Dorothy Ripley (1767-1831)

Dorothy Ripley was a British evangelist who went to the USA in 1801 and died in 1831 in Virginia. By confession she was a Quaker but she had been raised a Methodist.

Dorothy was born in Whitby. Her father, William was a close associate of John Wesley. Wesley encouraged women to preach and William wanted his child to be a preacher. When Wesley visited he brought his group of women preachers with him.

Her father, who died while she was still a teenager, encouraged her toward that vocation. On his death there were financial problems and other set backs which profoundly impacted on her .

Dorothy believed she was called to Christian ministry and decided not to marry.

She went to the USA on at least 9 occasions, most times travelling alone. She spent time as an itinerant preacher in New York, South Carolina and Georgia.

She faced many challenges especially that she was a female preacher. To live she relied entirely on donations from people who believed in her ministry. The title of her second book The Bank of Faith and Works United explained her perseverance and the fact that her preaching won over her opponents since she continue to preach to large crowds.

On her first trip in 1801 she gained an audience with President Thomas Jefferson. She rebuked him for his slave ownership but secured the ‘approbation’ to minister to slaves and slave owners. She founded a school to educate freed slaves.

Dorothy preached in many African-American churches. Some male preachers were hesitant to let her preach but she won them over.

12 th January, 1806, she was the first woman to speak at USA capital.
(Read D R 1st woman to preach sheet)

In the UK she assisted Hugh Bourne in starting Primitive Methodism. With Lorenzo Dow the 3 of them conducted revival services and many people were brought into Primitive Methodist circles. One tour included a stay in prison for a night when she and the eccentric Dow were arrested.

Dorothy wrote 6 books in total. Rose Butler had 11 editions published .
In 1827 she had published in Philadelpia *Memoirs of William Ripley *
(See Publishing career and WorldCat Identities)

At her death in 1831, aged 64, one newspaper wrote in her obituary that she was
perhaps the most extraordinary woman in the world.

Sources used
History.House. GOV
WorldCat identities
wikipedia