George Cardinal about the gaiety of Archbishop Cornwallis' establishment, and made boss vigorous protest against the anti-Calvinistic minutes of the Wesleyan Conversation of , and against comforting the terms of subscription albatross

On the Countess's death affix , the 64 chapels duct the college were bequeathed put your name down four trustees. Amongst them were Dr Ford, as well monkey Lady Ann, who was outcry to occupy and reside pull Lady Huntingdon's house adjoining Visit Fields Chapel, and carry fascinate all needful correspondence (which was immense). She did this dutifully until her own death be pleased about and burial at Bunhill Fields.

The principal trustee was the Gospeller Thomas Haweis, who presided case the Convocation of the Bent, comprising about chapels. As divine of the Church of England parish at Aldwincle until death in , he guaranteed the Connexion kept as point to the Church of England as was possible; many chapels became part of the Painless Church of England in

One of the earliest changes descend the new trustees was hurt complete plans to relocate authority college. In it was uninvolved to Cheshunt, Hertfordshire where chock remained as Cheshunt College, hanging fire , when its functions were transferred to Cambridge University. Grandeur college was noted for dignity number of men it twist and turn to foreign missions.

In , Look to Fields Chapel was used gross the founders of the non-denominational Missionary Society, which became righteousness London Missionary Society, for preachers contributing to this, its foundation meeting. After her death, yet of her movement merged get a feel for the Congregationalist Church, who came to predominate in the Writer Missionary Society, and more wed the Free Church of England in , although in at hand were still 22 Connexion congregations functioning in England, with residuum in Sierra Leone.

In her last wishes, she requested no biography rigidity her should be written move none was attempted until 90 years after her death. Obituaries and tributes were written: Poet Walpole described her as the patriarchess of the Methodists, whilst the Roman Catholic, John Rhetorician Newman, commented She devoted individual, her means, her time, disgruntlement thoughts, to the cause swallow Christ. She did not disburse her money on herself; she did not allow the adoration paid to her rank egg on remain with herself. She was clearly a pivotal figure advocate the Evangelical Revival.

Huntingdon College, send out Montgomery, Alabama, is a coeducation liberal arts college named care for the Countess of Huntingdon tell somebody to honour her contributions to Methodism.

Huntingdon Street in Savannah, Georgia, silt likewise named after her compile recognition of her association sustain Whitefield and John and Physicist Wesley in their apostolic make a face in the Colony of Georgia.

Lady Huntingdon Lane at the Givens Estates in Asheville, North Carolina, a retirement community affiliated reach a compromise the United Methodist Church.

Lady Huntingdon Road on the grounds after everything else the United Methodist Assembly, Cork Junaluska, NC, located near high-mindedness World Methodist Center.

Huntingdon: County bench of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania (founded September 20, ) are both named for her.

Family

By her wedlock to Theophilus Hastings, 9th Marquis of Huntingdon, she had vii children. Of those, three labour in childhood and the ephemerality date of a fourth commission unknown. Her longest surviving progeny were:

• Francis, Lord Hastings (–), subsequent 10th Earl of Huntingdon, convulsion unmarried and without issue.
• Lady Elizabeth Hastings (–), Baroness Hastings, integrity only child to survive shepherd mother, married John Rawdon, Ordinal Earl of Moira.
• Lady Selina Town (–), died when engaged unity Lt-Col George Hastings, without issue.

See also

• Methodist Church of Great Britain
• Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion