The Master's Pottery Shop

FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL – (1836-1879)

Miss Havergal’s life was brief yet powerful for our Lord and Saviour. She was born December 14th, 1836, in a village of Ast¬ley, Worcestershire, Engand and died June 3rd, 1879, in Caswell Bay, near Swansea, Wales.

Frances was buried in Astley, Worcestershire, England, which was the city of her birth. On her tombstone one will read the Scripture verse she claimed as her own: “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7

Frances was the daughter of Reverend William Henry Havergal (1793 – 1870) and his wife Jane. William and Jane were married on May 2, 1816. She was the daughter of William Head from East Grinstead. Reverend Havergal was the pastor to the Anglican Church in Astley which is in Worcestershire County, England. Reverend Havergal was also a writer of scared songs and music, of which he was well known. Frances’ mother was known as “The lovely Jane Head.” Her father had a nickname for her which was “Little Quicksilver.” Several of his sermons and over 100 of his hymns are preserved yet to this day.

She was the youngest of six children, three sisters and two brothers. Her siblings were: Miriam, Maria, Ellen, Henry and Frank. The children were brought up in a Christian home. You could say they “were brought up in a little hot house like where flowers grow,” the children along with the servant were gathered together each evening for a time around the blessed Word.

When Frances was six years old she heard a sermon which stayed with her… “Of this I even now retain a distinct impression. It was to me a very terrible one, dwelling much on hell and judgment, and what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God. No one ever knew it, but this sermon haunted me, and day and night it crossed me.”

Frances learned to read at the age of three, and at the age of four she began to memorize the Word of God. She then began her writing at the age of seven, taking Scripture verse of text and writing her poems and song from them. France herself was an exceptionally gifted child. She is known for her prose, poetry and song. God used her talents to reassure – console – edify – as well as to encourage those who read or sang her beautiful writings, poems and songs. She was also known for being an accomplished singer and musician. It is said that her voice was angelic.

It has been written of Frances that she “played the piano with skill, sang with charm, and composed. Her friends delighted to hear her interpret the works of the great masters, especially Handel, Beethoven and Mendelssohn, much of whose work she knew by heart. Her playing of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” was absolutely unforgettable.” She spent many hours to the point of exhaustion in her composing of poems – music and writing books.

She lived near the Severn River of which was the inspiration of one of her songs “Like a River Glorious”

Her father was a sickly man most of his life, yet he lived to a good old age. In 1841 and because of her father’s ill health they moved to Henwick House, near Worchester. Their new home was situated on large grounds with beautiful gardens; it is here where she became aware of God and His creation. Frances and her spaniel dog Flora would disappear into the gardens quite often. Here feeling alone she began to be impressed with the knowledge of God. During this time her mother said to her: “You are my youngest little girl, and I feel more anxious about you than the rest. I do pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you. And remember, nothing but the precious blood of Jesus Christ can make you clean and lovely in God’s sight.”

Just four years later in 1845, Mr. Havergal’s health improved and her father accepted the position at the Parish of St. Nicholas, Worcester. In time he was made the Dean of the cathedral and later a Canon. Frances did not like the life in Worcester and called herself a “Caged lark.”

Her mother passed away from a two year battle with cancer on July 5, 1848 when Frances was only twelve years of age, after a long and excruciatingly painful illness. The day they carried the coffin from her home, Frances broke down realizing the scope of the situation. The only thing the child could say was “Mamma, Mamma.” She knew her mother’s heartfelt prayer was that she would come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour.

As many young girls in those days, Frances too, was sent away to Campden House in London to school. Here she saw much evidence of others being brought to Christ, yet at this time He did not touch her heart unto Salvation.

Mrs. Teed a headmistress in a school in Campden House in London stopped in to visit the family, bringing along Mrs. Teed’s friend, Miss Caroline Cooke, (who turned out to be her father’s second wife) and, who was instrumental in bringing Frances to the Lord.

