Sarah Savage facts for kids

Sarah Savage (born Sarah Henry) was an English woman who lived a long time ago, from 1664 to 1752. She was famous for keeping a detailed diary. She started writing in it when she was 22 and kept going every day until she was in her 80s! Her diaries are super helpful for understanding what daily life and religious thoughts were like for women in the 1600s and 1700s.

About Sarah Savage's Life

Sarah Henry was born on August 7, 1664. Her family lived in a place called Broad Oak, in Flintshire, Wales. Her parents were Philip and Katherine Henry.

Family and Education

Sarah's father, Philip Henry, was a special kind of Christian minister called a Nonconformist. This meant he didn't follow all the rules of the main church in England at the time. Sarah was the second oldest of six children. Her brother was Matthew Henry, who also became a famous writer. Sarah learned to read at home from a teacher named William Turner. When she was just seven years old, her father even started teaching her Hebrew, an ancient language.

Marriage and Later Years

Sarah Henry began writing in her "Spiritual Diary" in August 1686. She married John Savage on March 28, 1687. John was a farmer and managed land for others. Sarah and John had nine children together, but sadly, only four of them lived to become adults. Her husband, John Savage, passed away on September 29, 1729. In 1736, Sarah moved to West Bromwich. She died there at her home on February 27, 1752.

Sarah's Diary

Sarah Savage's diaries are very special. In them, she often wrote about the sermons she heard. She also connected her religious beliefs to many parts of her daily life. For example, she wrote about her worries about not being able to have children (though she eventually did). She also wrote about the sad deaths of two of her children and the passing of her husband when she was 65. She even wrote about facing her own death when she was 87.

Conversations with a Friend

Through her diary, Sarah also had "conversations" with a close friend named Jane Hunt, who had died. Sarah would write down dialogues, pretending to talk with Jane. She based these conversations on Jane's own diaries, letters, and books.

What Remains of the Diary

Not all of Sarah Savage's diary has survived to today. We only have parts from August 1686 to December 1688, and then from 1714 to 1723. The diaries were first published in 1818 by John Bickerton Williams. He was a relative of Sarah's on her mother's side. The book was called Memoirs of the Life and Character of Mrs. Sarah Savage.

See Also

• Philip Henry
• Matthew Henry