The Life And Testimony Of Elizabeth Dunderdale

Gospel Standard 1897:

Death. On October 2nd, 1896, in the 84th year of her age, Elizabeth, widow of the late William Dunderdale, of Farnacre, near Garstang, Lancashire, whose obituary appeared in the “Gospel Standard” for August, 1874. She was a member of the Particular Baptist church at Kirkland for sixty years, being baptized by the late Mr. John Shaw, the founder of the chapel. In her early years she worshipped with the Wesleyans, and at one of their special meetings was persuaded to go on the penitent form, with some of her companions. For a time she worked for life; but under the searching ministry of the late Mr. McKenzie, and other like-minded ministers, she was led to see that the foundation upon which she was building was false, and was brought out from among the Arminians. Her ears were nailed to the door post (Exodus 21:6) of the church of Christ. She was made willing to follow the Lord Jesus in baptism; and it is rather remarkable that the place where she went down into the water, is not far from the place where, sixty years after, her soul departed to be with Christ for ever. She was a lover of the Lord’s house and people. In the beginning of her pilgrimage she could be seen with an infant in her arms, going a distance of several miles; for neither the family or farm hindered her from being found in her seat at chapel; and her house was open for the Lord’s servants to speak in, and many a poor sinner has felt it good to be there, when such ministers as the late Mr. Taylor and Mr. Walsh often preached therein.

She was favoured, to a great extent, with a strong constitution, so that she had not to drink of the cup of bodily affliction to the same depth that some of the Lord’s people have. When contemplating her past life she would often exclaim, “Surely goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life.” She survived her husband twenty-two years; and a few years after his death she removed to a cottage near the chapel, so that she could get there without being a trouble to any one, of which she was always very much afraid. In her later years she was much afflicted with rheumatism, and could not walk very far; and as it became more severe, she was for several years before her death unable to get to chapel. The Bible, Gadsby’s hymn book, and the “Gospel Standard,” were her daily companions, hymn 295 being her favourite.

At length her family advised her to give up her house, and go and live amongst them, which she did, with first one and then another, and generally profited with the change, but often caused her to say,

“I’ve no abiding city here;

Sad truth, were this to be my home.”

She came to us about the middle of last September, and on entering the house said, “I’ve got here once again; you will very likely have to take me to my grave;” which left an impression on my mind that such would be the case, yet did not think her end was so near, as she seemed as bright and cheerful as usual for the first week. On the first Sabbath evening, as we were singing, she said, “Let us sing free grace to every heaven-born soul,'” and she joined in most heartily, especially the last verse

“May I be found a living stone 

In Salem’s streets above,

And help to sing before the throne 

Free grace and dying love.”

After which she seemed lost in meditation for some time. She went out on Thursday, Sept. 24th, and took cold, which ended in bronchitis. She came downstairs for the last time on the following Sabbath, but was able to get up in her room up to the last. The doctor was called in, but did not seem to think there was any immediate danger. On Sept. 31st an aged sister-in-law came to see her, and they had a sweet conversation on things pertaining to the kingdom. They had stood members of the same church for many years; thus there was a twofold relationship. And as Mrs. C., a kind neighbour, who came in each day to see her during her short illness, and myself stood by, it melted our eyes to tears to see the spiritual love and union that existed between them. The day before she died, a son, two daughters, and a daughter-in-law came to see her, and when she saw them, she said, “You have not many more times to come and see your poor old mother now.” Her eldest daughter stayed with her during the night, and she said, “Mother, you are very ill; is it your wish to get better?” She answered, “No, but it is an awful thing to make a profession all one’s life and be deceived at last;” and added

“Prepare me, gracious God,

To stand before thy face;

Thy Spirit must the work perform, 

For it is all of grace.”

She sat up an hour or more in her chair on the day she died, during which time her daughter asked her if she could say, 

“Yes, I shall soon be landed 

On yonder shores of bliss?”

She raised her head, and with all her strength repeated the verse, and this:

“Yes, I shall soon be seated 

With Jesus on his throne,

My foes be all defeated,

And sacred peace made known.”

It pleased the Lord to take down her tenement of clay very gently, and to grant her many of her desires, even the place of her death, and likewise the time, as she had been heard to say she did not wish to live to see another winter; and when just on the verge of it, he saw fit to remove her from amongst us; and thus she passed away without a struggle or a groan, “to that bourne whence no traveller returns.”

By her death the church at Kirkland has lost its oldest member, the cause a warm supporter, and the family a loving, anxious mother; but we trust our loss is her eternal gain. She was spared to see a son raised up to preach the same truths that his father did for so many years, and also to see three of her daughters and their husbands baptized. She was interred by Mr. Chandler, of Southport, when a large number of relatives and friends followed her to her last resting place. 

S. C.