Josiah Lewis

Anne Steele's father William was probably succeeded by Nathaniel Rawlings of Bourton on the Water who after labouring for five years with varied success went to Trowbridge in Wiltshire where he died in 1809 or 1810. He was succeeded by Josiah Lewis who was from the London church pastored by Benjamin Wallin (1711-1782) Maze Pond and was educated by Dr Samuel Stennett (1727-1795) and his predecessor Dr Thomas Llewellyn (1720-1793).

He was first settled at Smarden, Kent, but left there and came to Broughton in 1778, the year that Anne Steele died. He was said to be "a man of distinguished learning, an able divine and preacher but of an unhappy temper," (William Steadman). During the first years of his ministry the church was prosperous and united but towards the close there was an unhappy reverse. A few of the members adopted the sentiments of Hyper Calvinism and others those of Sandemanianism. Though a superior scholar and preacher, Lewis was probably not the best qualified to still those disputes and in 1788 he resigned the pastoral office.

Amongst the Steele Papers in the Angus Library are

134. Josiah Lewis, “A Pious Memorial”

Ms vol entitled “A Pious Memorial”, containing

“The Mourner's Consolation: a discourse occasioned by the decease of Mrs Anne Steele of Broughton” [1778], and dedicated to her sister Martha Steele and nieces Maria, Anne and Martha Steele;

and “The Supports of Faith delineated: a discourse occasioned by the decease of William Steele [IV], esq., of Broughton [1785], and dedicated to his widow Martha Steele and her daughters Maria, Anne, and Martha Steele.

135. Josiah Lewis, “The Mourner's Consolation”

“The Mourner's Consolation: a discourse occasioned by the decease of Mrs Anne Steele of Broughton” [1778], and dedicated to her sister Martha Steele and nieces Maria, Anne and Martha Steele.

136. Josiah Lewis, “The Supports of Faith delineated”

“The Supports of Faith delineated: a discourse occasioned by the decease of William Steele [IV], esq., of Broughton [1785], and dedicated to his widow Martha Steele and her daughters Maria, Anne and Martha Steele.

Anne Dutton

For some reason Anne Steele inherited the Bible of Anne Dutton née Williams (1692?–1765). Dutton, a writer and theologian, was born in Northampton, probably in 1692. She contributed, through her writings, to the ongoing Evangelical Revival of the 18th Century and was a controversial defender of Calvinistic Baptist theology.

Through her parents’ generosity, she obtained a religious education. The family attended the Independent church at Castle Hill, Northampton, pastored by John Hunt (1698–1709). Under Hunt’s pastoral care, Dutton experienced conversion about 13 and when she was 15 became a church member. When Hunt died, he was succeeded by Thomas Tingey (d 1729). Dissatisfied with Tingey, Dutton moved to the Baptist congregation in Northampton pastored by John Moore (1662-1726), where she was baptised. Under Moore’s preaching, she matured spiritually.

In 1714, aged 22, she married a man called Thomas Cattel, of whom little is known. A year later, she and her husband moved from Northampton, to London. There the couple attended the Baptist church in Cripplegate, pastored by hyper-Calvinist John Skepp (d 1721), who served the church from 1715 until his death. When Anne’s husband died in 1720, she moved back to Northampton. The following year, she married Benjamin Dutton (1691/92–1747), a Baptist preacher, who in 1732 became the pastor of the Baptist congregation in Great Gransden, Huntingdonshire. This church grew under Dutton's ministry. The church’s growth meant they needed to construct a new worship place and manse in 1743. On August 17 of that same year, Benjamin travelled to America, either to raise funds for ministry or to promote his wife’s published works, or both. His trip was successful but on his return in 1747, the ship sank; he drowned at the age of 56. Anne, who never had children of her own, remained a widow the rest of her life. She stayed in the Great Gransden congregation, spending much of her time writing theological treatises, poems, hymns and letters. She corresponded with two key leaders of the Evangelical Revival: John Wesley (1703–1791) and George Whitefield (1714–1770). As a Calvinist, she supported Whitefield and critiqued Wesley. Through ink, she challenged Wesley’s views on election, atonement, and Christian perfection. She also wrote a letter to Robert Sandeman (1718–1781) and William Cudworth (1717/18-1763), refuting their antinomianism.

On November 18, 1765 at the age of 73, she died, possibly from throat cancer. Her memorial stone, erected in Great Gransden, sums up her life: she spent her life in the cause of God [and] was the author of 25 vols of choice letters & 38 smaller works. What Anne produced as a theological and spiritual writer became a rich contribution to studying Calvinist Baptist theology and spirituality. Her public use of her pen for God’s glory also broke the convention of her days and inspired other women to do the same.

New Book on Steele's Hymns

A new book has appeared in the Monographs in Baptist History series. it is called. The Sung Theology of the English Particular Baptist Revival: A Theological Analysis of Anne Steele’s Hymns in Rippon’s Hymnal . The author is Joseph V Carmichael. It is available as a paperback and on kindle. See more here. The book arises out of the dissertation mentioned elsewhere in this blog.

Paula Marsteller on Anne Steele

 

See link here

Hymns in Periodical Literature

A limited access article by Ken Hull on Hymns in Periodical Literature can be found here.

Article by Holly Farrow

 

An article on Anne Steele for the journal Hymn and with some good links appears here.