The Peace of a Clean Conscience: The Accusation and Vindication of a Godly Woman
- innerweavings
- Nov 17, 2019
- 7 min read
…”keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” I Peter 3:16
Her story could be ripped from today’s tabloid headlines. Accused of an adulterous affair with a renowned minister, cast out and disinherited from the family inheritance as punishment, and then charged with murder, the story of Agnes Beaumont was known to every Christian woman just a century ago. But hers was not a morality tale or warning of the “fallen woman.” Agnes was upheld as a female Christian role model whose example was to be admired and emulated. Godly Mothers raised their daughters to consider when faced with trials and difficulties, WWAD – What Would Agnes Do?
Here, then, is Agnes Beaumont’s incredible story.
Born around 1652 in Edworth, England, Agnes was the youngest child of a widowed farmer named John Beaumont with whom she continued to live until the age of 21. Agnes became a firm believer in Christ and joined a Reformed church in Gamlingay overseen at times by the famous minister John Bunyan. At first, Agnes’ father supported his daughter’s decision and even attended services himself. However, as he came under more conviction of sin through Bunyan’s preaching, he quit attending services and often forbid Agnes to go as well. Through conversations with a neighbor, Mr. Feery, who despised Bunyan, John Beaumont bought into slanderous gossip against this godly minister and sought to keep his daughter away from the church altogether. Agnes, however, saw through Feery’s gossip and determined to support the work of God the best she could despite her father’s increasingly hostile disapproval.
On Friday, February 20, 1674, there was to be a meeting at the Gamlingay church. Agnes was eager to attend and begged her father for permission to go, accompanied by an elderly minister who had offered to give her a ride on horseback across the vast winter landscape. At length her father consented. However, when she arrived at the nearby home of her brother where they were to meet, she found the minister would not be attending as planned. But at that moment, Reverend John Bunyan himself rode up to the house. Seeing how desperately Agnes wanted to attend the service, her brother asked Bunyan if he would let her share a ride. Bunyan replied, “If I should share a ride with you, your father would be grievous angry with me.” But undaunted, Agnes responded, “If you please to carry me, I will venture that.” Under continuing pleading, Bunyan at last gave in and Agnes rode behind him on his horse to the meeting. Upon entering the town, the first person to meet them was Reverend Lane of the Anglican church and Agnes could tell by the look he gave them that he was not pleased with the sight. Agnes’ foreboding was confirmed when Lane would begin spreading gossip that Bunyan and Agnes were having an affair!
After the service, Agnes received a ride back with a young woman who dropped her off about a mile from her father’s home. After struggling through the dark and mud in freezing weather, Agnes finally made it back home, but found that her father had locked her out of the house! He had heard that his daughter had ridden with John Bunyan to the service that evening. In a rage, he had taken off after them on foot, but when he was unable to catch up with them, he determined to never let Agnes back into their shared home again UNLESS she promised to never attend another church service. Agnes pleaded at his bedroom window, but he would not let her in. She spent that night in the barn in prayer that her father’s heart would be changed.
By morning, the mud on Agnes’ boots had frozen, but her father would not take pity on her and would not let her in the house. He vowed to disinherit her unless she promised to never attend another church service. Knowing she could not disobey her Heavenly Father over her earthly one, Agnes refused to make such a promise. She spent that day and night (a Saturday) at her brother’s home. After returning together from church service the next day, her brother went with her to try to intercede with their father. But the old man would not compromise.
Agnes prevailed upon her brother to go to his own home in hopes that she would be able to deal better with their father on her own. Her brother left with the assurance that she would never concede to their father’s ungodly demand – and at that moment. Agnes was as determined as the Apostle Peter when he declared that he would never deny Christ. But, alas, as her father continued to threaten and cajole and work himself into a rage, Agnes at last agreed. She vowed, “Well, father, I will promise you that I will never go to meeting again, as long as you live, without your consent.” Agnes prayer at that time was that her father would consent. But, as it turned out, her father did not have long to live.
