Barbara Heck (1734, Ballingrane, County
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
– 17 August 1804,
Augusta, Ontario
Augusta Township is a township in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, located in eastern Ontario, Canada. Augusta is situated along the Saint Lawrence River, and extends back into rural hamlets. The township is located between the city of ...
) was an early American Methodist, known as the "
mother
]
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of gestati ...
of
American Methodism."
Biography
Heck was a member of a colony of
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
who came from the
Rhine Palatinate
The Palatinate (german: Pfalz; Palatine German: ''Palz'') is a region of Germany. In the Middle Ages it was known as the Rhenish Palatinate (''Rheinpfalz'') and Lower Palatinate (''Unterpfalz''), which strictly speaking designated only the we ...
and settled in Ballingrane, County Limerick and other parts of the west County Limerick about 1708. She married Paul Heck, a member of the same community. By the preaching of
John Wesley
John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching ...
many of these Germans, whose descendants were long afterward known as Palatines in Ireland, became converts to
Methodism.
The Hecks emigrated from Ireland about 1760, and settled in New York, where other Methodists from Ireland became domiciled about the same time. They had no
pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and A ...
and grew careless of religious observances. In 1765 they were joined by
Philip Embury Philip Embury (Ballingrane, County Limerick, Ireland, 21 September 1729 – Camden Valley, New York, August 1775) was a Methodist preacher, a leader of one of the earliest Methodist congregations in the United States.
Biography
Embury's parents ...
, who had been a local preacher in Ireland, and another group of immigrants from Ireland which included her brother Paul Ruckle. Soon after their arrival, Mrs. Heck entered a room in which, according to some accounts, Embury was present, and found the emigrants
gambling
Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three elem ...
at
cards.
She seized the cards and threw them into the fire, expostulated with the players in pathetic language, and then went to Embury and charged him that he should preach to them, or God would require their blood at his hands.
In consequence meetings were shortly afterward begun. The first group included the Hecks and their slave, Betty. Eventually the revival included a large number, mostly Irish immigrants and a number of African Americans. Barbara Heck designed the simple chapel at John Street which represented the group's first permanent location. As a structure, it post-dated another built elsewhere by
Robert Strawbridge
Robert Strawbridge (born 1732 - died 1781) was a Methodist preacher born in Drumsna, County Leitrim, Ireland.
Early life and ancestral history
Information detailing the early life of Robert Strawbridge is somewhat limited. One article, Robe ...
, also an early Methodist.
In 1770, the Hecks went to
Camden Valley.
When the
Revolutionary war began, the Hecks moved to
Salem, in northern New York, in order to be among
loyalist
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...
s, and founded the first Methodist society in that district. Paul joined the army of
Burgoyne, and, while at home on a
furlough
A furlough (; from nl, verlof, "leave of absence") is a temporary leave of employees due to special needs of a company or employer, which may be due to economic conditions of a specific employer or in society as a whole. These furloughs may be s ...
at the time of the
surrender
Surrender may refer to:
* Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy
* Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power
Film and television
* ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...
at
Saratoga, was arrested by patriot soldiers, but escaped at night while they slept, and made his way through the woods into
Canada, where he was joined by his wife. They settled in
Augusta, and with others from
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* ...
formed the earliest Methodist society in Canada. Paul died several years before his wife, in the late 18th century.
She was honored by the Office of the
Manhattan Borough President in March 2008 and was included in a map of
historical sites related or dedicated to important women.
Notes
References
*
External links
History of the Embury Heck Memorial Church, Ballingrane.*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heck, Barbara
1734 births
1804 deaths
People from County Limerick
American Methodists
Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923)
People from Salem, New York
18th-century American women
Irish people of German descent