Illusory Follies

Which, by the way, proves I heard it wrong.

Here’s some confirmation that Rayburn had it right (link)

Edit: This is from Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George M. Marsden (pp. 18-19)

I also had heard it was Edward’s and his daughter – but found another source that proves Rayburn got the proper connection. I found the follow-up bit about her anger and retort to her suitor to be entertaining – and shows just how difficult a person she really was.

Martha Edwards was born on 5 January 1718.1 She was the daughter of Rev. Timothy Edwards and Esther Stoddard.1 Martha Edwards died in February 1794 at age 76.1

Within the Edwards household Martha had a reputation as an iconoclast. When in 1746 the Rev. Moses Tuttle of Granville, Massachusetts approached Timothy for Martha’s hand, timothy hesitated, trying to approach the issue of Martha’s personality diplomatically. Moses mistakenly assumed that Martha was not converted, and asked Timothy if Martha had undergone “the great change.” “Oh, yes, yes, Martha is a good girl,” Timothy assured him. “But brother Tuttle, the grace of God will dwell where you or I cannot!” 1

Despite fair warning, Moses pressed his suit, and a date was set for sometime during the late winter. On the wedding day, however, the ice on the Connecticut River was breaking up, making it impossible to cross. It was several days before he could get across, and when he did, an irate Martha refused to speak to him. Finally, coerced into an interview by her sisters, she made him sit in a separate room with the door closed between them, and then demanded an explanation. Moses placed in the ridiculous situation of shouting through the door, pleaded that to have attempted a crossing would have meant certain death. To Martha this seemed perfectly acceptable — she retorted that he should have been willing to die to be married to her.1

Citations

1. [S280] Kenneth Minkema, “Hannah and Her Sisters”.

So, hunny, you’re saying that you wouldn’t have risked dying in order to marry me? tisk tisk 😛