The next day, Agnes’ father treated her kindly and she dutifully completed her work and prepared his meals. But that night, Agnes was awoken by the sounds of her father in agony. Rushing to his side, she found that he was crying out to God for forgiveness for his sins as he was suddenly and unexpectedly nearing death. Agnes ran to her brother’s house for help, but when they returned, their father was barely able to speak and soon died. Later, as friends and neighbors came by the house to express their sympathy and condolences, one particular neighbor, Mr. Feery, made the ominous comment that John Beaumont’s death was “No more than he looked for.”
As the family prepared for the funeral later that week, this Mr. Feery asked Agnes’ brother “Do you think your father died a natural death?” When the brother said he knew this to be the case, the wicked man replied, “I believe he did not. I believe your sister poisoned him.” This accusation set off a scandal which found poor godly Agnes facing death by burning at the stake for the murder of her own father!
A coroner was brought in along with a jury to determine if Agnes had indeed committed patricide. Under cross examination, the neighbor’s insinuation fell apart and Agnes was able to retain her composure so gracefully that the men of the jury were moved to tears over the realization that such a godly young woman could be slandered so. The coroner then reprimanded Mr. Feery for his defamation and told him he should spend the rest of his life in trying to clear up the damage he had caused to Agnes’ reputation. But instead of repenting, this evil, vengeful man spread even more lies and rumors about both Agnes and John Bunyan! There were claims that not only had Bunyan and Agnes been conducting an adulterous affair, but that Bunyan had concocted the plan to murder Agnes’ father for her inheritance and had given the poison to Agnes in order to do so! Within a month, the rumor had started in a neighboring town that Agnes had actually confessed to the murder! But instead of being cowered and dismayed by the lies being told about her, Agnes went to the town on a Fair day and looked those citizens in the eye who had been spreading such malicious lies about her. The guilty were driven to tears by the strong, honest determination of this brave young woman.
Why did Mr. Feery have a special grudge against Agnes? It seems four years earlier he had prepared her father’s will and made special provision for Agnes to inherit the bulk of the estate in the hopes that she would marry his son and her inheritance would then belong to his own family. What an illustration of the Biblical warning that “The love of money is the root of all evil”! After Agnes’ conversion and membership at a Reformed church, Feery’s anger continued to fester. (I Timothy 6:10). It appears that Mr. Feery never repented of the great evil he had done to Agnes Beaumont. Agnes never sought revenge, even though it was certainly her right to do so through the courts. However, Mr. Feery did seem to get a legal comeuppance a few years later from a widow whom he tried to financially cheat.
Within the short span of a week, Agnes Beaumont had been put through the trial of being falsely accused of adultery with the most famous minister of the day, being locked out of her own home in the freezing cold, being threatened with disinheritance (which in those days would have left her destitute), and being charged with the murder of her own father! Yet this brave young woman continued to stand strong without wavering even in the face of death. How was she able to hold her composure through this severe test of her faith and sanity? The key is found in her reply to her brother when he first informed her of Mr. Feery’s accusation: “O brother, blessed be God for a clear conscience!” Agnes knew she was not guilty and, even though she faced false accusations and the possibility of an unjust execution of burning at the stake, she steeled herself in the hope that God would give her grace even at that moment to remain steadfast in Him.
Agnes Beaumont let her light shine during a time of incredible hardship and trying of her faith. She is an example of the Fifth Commandment in honoring her cantankerous earthly father, yet even with him she would not compromise her godly practices of church attendance, prayer, and Bible study. She continued to cheerfully serve and care for him to the end. And it was this godly attitude that allowed her to face the most daunting trial of her life with a clear conscience.
Our prayer at Innerweavings is that we will be able to share these wonderful stores of the godly women of our Christian heritage and “shine their light” once again!
You can read Agnes' account in her own words here:
You can read a short biography of Agnes here:
You can read a scholarly article which provides verification of details in Agnes' life here:
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