Charles Wesley was born on 18 December 1707 in the Anglican rectory of Epworth in Lincolnshire, the third surviving son and nineteenth child of the clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley (1662-1735), who went to school with Daniel Defoe, and his wife Susanna (née Annesley; 1669-1742) who was the youngest daughter of Dr. Samuel Annesley, the prominent dissenting minister. Charles’ older brothers were the minor poet and educator Samuel Wesley junior (1690-1739) and John Wesley (1703–1791), the principal founder of Methodism.
During his early years, Charles was schooled at home where he was subjected to his mother’s strict and unconventional educational methods. She taught her children to read and write with such conspicuous success that her daughter Mehetabel was able to read Greek by the
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Citation: Lloyd, Gareth. "Charles Wesley". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 March 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4664, accessed 25 November 2024.]
