JOHN BOWNE’S TESTIMONY AT THE BURIAL OF HANNAH BOWNE
Most of our knowledge of Hannah Bowne’s life comes from the eulogy John Bowne delivered at her burial. Hannah died on the 12th day of the 11th month 1677, by Quaker reckoning, or February 11 by the Quaker calendar. The document below preserves this speech, as it was recorded by the clerk of the Quaker Meeting that hosted Hannah’s memorial service. When a Quaker passed away, the Meeting would gather to hear close friends and relatives bear witness to the life and character of the deceased. Such speeches were known as “testimony” for the departed.
The Testimony of John Bowne concerning his Innocent Wife and faithful Yoke-fellow Hannah Bowne as in the Simplicity of Truth it arose and was spoken amongst Friends when met together to accompany her Body to the Ground at the house of their dear friends John and Mary Elson at the Peele Meeting Place Londo. the 2d 12th Mo. 1677[1]
My dear Friends, for so I can truly call you: The desire of my heart is that every mind may sink down inwardly, that so you may feel, Yea may taste, and may truly Savour, that which springs from the Lord’s begetting; for I can in truth say it livingly springs in my heart this day, although I may in some sense truly declare that my naturals have been even as dissolved in this weighty exercise[2], in this deep and very near trial wherewith my heavenly Father’s pleasure hath been to prove me, who now hath seen good to gather to himself into everlasting rest that which he alone hath prepared and fitted for himself out of that earthly tabernacle, which now I must leave behind, as once the thing sprang in her that she must stay behind her Husband.
Now must I leave that earthly tabernacle to be laid among many of the Lord’s [worthies], amongst his Valiants and amongst his tender Babes, many of which we have been truly refreshed with for these many years. And I know not any place from my outward being could have been such satisfaction to me as with you at this time, and I find myself, having this opportunity, weightily concerned to testify a little of the abundance that is in my heart concerning my dear and tenderly beloved wife, to whose charge I have not anything to lay since I first enjoyed her company.
To declare a little to you, my Friends, to ease my heart in this matter: when I first heard of her, before I knew her face a true Love was begotten in my heart towards her, because of the Love of God that lived in her and that from her childhood she sought after heavenly things; whose face when I did behold it, as I may say, it was outwardly beautiful and amiable, and so hath it continued unto me and to all that truly knew her. She was very zealous for the Lord in what she knew in that day, and from the first closing with the thing I declared unto her she hath been truly faithful unto me, until her last minute; as I have often heard her say, the resolution of her heart and the bent of her spirit was altogether to be subject unto me in all things which for conscience sake she could do.
But after the Lord’s Messengers[3] came amongst us and declared the eternal Truth, she readily joined with it, and durst not derogate from it. She was a true and tender Mother to her children (seven I hope is yet remaining of them); her care over them was such that she would never consent to part with any one of them out of her family except [I could describe] a place better for them for their eternal wellbeing.[4]
But when the Lord laid it upon her, then was she truly willing to leave both her native country and her husband and children and all her dear relations; and after some other difficult travels[5] she was concerned to see Friends in the Nation of England, which being accomplished in an acceptable time she returned to my own dwelling, where joyfully she was received of all that truly knew her.
But in a little time she declared unto me that when she was upon the seas it was in her view that she must say, “Husband I am come to see thee, but I must not tarry”; which came to pass in some months’ time that except she returned to England again, she could not enjoy peace with the Lord.
At the knowledge of which I could freely have given up all to have accompanied her, but not daring to stir without the leading of the Lord, I was made freely willing to part with her and remain at home with my little ones. But after some time the thing sprang in my heart to make preparation to come for England, and it was made truly easy to me that if the Lord required her travelling in these countries that I should take the care of her and accompany her, if it were to the disbursing of half my outward estate.
