Giving an account of oneself: Tracing the Moravian Edwards family through six generations of Lebenslauf life writing

One fundamental way to leave a mark in life is to write an account of oneself, whether as a memoir or an autobiographical sketch. For Moravians, this practice is a spiritual requirement and takes the form of a Lebenslauf, which translates to ‘life account’. The Edwards family, of which I am a descendant, has been Moravian for many generations and has lived in Moravian settlements across several countries, including England, Ireland, Canada and South Africa. Family records and archival searches have uncovered a number of Edwards’ Lebenslauf memoirs – both short and long, authored by men and women, and encompassing both autobiographical and biographical narratives. These works have appeared in church records, and some remain unpublished, intended to be passed down to family descendants. Contribution: This article aims to trace the development of the Moravian Church movement in the United Kingdom and South Africa through the life writings of the Edwards family across six generations. It will highlight the differences between the writings of men and women, as well as track the changes in social and religious norms experienced by those who lived through these periods, starting in 18th-century Europe and concluding in the 21st century with the South African Moravian descendants, who have since spread further afield.