When Frances was 14 years of age, Caroline asked Frances “Could you not commit your soul to Him, to your Saviour, Jesus?” And quite suddenly Frances got up and rushed to her room knowing that at last she could say ‘yes’. She wrote, “Then and there, I committed my soul to the Saviour, I do not mean to say without any fear or trembling, but I did—and the earth and heaven seemed bright from that moment—I did trust the Lord Jesus. For the next few days my happiness increased. Over and over again, I renewed that giving up my soul to the Saviour which has made entrance for the joy.” Jesus did save her and she trusted Him with her life and with her death. Later she wrote hymns like “In Full and Glad Surrender” and “I am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus”

In 1853 after making a trip in 1852 to Germany with her father to a doctor who was able to improve his failing eyesight, Frances was confirmed in the cathedral in Worcester. Here she gladly professed her belief and love of Christ. Upon her confirmation she let it be known that she was no longer her own master and that she had been bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

In 1859 her father and his new wife Caroline moved once again and then in 1860 to 1867, Frances became a nanny to her sister’s children, and during this time she had become quite a singer and had published a book of poems and hymns titled “The Ministry of Song.” Once again her father and his wife moved when he retired in Leamington. Frances though loyal to her stepmother never felt accepted by her. Her father died in 1870 on Easter Sunday. Caroline along with the Havergal daughters continued living at Leamington. Frances was well known for her poetry and songs and was the major support for the little family, Caroline died in 1878 at which time Maria and Frances then moved to Wales.

The path of God’s children is often more than not, a life of grieving over sin. The closer they grow in God’s grace and knowledge, the more they hate sin and understand its depths. The more one understands the subject of sin from the viewpoint of a Holy God, they cry out to God as Paul did “Oh wretched man that I am” this is the cry of most dearly beloved children of God. For they long to be like their Saviour in all manner of godliness. Frances herself thought often that she was not worthy of God’s wonderful grace (which none of us are) she felt that when she met Him face to face He would discard her. The wonderfulness of this is that in God’s dear sweet time, He gave her the blessed assurance she so desired.

People do not see the heart as God does, yet Frances had written in her Autobiography, “I am quite sure, that nothing in the way of earthly and external trials could have been to me what the inner darkness and strife and utter weariness of spirit, through the greater part of these years have been. Many have thought mine a comparatively thornless path; but often when the path was smoothest, there were hidden thorns within, and wounds bleeding and rankling.”

Frances life was wholeheartedly dedicated to her God and Saviour; in her devotion to Him she was lovingly committed to good works toward others, and attended many social events that she thought would advance the name of her Saviour Jesus Christ. She received many letters from all over the world asking for personal advice, of which she never failed to answer. With all the things she was involved in she never once neglected the needs of others, both physical and spiritual.

Yet she was often disturbed with the sense of continual back-slidings. “I remember longing to be able to say ‘O God, my heart is fixed’ in bitter mourning over its weakness and wavering.” As she grew in the graces of our Lord these fretful feelings left her. In her later years she was resting in her Saviour’s love. This is when she wrote “Under His Shadow.”

Frances wrote:
So now, I pray Thee, keep my hand in Thine
And guide it as Thou wilt. I do not ask
To understand the “wherefore” of each line:
Mine is the sweeter, easier, happier task
Just to look up to Thee for every word,
Rest in thy love and trust and know that I am heard.

Frances became very ill which kept her from taking a trip to Ireland with Sankey and Moody to sing her beloved hymns. She died on June 3, 1879 at the age of 42. Frances is buried in Astley churchyard near her mother, father and her stepmother. Though she lived what we today say was a short life she was fluent in French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, and Welsh. She would study the Bible in both Hebrew and Greek. It had been written of her that “She was a musical genius, and could play through Handel and much of Mendelssohn and Beethoven” by memory, without the music before her. On top of that she had memorized most of the New Testament, the books of Psalm, Isaiah and the Minor Prophets. She is known as “the consecration poet,” and was totally surrendered to the Lord, the one who saved her from her sins and self. Over the years many a gentlemen asked to marry Frances and yet she felt to marry would lessen her devotion to Christ her King and Saviour. She chose to remain single.

May we remember two things of Frances:
1. These words which she said: “There cannot be full blessedness until there is full surrender.”
2. And, that she shared openly at every opportunity the Lord Jesus Christ. You could say of her as Paul said in Romans 1:16-17 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did researching Frances life.
Lynn

Excerpts from MY KING AND HIS SERVICE, Frances Ridley Havergal

Information from and with permission from Cyber Hymnal and Mrs. Sherry Goodwin