Mother Ann Lee
The Founder of The Society of the
Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing
(commonly known as the Shakers)
February 29^th, 1736-September 8^th, 1784

 

PDF file of Mother Ann Lee Timeline

·         Born February 29, 1736, daughter of John Lees, Toad Lane, Manchester, England.  She is born into grave poverty and she was illiterate.

·         Baptized June 1, 1742, Christ Church, Manchester (later Manchester Cathedral)

·         1758-Attended religious revivals of Jane and James Wardley, Manchester, who had left the Quaker movement (The Society of Friends) seeking more enthusiasm in their worship. This group practices ecstatic speaking in tongues and physical gyrations and jerking.  They are known as the “Shaking Quakers”.

·         January 5, 1762--married Abraham Standerin, blacksmith.

·         1770--Vision while in prison for "disturbing the peace", saw Adam and Eve in Garden of Eden.  Her children died in childbirth.  Came to believe that sexual activity was the cause of all evil, the Original Sin.  Becomes the de facto leader of the “Shaking Quakers”.  Her followers believe she is the “second Christ” (the second manifestation, or “appearing”, of the “Christ Spirit” in the world).  The group experiences persecution in England. Mother Ann is noted for her ecstatic singing and prophesying.

·         May 19, 1774—Mother Ann has a vision of a great gathering of “Believers” in America, the great spiritual “Wilderness” for the Millennium Church.   Mother Ann and Abraham Stanley (Standerin), her husband, William Lee, her Brother, Nancy Lee, her niece, John Hocknell, Richard Hocknell, James Whittaker, Mary Partington, and James Shepard leave Liverpool on ship Mariah, bound for the New World.  They are almost ship wrecked on the way.

·         August 6, 1774--Land in New York City.  After land in New York, they are persecuted, as were the Quakers, too, for their pacifist beliefs during the American Revolution.

·         1776—The small community moved to Niskeyuna (Watervliet, New York).  Form the first Shaker community on land they purchased and developed.

·         May 10, 1780--Opening of the Gospel in America.

·         1781-1784--Commencement of the period of missionary journeys throughout New England and severe persecution with physical abuse.

·         July 21, 1784--Death of Father William, Mother Ann’s brother.

·         September 8, 1784--Death of Mother Ann. Burial at Watervliet, New York.

 

Home

The Mary L. Cook Public Library The Ohioana Room 381 Old Stage Road Waynesville, Ohio Warren County 1-513-897-4826 campbeka@oplin.org

Back to the Ohioana Room

This page was last edited on August 22, 2006.

©  The Mary L. Cook Public Library, 20