User:Rich Farmbrough/DNB/M/a/Martha Hatfield

Martha Hatfield||| Martha Hatfield (fl. 1652), the wise virgin, the daughter of Anthony Hatfield, by his wife Faith Westley, was born at Leighton, Yorkshire, 27 September 1640. The Hatfields were puritans. In April 1652 Martha was seized with an illness which the physicians were unable to define, but which seems to have been a form of catalepsy. For seventeen days she lay stiff and was unable to speak, and it was said that she could neither see nor hear. When she recovered her voice she uttered rambling recollections of pious discourses abounding in quotations of Scripture. Her friends regarded her ravings as a new revelation, and her words were taken down, generally by the two sons of Sir Edward Rhodes and by John Cromwell. From 8 September 1652 till 7 December Martha was again speechless, but after her recovery gave no further proof of exceptional powers. The circumstances of Martha Hatfield's illness impressed her friends, and her uncle, James Fisher, the founder of the first Presbyterian congregation in Sheffield, published the story of her case and her reported sayings. The book was called 'The Wise Virgin, or a Wonderfull Narration of the hand of God, wherein his severity and goodness hath appeared in afflicting a Childe of 11 years of age when stricken Dumb, Deaf, and Blind …', 1653. It gained great popularity among the credulous, and was several times reprinted. The fifth edition (1664) has a curious portrait of Martha Hatfield prefixed. Contemptuous reference is made to Hatfield's vision in 'A New Song on the strange and wonderful groaning board', London, 1682 (cf. Notes and Queries, 1st ser. viii. 310). ^{[DNB 1][DNB 2][1]}

References

1. [[Template:Cite DNB|vb=yes|author=Template:DNB AV|title=Hatfield, Martha (DNB00)|work=Dictionary of National Biography|volume=25|pages=0|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Hatfield,_Martha_(DNB00)]]

DNB references

These references are found in the DNB article referred to above.

1. The Wise Virgin
2. Hunter's Hallamshire, ed. Gatty, page 288.

External links

Hatfield, Martha (DNB00)|Hatfield, Martha

date=August 2014 date=August 2014 [[Template:Person data |name=Hatfield, Martha |alternative names= |short description=‘the wise virgin |date of birth= |place of birth= |date of death= |place of death= ]] Hatfield, Martha NoCategory:Year of birth missing NoCategory:Year of death missing date=August 2014