Susanna Parr facts for kids

Susanna Parr was an English writer who lived in Exeter, Devon, during the 1600s. She is known for standing up for her beliefs. Susanna wrote several pamphlets to protest when her former church leader tried to force her to return to his church. He even said she was "excommunicated," which meant she was no longer allowed to be part of that church.

Who Was Susanna Parr?

We don't know much about when or where Susanna Parr was born. Experts think she was born around 1630 or even earlier. We know she married a man named Mr. Parr and they had one child. She lived in England during a time when there were many different ideas about religion.

Her Early Church Life

Around 1650, Susanna Parr went to church services in Exeter Cathedral. She was part of a special group that met there. This group was independent, meaning they had their own ideas and didn't follow the main church leaders of the cathedral. In 1650, they chose their own minister, a man named Lewis Stucley.

Why Susanna Changed Churches

Susanna attended Stucley's church for about four years. But by 1654, she started to feel unhappy with the group. She began to believe that this group was not following the "true church" teachings. So, she decided to attend different church services. She started going to Presbyterian services led by another minister, Thomas Ford.

The Conflict Begins

When Susanna Parr left his church, Lewis Stucley became worried. He sent people to ask her to come back. But Susanna did not want to return. Stucley then accused her of causing "contention," which means arguing or disagreement. He even held public meetings to talk about her actions.

The Case of Mary Allein

The conflict grew bigger in 1657 because of another church member named Mary Allein. Mary was part of Stucley's church. She disagreed when a special paper, called a petition, was passed around during a church meeting. This petition was about Oliver Cromwell, a powerful leader at the time. Mary didn't disagree with what the petition said. Instead, she felt that a paper about politics should not be shared during a religious service.

Because of this, Mary Allein and her husband decided to leave Stucley's church. Stucley and his church leaders then decided to threaten to excommunicate Mary. They also added Susanna Parr's name to this action, even though Susanna had left years before. Both women were asked to explain their actions.

Susanna's Powerful Reply

Mary Allein's husband, Toby, was not included in the church's accusations. So, it was Susanna Parr and Mary Allein who wrote a long reply to the church. Lewis Stucley refused to read their reply. He then officially announced that they were excommunicated.

Susanna Parr's reply was very detailed and well-reasoned. It was 114 pages long and explained her religious beliefs. Toby Allein also wrote a defense for his wife. Stucley then wrote his own reply to their defenses.

After this time, we don't know what happened to Susanna Parr. Her writings show she was a strong and thoughtful person who stood up for what she believed was right.