John Yeardley
Encyclopedia
John Yeardley was a Quaker missionary.
He was the son of Joel and Frances Yeardley, small dairy farmers at Orgreave
, near Rotherham
, Yorkshire. John was admitted a member of the Society of Friends in his twentieth year, entered a manufactory in Barnsley, and married, in 1809, Elizabeth Dunn, a convinced Friend much his senior. He commenced preaching in 1815, moving from place to place in the northern counties.
In 1821 Yeardley's wife died, and, led by a persistent "call," he decided to settle at Pyrmont
in Germany, where a small body of Friends existed. For his subsistence he arranged to represent some merchants who imported linen yarn, and later on he commenced bleaching
on his own account. His philanthropic labours included the establishing of schools and meetings for the young, and many notable persons, including the prince and princess of Prussia
, came to hear him preach. In 1824 he accompanied Martha Savory, an English Quaker, on a gospel journey up the Rhine from Elberfeld
to Würtemberg, Tübingen
, and other German towns, through Switzerland to Congénies
in Central France, where some Friends were and (as of 1897) still are settled. They visited Theodor Fliedner
at Kaiserswerth, and all the principal religious and philanthropic institutions on their route.
Upon reaching England they were married at Gracechurch Street
meeting on 13 Dec. 1826, resuming soon after their missionary labours in Pyrmont, Friesland
, and Switzerland, and visiting asylums, reformatories, and Moravian schools.
During a short time spent in England both Yeardley and his wife applied themselves to the study of modern Greek
in preparation for a visit to the isles, for which they started on 21 June 1833. They were warmly received by Edmond de Pressensé
in Paris, and by Professors Ehrmann and Frédéric Cuvier
at Strasbourg
. In Corfu
they established a girls' school, also a model farm, obtaining from the authorities there a grant of land upon which prisoners were permitted to supply the labour.
After eight years at home, spent in studying languages, the Yeardleys in 1842 returned for the fourth time to France and Germany. In 1850, during a stay in Berlin, they became acquainted with August Neander
. Mrs. Yeardley died on 8 May 1851, but her husband continued his travels to Norway in 1852, and to South Russia and Constantinople in 1853.
In his seventy-second year he commenced to study Turkish, and started for the East on 15 June 1858. After some work in Constantinople
, and while waiting for his equipments and tents to proceed to the interior of Asia Minor, Yeardley was smitten with paralysis at Isnik, and was compelled to return to England, where he died on 11 Aug. 1858. He was buried at Stoke Newington on the 18th.
As a preacher Yeardley's racy humour, with occasional lapses into his broad native Barnsley
dialect, added to his uncompromising directness, did him good service. As a linguist his achievements in preaching without interpreters were remarkable, considering that his early education included no Latin.
He used tracts largely as a vehicle for spreading the gospel. These, written and sometimes translated by himself, were founded upon incidents and characters met with during his travels. They are catalogued by Smith.
She also joined her husband in writing:
The manuscript diary of their Greek journey was, in 1900, at Devonshire House
He was the son of Joel and Frances Yeardley, small dairy farmers at Orgreave
Orgreave, South Yorkshire
Orgreave is a village and civil parish in South Yorkshire, England.At the time of the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 761.Orgreave forms part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham; until 1974, it was part of the Rotherham Rural District, the town of Rotherham being to the...
, near Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
, Yorkshire. John was admitted a member of the Society of Friends in his twentieth year, entered a manufactory in Barnsley, and married, in 1809, Elizabeth Dunn, a convinced Friend much his senior. He commenced preaching in 1815, moving from place to place in the northern counties.
In 1821 Yeardley's wife died, and, led by a persistent "call," he decided to settle at Pyrmont
Bad Pyrmont
-External links:* * -Multimedia:*...
in Germany, where a small body of Friends existed. For his subsistence he arranged to represent some merchants who imported linen yarn, and later on he commenced bleaching
Textile bleaching
Textile bleaching is one of the stages in the manufacture of textiles. All raw textile materials, when they are in natural form, are known as 'greige' material. This greige material will be with its natural color, odour and impurities that are not suitable for clothing materials...
on his own account. His philanthropic labours included the establishing of schools and meetings for the young, and many notable persons, including the prince and princess of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, came to hear him preach. In 1824 he accompanied Martha Savory, an English Quaker, on a gospel journey up the Rhine from Elberfeld
Elberfeld
Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929.-History:The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "elverfelde" was in a document of 1161...
