Methodist Women: Ann Cutler P/7

 

                                                           Read Part One HERE

In this post I will focus on Methodist Woman Ann Cutler. She lived from 1759 - 1794.

Ann was born in the Lancashire parish of Thornley-with-Wheatley. She became a handloom weaver. In 1785 she converted from established Christianity to Methodism.

Ann was with Hester Rogers, one of the first women preachers in the Methodist Movement. Their devotion laid the foundation for Sarah Crosby and Mary Bosanquet Fletcher to later become Methodist preachers. 

Ann teamed up with Martha Thompson *) and the two evangelists claimed converts in Lancashire who had witnessed Martha's singing and Ann's praying. Martha was warned to stay clear of Ann because of her strength and enthusiam which Martha's father feared would kill his daughter. Ann later on went  on to work with William Bramwell and they are credited with leading revivals in Derby, Lancashire, Cheshire and Lancashire in the years following John Wesley's death in 1791.

Her mentor, William Bramwell, had a respect for Ann. She was known as "Praying Nanny" because of her frequent, loud and at times public prayers. When William Bramwell got into difficulty then he would benefit from Ann's prayer techniques. Ann never married and was keen to ensure there was no gossip. When she was returning late at night she would refuse a male escort in order to avoid any suspicion. She died in Macclesfield in 1794 at the age of 35. 

*) Martha Tompson lived from 1731 - 1820. She was a housemaid in London and converted to Methodism after hearing John Wesley preach in Moorfields.Martha was declared insane and sent to Bedlam, but John Wesley later freed her and rode back with her to her hometown of Preston. There she became a founder of Methodism in the region.

Read Part Eight HERE