The Life of Margaret Wife of Richard Baxter, Chapter 1
A Breviate of the Life of Margaret, the Daughter of Francis Charlton, Es que and late Wife of Richard Baxter, who dyed June 14. 1681.
CHAP. I. Her Parentage, and the occasion of our acquaintance.
§. THough (due) affection make me willing to give the world a Narrative which else I had omitted; yet the fear of God hath not so forsaken me, that I should willingly deliver any falshood through partiality or passion: but as I knew more of this person than any other, for the good of the Readers and the honour of Gods grace in her, I shall by Gods assistance truly report the things which I knew.
§. 2. We were born in the same County within three miles and an half of each other; but she of one of the chief Families in the County, and I but of a mean Freeholder (called a Gentleman for his Ancestors sake, but of a small Estate, though sufficient): Her Father, Francis Charlton Esq was one of the best Justices of the Peace in that County, a grave and sober worthy man, but did not marry till he was aged and gray, and so dyed while his children were very young, who were three, of which the eldest daughter and his only son are yet alive. He had one surviving Brother, who after the Fathers death maintained a long and costly suit about the Guardianship of the Heir (yet living): This Unkle (Robert) was a comely sober Gentleman, but the wise and good Mother Mary durst not trust her only Son in the hands of one that was his next heir. And she thought that Nature gave her a greater Interest in him than an Unkle had. But it being in the heat of the late Civil War, Robert being for the Parliament, had the advantage of strength, which put her to seek relief at Oxford from the King, and afterwards to marry one Mr. Hanmer, who was for the King, to make her interest that way. Her house being a sort of a small Castle, was now garisoned for the King. But at last Robert procured it to be besieged by the Parliament's Soldiers, and stormed and taken; where the Mother and the children were, and saw part of their buildings burnt, and some lye dead before their eyes; and so Robert got possession of the children.
But at last she by great wisdom and diligence surprised them, and secretly conveyed them to one Mr. Bernards in Essex, and secured them against all his endeavours.
§. 3. The Wars being ended, and she as Guardian possessing her Son's Estate, took him (as only Son) as her self, and used his Estate as carefully as for her self, but out of it conscionably paid debts of her Husbands, repaired some of the ruined houses, and managed things faithfully, according to her best discretion, until her Son marrying, took his Estate into his own hand.
§. 4. She (being before unknown to me) came to Kederminster (twenty miles) desiring me to take a House for her alone: I told her that I would not be guilty of doing any thing which should separate such a Mother from an only Son, who in his youth had so much need of her counsel, conduct, and comfort; and that if passion in her, or any fault in him, had caused difference, the love which brought her through so much trouble for him, should teach her patience, rather than forsake him. She went home, but shortly came again, and took a house without my knowledg.
§. 5. When she had been there alone a while, her unmarried daughter Margaret (about seventeen or eighteen years of age) came after her from her Brother's, resolving not to forsake the Mother who deserved her dearest love; and sometime went to Oxford to her elder sister (Wife to Mr. Ambrose Vpton, then Canon of Christs Church, both yet living). In this time the good old Mother lived as a blessing among the honest poor Weavers of Kederminster, strangers to her, whose company for their piety she chose before all the Vanities of the world. In which time my acquaintance with her made me know, that (notwithstanding she had formerly been somewhat passionate) she was a woman of all that manly patience in her great tryals, that prudence and piety, and justice and impartiality, and other Virtues which I mentioned in her Funeral Sermon. Of her death anon. It is her daughters case that this is the Prologue to.