Her Name Is Hannah

Following various suggestions [thank you everyone who put forward various monikers, all of which received careful consideration] I have decided that the bicycle will be called Hannah. Bob’s reasoning was that the bike having been emancipated [from a rubbish heap] it deserved a name relating to emancipation.

Hannah More was one of the bluestockings of the 18th century, born in 1745 – and her life and achievements are astounding.

• she was a teacher in her father’s boarding school in Bristol
• a friend of actor David Garrick and his wife, she loved theatre
• she met with Joshua Reynolds, Samuel Johnson, Edmund Burke and other ‘celebrities’ of her time
• she was a foremost member of the Bluestocking Circle of intellectuals who met in Elizabeth Montagu’s salon
• a prolific writer, after she became a Christian she wrote hundreds of moral tracts
• a vociferous abolitionist, she gave great support to Wilberforce in his fight against slavery
• she set up many free schools in the Bristol area
• in her time, her books outsold those of her contemporary, Jane Austen
• she set up ‘women’s benefit clubs’ in Somerset, which lasted into the 20th century
• born in obscurity, she died in 1833 leaving £30,000

This woman just kept going, working hard to educate the ignorant, free the oppressed, bless the poor, share the Gospel, liberate the women, love the unloved…

…and she enjoyed good books, witty conversation, trusting friendships

And no tablet or laptop [or even ballpoint] she just had a quill pen to write it all down.

I feel incredibly lazy just reading about her. On the other hand, if my bicycle just keeps going, and is a benefit and a joy, then Hannah is a very apposite name.

The name ‘Hannah’ means ‘Grace’ – I think that’s utterly amazing.