Mary Ann Girling

Mary Ann Girling (1827–1886) was an English religious leader, the founder of the sect called "The People of God", also known as New Forest Shakers.

She was the daughter of Mr. Clouting, a small farmer, born in the parish of Little Glemham, Suffolk, on 27 April 1827. She received little instruction when young, but afterwards managed to acquire a fair amount of knowledge.

At first she was in communion with a Methodist connexion, but left it when the congregation refused to listen to her inspirations. In the meantime she had become the wife of George Stanton Girling, first a seaman, then a fitter in an iron foundry, and afterwards a general dealer at Ipswich.

About Christmas 1864, she began to believe that she was a new incarnation of the Deity. One sign of this was in the stigmata which appeared on her hands, feet, and side. She was wont to describe with minute details the extraordinary emotion which overwhelmed her at the moment when she experienced the divine call. From that period she went about proclaiming the new revelation and speaking as with absolute knowledge of hidden mysteries.

She gathered around her a small company of men and women, belonging for the most part to the labouring classes. Their first meeting-place for public worship was at 107 Bridge Road, Battersea, London, where in August 1870 they attracted much attention. They were generally called shakers, but they themselves never accepted that name, but always spoke of their community as the children of God.

On 2 January 1872, they removed from London and settled near Hordle in the New Forest, Hampshire, where Miss Wood, a wealthy lady, had purchased for them a residence and a farm, known as New Forest Lodge. She gave £2,250 for the property, on which there remained a mortgage of £1,000 Here the community increased to 160 persons, who learnt to regard Mrs. Girling, ‘their mother,’ with tenderness, love, and reverence. She owed her authority over her people to her belief in herself and to her great force of will. Their faith in her endured through cold, hunger, and suffering, and many and repeated misfortunes.

It was believed that they would all live for ever, and that sooner or later everybody would acknowledge the divinity of Mrs. Girling, who would then rule over a peaceful world. She was a tall, lean woman, with an upright carriage, a strong, intelligent countenance, bright eyes, a very good expression, and a rather winning voice. She had scruples against going to law, which afterwards made her an easy prey to her enemies.

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