Mary Moss
Encyclopedia
Mary Moss was the mother of William Booth
William Booth
William Booth was a British Methodist preacher who founded The Salvation Army and became its first General...

 and the second wife of Samuel Booth
Samuel Booth
Samuel Booth , the father of William Booth, was born in Belper, Amber Valley, Derbyshire, England. He was tall and often wore clothes that made him look like a Quaker; knee-breeches, drab-cloth suits, and cut-away coats. He married Sarah Lockitt in 1797. At that time, he was a nail-maker...

. She has been described as tall and proud, with incredible eyes.

Early life

Mary Moss's father was a rich farmer, but while she was still a child, her mother died. When her father remarried, she was sent to live with extended relatives. In Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, — Zouch being pronounced "Zoosh" — often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France....

, Mary met Samuel Booth, who soon proposed to her. She refused, possibly because he was sixteen years older than she was, but he was indignant and pursued her until she changed her mind.

Married life

The marriage of Samuel and Mary Booth produced two boys and three girls: Henry, Ann, William, Emma, and Mary. Henry died as a young child. William was destined to be the founder of The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....

. Emma was an invalid throughout her entire life and, after forty years, she died without ever marrying. Mary eventually became Mary Newell, and she lived until she was 69.

Samuel had been a gentleman and quite well-to-do when he and Mary had married, however business turned sour and they slowly became poor. Much of the rest of Mary Booth's married life was spent anxiously anticipating the changes in her husband's fortune, which only went from bad to worse. She worked to raise her children, but she did not grow close to them or seek their education. When Samuel's rheumatism worsened, she nursed him until he died.

William was eventually to say of her:

Later life

At her husband's death, Mary and her children were forced to move out of her house and to work to support her children. She took up work in a poor area in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...

 at a small shop.

Mary's son, William, became a pawnbroker's assistant and sent as much money as he could to support his mother and sisters. When he became an evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....

, Mary first opposed the idea completely. It was many years before she yielded to her son's convictions and became a Christian herself.

At the age of 76, Mary Booth had a five-month attack of rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after...

. Soon after, her side went limp and she fell down a staircase. This resulted in a broken leg that never healed. Consequently, she was restricted to bed for the last seven years of her life.
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