The Sumner Family
Mary Sumner was born Mary Elizabeth Heywood on December 31st 1828 in Swinton, near Manchester. Her family moved to Herefordshire in 1832 when they bought the estate of Hope End near Ledbury from the Barretts, whose daughter Elizabeth would become the famous poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Her father, Thomas Heywood was a banker and historian. Her mother was a woman of faith, charm and sympathy, qualities that Mary inherited. Mrs Heywood held “mothers’ meetings” at Hope End. These may have been some of the inspiration for Mary’s later work.
Mary was educated at home. She learnt to speak three foreign languages, and to sing well. Whilst she was finishing her musical education in Rome she met a young man, George Sumner, the youngest son of Charles Richard Sumner, the Bishop of Winchester. George’s father, like Mary’s, was an historian, being the historiographer to King George IV. His uncle was later the Archbishop of Canterbury and his father’s cousin was William Wilberforce. Mary and George fell in love and were married at St James, Colwall in July 26th 1848 when he was twenty-four, just 18 months after his ordination.
Mary moved to Old Alresford with her husband in 1851 together with their two baby girls Margaret and Louise. Later the family was added to with the birth of a boy, Heywood.
In 1876, Mary, concerned to strengthen and support Christian family life, called a meeting at the Rectory, to which she invited not only those of her own social class but all the village mothers, something unusual in itself for that era. On this occasion, she became very nervous, and her husband had to stand in for her, inviting the ladies back the following week. This was the inaugural meeting of the Mothers’ Union.
Mary Sumner eventually saw Mothers’ Union become a worldwide organisation, and was to live long enough to know that the Mothers’ Union had held its first Conference of Overseas Workers in 1920. She passed away in August 11th 1921. She is buried with her husband in the gardens at the rear of Winchester Cathedral. The inscription on the tombstone reads:
A visiting Mothers' Union worker prays at the Mary Sumner's grave
In Memory of
George Henry Sumner, Bishop
Born July 1824, Died 1909
and of his wife
Mary Elizabeth Sumner
Born December 1829, Died August 1921
I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me
Write Blessed are the dead which died in the Lord from henceforth.
Here, saith the Spirit, they may rest from their labours,
And their works do follow them.
From the spot you can see the house (No. 1 The Close) where she and her family lived their later years. History has it that she had the two upstairs windows ‘lowered’ so that she could enjoy the view of the gardens. There are still some designs on the kitchen walls which were painted by their son Heywood who was an artist in the ‘Arts and Crafts’ movement.
Each year on the anniversary of her death, members of the Mothers’ Union in Winchester Diocese place flowers on the grave on behalf of the 3.7 million members worldwide. When overseas members visit they are thrilled and moved to have the opportunity to see evidence of Mary Sumner’s life and work at Old Alresford Place and to give thanks at her grave for the impact she and the Mothers’ Union have had on their lives and ours.
I joined Mothers’ Union 2 months ago. I am motivated and it has been my wish to work for the kingdom of God and with Mothers’ Union I have found a home
i live in leicester and am very interested with mothers union, where do i get all the information i need, especially badges, crosses and all the small accessaries about mothers union.
your help will be very much appreciated
thanx
julie
Julie
I have just arrived at MU marketing conference in Swanwick Derbyshire. I find rep from Leicester Diocese who I hope is here, pass on your email address and get them to make contact with you, as they are a bit more local than Winchester! Thanks for using our comment box!
Mothers’ Union Winchester Diocese Webmistress
I HAD KNOWN ABOUT THE MOTHERS UNION AS A CHILD,ONLY NOW HAVE I REALISED THE IMPORTANCE AND HOW GREAT THEIR POSITIVE WORK AND IMPACT HAD BEEN ON MILLIONS OF PEOPLE,FAMILIES,GROUPS AND EVEN CHILDREN.
AM GLAD,TO BE A MEMBER SOON.
MAY THE LIGHT OF MOTHERS UNION SHINE FOR EVER
My mother is an exemplary woman living the life Mary Sumner lived. Today being the mothering sunday in Nigeria I use this opportunity to say thank you to my mother for being a true and real mother and to my darling wife for toeing the paths of my mother. May the Almighty bless the works of women who are mothers.
Just for info – There is some vagueness about the actual date of death for Mary Sumner. National MU celebrate Mary Sumner Day on 9th August, believed to be the date of death and not 11th August. The 9th is shown in National MU documentation.
As President of my local MU branch, Busselton West Australia I am doing a presentation on Sunday 7 August to commemorate Mary Sumner Day on 9 August. I have found your site most interesting and have added some of the info to my notes. MU members will take an active role in the service at 8.00am that day, welcomers, readers, Pastoral Assistant and 2nd Chalice Asst. We currently have 17 MU scarves on order from the site in Scotland, can’t wait to receive them. Many thanks and God Bless Eleanor Lewin
We are now 83 countries and 4 million members.
Praise the Lord
[...] Mary Sumner [...]
We had a very successful Quiet day on August 9th to celebrate Mary Sumner day. Our vicar Rev Judith Grieve led, our branch and deanery, through our day. We listened we prayed we read books made available for us and we were able to watch a screen on the theme to help our concentration. Some of us also did a prayer walk to help us through the silence. We also enjoyed a very nice shared lunch.
Anne Blight member St John’s Whorlton Newcastle upon Tyne. Deanery representative Prayer and Spiritual Education. (West Deanery)
Sunday 14 Aug 2011
I have been a member of Mothers Union since around the 1970′s I am trying to find someone who knows that fact. I have travelled and lived in New Zealand and Australia but I was made a member of St Bartholomew Anglican Church at Blurton, Staffordshire, England. I have remained a MU member in all those areas I have lived where MU has been.
I would like to receive my 25 year badge but can not as I need some one to verify my being a member. I love Mothers Union and I am delighted to know we have thriving branches all over the world. My present Branch is St M.
Dear Mary
Thanks for contacting us. I will email you the contact details for St Bartholomew, Blurton, which is the Diocese of Lichfield whose website is http://www.mothersunionlichfield.org.uk/ They may also be help you celebrate your silver anniversary of Mothers’ Union membership.
I am extremely impressed by your website, and, as a former trustee of MU in Winchester but now retired to Devon, send my good wishes to you all and pray that your work and enthusiasm may bring more people to Mothers’ Union and to the Lord. May He bless you in all you do.
Thank God for people like Mary Sumner. God help this sinfull world by giving us another Mary Sumner. We really need to bring back the family values that ‘civilisation and human rights’ are eroding away. God bless her memory. Amen