to Würtemberg, Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
, and other German towns, through Switzerland to Congénies
Congénies
Congénies is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.It is situated between Nîmes, Montpellier, the Cevennes and the Camargue and has a strong Protestant Quaker history...
in Central France, where some Friends were and (as of 1897) still are settled. They visited Theodor Fliedner
Theodor Fliedner
Theodor Fliedner was a German Lutheran minister and founder of Lutheran deaconess training. He is commemorated as a renewer of society in the Calendar of Saints of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on October 4....
at Kaiserswerth, and all the principal religious and philanthropic institutions on their route.
Upon reaching England they were married at Gracechurch Street
Gracechurch Street
Gracechurch Street is a street in the City of London which forms part of the A10. It is home to a number of shops, restaurants, offices and Leadenhall Market....
meeting on 13 Dec. 1826, resuming soon after their missionary labours in Pyrmont, Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
, and Switzerland, and visiting asylums, reformatories, and Moravian schools.
During a short time spent in England both Yeardley and his wife applied themselves to the study of modern Greek
Modern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
in preparation for a visit to the isles, for which they started on 21 June 1833. They were warmly received by Edmond de Pressensé
Edmond de Pressensé
Edmond Dehault de Pressensé was a French Protestant leader.He was born at Paris, and studied at Lausanne under Alexandre Vinet...
in Paris, and by Professors Ehrmann and Frédéric Cuvier
Frédéric Cuvier
Frédéric Cuvier was a French zoologist. He was the younger brother of noted naturalist and zoologist Georges Cuvier....
at Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. In Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
they established a girls' school, also a model farm, obtaining from the authorities there a grant of land upon which prisoners were permitted to supply the labour.
After eight years at home, spent in studying languages, the Yeardleys in 1842 returned for the fourth time to France and Germany. In 1850, during a stay in Berlin, they became acquainted with August Neander
August Neander
Johann August Wilhelm Neander , was a German theologian and church historian.-Biography:Neander was born at Göttingen as David Mendel. His father, Emmanuel Mendel, is said to have been a Jewish pedlar, but August adopted the name of Neander on his baptism as a Protestant Christian...
. Mrs. Yeardley died on 8 May 1851, but her husband continued his travels to Norway in 1852, and to South Russia and Constantinople in 1853.
In his seventy-second year he commenced to study Turkish, and started for the East on 15 June 1858. After some work in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, and while waiting for his equipments and tents to proceed to the interior of Asia Minor, Yeardley was smitten with paralysis at Isnik, and was compelled to return to England, where he died on 11 Aug. 1858. He was buried at Stoke Newington on the 18th.
As a preacher Yeardley's racy humour, with occasional lapses into his broad native Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
dialect, added to his uncompromising directness, did him good service. As a linguist his achievements in preaching without interpreters were remarkable, considering that his early education included no Latin.
He used tracts largely as a vehicle for spreading the gospel. These, written and sometimes translated by himself, were founded upon incidents and characters met with during his travels. They are catalogued by Smith.
Works
His second wife, Martha Yeardley, born on 8 March 1781, was daughter of Joseph and Anna Savory, and both before and after her marriage was author of several works in verse and prose, the chief of which are- Inspiration, London, 1805, 8vo.
- Poetical Tales founded on Facts, London, 1808, 12mo; reissued with a new title, Pathetic Tales, 1813.
- Life's Vicissitudes, London, 1809, 8vo.
- A Wreath of Forget-me-not, [1829].
- Conversations between a Governess and her Pupils, London, n.d.
- Questions on the Gospels, London, n.d.
- Poetical Sketches of Scripture Characters, London, 1848, 12mo.
- True Tales from Foreign Lands, n.d.
She also joined her husband in writing:
- A Brief Memoir of Mary Ann Calame, with some account of the Institution at Locle, Switzerland, London, 1835, 12mo.
- Eastern Customs illustrative of Scripture, London, 1842, 12mo
The manuscript diary of their Greek journey was, in 1900, at Devonshire House
Devonshire House
Devonshire House in Piccadilly was the London residence of the Dukes of Devonshire in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was built for William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire in the Palladian style, to designs by William Kent...
- Extracts from the Letters of J. and M. Yeardley, from the continent, was published at Lindfield, 1835, 8vo.