Barbara Heck

Ruckle, Barbara (Heck) b. 1734 in Ballingrane (Republic of Ireland) She was the daughter of Bastian (Sebastian) Ruckle and Margaret Embury m. 1760 Paul Heck in Ireland and they had seven children of whom four survived infancy d. 17 Aug. 1804 at Augusta Township Upper Canada.

In general, the person who is featured in a biography has been as a key participant in major occasions or has articulated unique ideas or proposals which have been recorded in documentary form. Barbara Heck did not leave no written or personal notes. In fact, the evidence for the date her marriage was not important. No primary source exists that could be used to trace Barbara Heck's motives or actions during most of her lifetime. Her legacy is an important figure for the beginning of Methodism. It's the job of the biographer to describe and define the myth of this particular case and to try to portray the actual person enshrined therein.

Abel Stevens, a Methodist historian, wrote this article in 1866. Barbara Heck is now unquestionably the first woman to be included in the historical record of New World ecclesiastical women, thanks to the progress achieved by Methodism. Her record is based more on the weight of the cause she is involved in than on her personal life. Barbara Heck's role with the early days of Methodism was an incredibly fortunate coincidence. Her fame can be attributed to the fact that a popular organization or group will glorify their origins, so that they can maintain connections with the past and to be rooted to it.