But when I came here, I understood she was in Ireland[6], which place I expected I might find her; which being accomplished, it lay upon her spirit to visit Friends throughout all that nation, wherein I did accompany her willingly to a thousand miles travel, and afterwards came over into England, into part of many Counties in this nation, hoping when I came to London the Lord would make her way homeward. But a necessity was laid upon her of further travel in these countries; but it was much with me to press her, so far as I durst, to haste away to her children. And when I durst proceed no farther, I gave up to accompany her wheresoever the Lord might order her, which hath been through Holland, Friesland, and as far as the City of Embden[7] in the Low Countries, which was the furthest place that stood in her view ere she went over; through all which I have a testimony in my heart she was made serviceable for the Lord, and particularly at that City of Embden, having cleared her conscience to those that were convinced[8], and they from that established their Meeting twice a week that had been long neglected; through all which countries she was enabled to clear her conscience to them in their own language, in which she had been little exercised since I had the knowledge of her[9].
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After which being accomplished, returning for England now said she: “If there were a ship at London, am I ready to return home.” — “Nay, my dear,” said I, “if there were a Ship, [it][10] should not now carry thee at this Season of the year.” — “Oh,” said she, “I would scruple no season if it were the Lord’s time.”
Now my dear Friends, as the Lord hath enabled me, have I in short given you this account for your satisfaction concerning her, though I am well persuaded it need not be spoken to many of you.
And this can I in truth say, as I said at first: I have nothing to lay to her charge since I first knew her, and I am satisfied in my own heart that her garments are clean, and were clean and without spot: a tender mother to her children and faithful wife to her husband, and—that which passeth all—truly resigned to serve the Lord to the utmost of her power, having truly denied all, parted with all, forsaken all, to answer the Lord’s requiring.
And now, to add a little for the sakes of those that are convinced of the Truth, to whom [this] may come: she was always diligent in what she undertook, ever shy of coming into debts, and always careful to answer engagements, and perform to everyone the thing [that?] was equal upon all accounts; never willing to make use of things above her ability, but constantly minding that which was decent, comely, and of good report amongst sober people. And when concerned in her family to exhort, reproach, or correct, it was done in tenderness, wisdom, and godly fear, to the reaching God’s Witness and causing the stubborn nature to bow.
She could always freely make use of what the Lord did afford her for the service of Truth and Friends thereof, never questioning but the Lord would take the care of her, and provide for her when she was concerned[11] to leave all her outward acquaintance and travel upon the Truth’s account in diverse countries where she was a stranger, always believing that the Lord would take away all scruples and remove all doubts that might arise in any of his faithful People concerning her.
And in all the time of the weakness of her body there was not the least appearance of any trouble upon her mind, and some of her last words to me were, if the Lord should take her away, to remember her dear love to all Friends that are faithful, and to her dear children; and not long after, [she] passed away without sigh or groan. _____ Willing submission, faithful obedience, and living praises be rendered unto God for ever, sayeth my Soul. Amen.
And many Friends being come together, we had a precious Meeting before her body was carried forth, and I am a living witness with many more that the living power of God with us accompanied her body to the ground.
And now, it’s the breathing of my soul to the Lord that the residue of my time here [I] may live her Life, and not only perform the faithful and true care of a loving Father, but also keep the diligent watch of a tender Mother unto and over our dear children.
And so, in true tenderness and brotherly love, I dearly salute all faithful Friends to whom this may come, and bid you all farew
Your Friend and Brother in the Truth,
John Bowne
Of Long Island In New England
NOTES
[1] 2d 12th Mo. 1677: The second day of the twelfth month 1677 (Old Style) corresponds to February 12, 1678, in the modern calendar (New Style.)
[2] exercise: ordeal, trouble
[3] The Lord’s Messengers: The first Quaker preacher in New Netherland, Robert Hodgson and his companions, arrived on the Woodhouse in summer 1657.
[4] There is no evidence that any of John and Hannah’s children were apprenticed, indentured, or placed with foster parents during Hannah’s lifetime, although such arrangements were common in Colonial times.
[5] “other difficult travels”: Hannah traveled to Maryland, and possibly other colonies, en route to England in 1675.
[6] According to John Bowne’s journal Hannah suffered a stillbirth in Dublin, although he does not mention it here.
[7] City of Embden: Emden in East Frisia, today part of Germany.
[8] “convinced” = converted to the Quaker faith
[9] Hannah had grown up in territory then claimed by New Netherland, and apparently had been bilingual as a child.
[10] Original reads: “I [sic] should not now carry you”
[11] Alternative reading: “conjoined”