Attewell, Martha (nee Willis) (1824-1912)

Transcription of obituary published in the Primitive Methodist Magazine by T.C.R.

Mrs. Martha Attewell was born 1824, and died November 6th, 1912, aged eighty-eight years. When a girl she was attracted by the novelty of a Primitive Methodist service held in Newbury market place. This must have been soon after that memorable prayer meeting in Ashdown Wood, when Messrs. Ride and Russell prayed, “Lord, give us Berkshire.” The memory of that market place service decided the religious current of her life, and to the end she maintained a close and ardent attachment to our Church. 

The outstanding features of her life were her devotion to her family, her diligent Bible reading, and her punctual and regular attendance at the sanctuary. The day previous to her death she repeated to her grandchildren the whole of the fourteenth chapter of St. John; and an hour before she died she burst into holy song. Her son Samuel says that among his earliest recollections was that of being taken by his mother to the class meeting. At the age of ten she had his name entered on the class book.

Family

Sarah was born in 1824 at Newbury, Berkshire. Her father was William Willis, a bargeman (1850). 

She married Joseph Attewell (1827-1902), who worked the land, on 13 January 1850 at Newbury, Berkshire. Census returns and birth records identify nine children.

• Elizabeth Ann (b1851) – a domestic servant (1871)
• Hannah (1853-1855)
• Martha Annie (1855-1926) – married John Henry Stevens, a licensed victualler (1911), in 1885
• Ellen (1857-1865)
• Mary (1859-1860)
• Michael Thomas (1861-1905) – a butcher’s assistant (1901)
• Samuel (1863-1920) – a provision merchant and grocery shopkeeper (1911)
• William (b1865)
• Edith (1867-1933) – married Frederick John Snook, an engineer’s fitter (1911), in 1892

Sarah died on 6 November 1912 at Newbury, Berkshire.

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1913/576

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers