Mary Tooth

author

Mary Tooth

A pioneering Methodist preacher in Britain, she kept speaking and leading for decades even as women’s preaching became less welcome in official Methodist circles. Her life is remembered for steady faith, unusual courage, and a close connection to the Fletcher circle at Madeley.

1 Audiobook

A Letter to the Loving and Beloved People of the Parish of Madeley, and Its Vicinity, Who Have Lost a Friend to Piety in the Death of Mrs. Fletcher, Widow of the Rev. J. W. Fletcher, (or de la Flechere,) Late Vicar of Madeley, Shropshire.

A Letter to the Loving and Beloved People of the Parish of Madeley, and Its Vicinity, Who Have Lost a Friend to Piety in the Death of Mrs. Fletcher, Widow of the Rev. J. W. Fletcher, (or de la Flechere,) Late Vicar of Madeley, Shropshire.

by Mary Tooth

About the author

Born on May 30, 1778, in Moseley near Birmingham, Mary Tooth became one of the notable early women preachers in British Methodism. As a young woman she was deeply influenced by Mary Bosanquet Fletcher, and in 1799 she moved to Madeley, where she joined the religious community gathered around the Fletchers.

Tooth spent more than forty years preaching, leading classes, and serving the Methodist community. What makes her story especially striking is that she continued this work long after Methodist authorities had grown less supportive of women preachers, so her ministry stands out as both faithful and quietly brave.

She also helped preserve the memory and papers of Mary Bosanquet Fletcher and John Fletcher, giving later generations a fuller picture of that important Methodist world. Mary Tooth died on November 15, 1843, and is remembered less as a celebrity than as a steadfast worker whose influence lasted through service, witness, and perseverance.