May 10, 2026
In honor of Mother’s Day, it is good to look at a wonderful mother who lived from 1669 to 1742 AD. Susanna Wesley’s sons still bless our lives today, through Methodist churches and charities, plus hymns they wrote or translated.
Susanna herself was the 25th child in her family, and when she married, gave birth to 3 sons and 16 daughters. Nine of her children died in infancy. She is often considered the mother of homeschooling, as she carefully instructed her “brood” at home.
When she could not find texts that expressed a God-centered world view and focus on God’s truths, she wrote her own. Her children did their studies for 6 hours a day, 6 days a week, and began and ended each academic day by singing a Psalm and reading from the Bible.
Susanna nurtured her own devotional life, training her children to become quiet if they saw her sitting down with her apron over her head. This was a time for her to pray in peace!
Her husband, Samuel Wesley, tried his hand at farming, writing, and pastoring, but was constantly in debt. More than once, he simply left the family for a time, leaving Susanna to care for everyone. Twice their home burned to the ground while he was gone.
Susanna left a legacy of faithfulness and reverence for God in the lives of her children.
