Agnes Bulmer
Agnes Bulmer | |
---|---|
Born | London, England | 31 August 1775
Died | 20 August 1836 Isle of Wight | (aged 60)
Resting place | City Road Chapel |
Occupation | Poet |
Notable works | Messiah's Kingdom |
Spouse | Joseph Bulmer |
Relatives | Edward and Elizabeth Collinson |
Agnes Bulmer (31 August 1775 – 20 August 1836) was an English
Biography
Early life
Agnes Collinson was born on 31 August 1775 in
Bulmer's parents were
The family was middle class, and Bulmer's education provided her access to literature, which she reportedly enjoyed. By the age of twelve she had read Edward Young's Night-Thoughts. It was a major influence on her own style. By age fourteen she had published her first work, On the Death of Charles Wesley. Wesley sent her a personal note, thanking her for the piece. Healso advised her to "Beware of pride; beware of flattery; suffer none to commend you to your face; remember, one good temper is of more value, in the sight of God, than a thousand good verses. All you want is to have the mind that was in Christ, and to walk as Christ walked."[3]
In school, she befriended Elizabeth Richie Mortimer and
Mid-life
She married Joseph Bulmer in 1793. He was a London-based warehouse worker and merchant, also involved in the Methodist church. He was financially successful and popular within the church, and other non-church related local communities.[3]
The couple socialized frequently, and were acquainted with prominent Methodists including Adam Clarke, Joseph Benson, Jabez Bunting, and Richard Watson. Clarke was fond of Bulmer, and stated that she "astonished" him with her intellect and skill. She was described as being a "match for men," in Wesleyan Methodist Magazine regarding her intelligence and interests. However, she was often described as being equal yet "feminine" in her qualities by writers, showing that while men believed her to be equal, she was still "domestic" and "delicate," according to William Bunting, and other writers.[3]
Later life
Bulmer taught at City Road Chapel, until 1822, and wrote. She was involved in social activities, including the Ladies Working Society, and also did visits at hospitals and with the poor. During this period she worked on Bible stories for children, which were published as Scripture Histories. Joseph Bulmer died on 23 July 1822 from an illness. Bulmer's mother died also. She entered into a deep period of mourning, and wrote a lot of poetry related to death.[3]
Bulmer became sick during a trip to the Isle of Wight, and died on 20 August 1836. William Bunting presided over the funeral. She is buried in City Road Chapel.[3]
Work
Bulmer's earliest published work, On the Death of Charles Wesley, was published in 1788.
Further reading
- Collinson, Anne Ross. Memoir of Mrs. Agnes Bulmer. England: London (1837).[4]
References
- ^ a b c Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. .
- ^ Winckles, Andrew O. (2013). Drawn Out In Love: Religious Experience, The Public Sphere, And Evangelical Lay Women's Writing In Eighteenth Century England (PDF) (PhD thesis). Wayne State University. p. 222.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Winckles, Andrew. "Agnes Bulmer". Primary Sources. 18th Century Religion, Literature, and Culture. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
- ^ a b Anne Ross Collinson (1837). Memoir of mrs. Agnes Bulmer. by her sister. To which is subjoined mrs. Bulmer's poem 'Man the offspring of divine benevolence'. pp. 5–6.
- Attribution
Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
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