Read Part One HERE
In this story I will focus on a woman named Elizabeth Bultitude. She lived from 1809 - 1890. Elizabeth was born in Hardwick, Norfolk, England. She came from a large Wesleyan Methodist family and they were poor. She had a spiritual experience when she met Samuel Atterby, who was a Primitive Methodist. She joined that denomination in 1829.
Elizabeth's talents for preaching were spotted and she was given a "note" which gave her the church's authority to preach. She did not find it easy although she noted that in all her time of preaching she only failed to turn up on two occasions. In both cases it had been due to rain which meant that turnout would be poor and it was unwise to preach outside in torrential rain.
Male preachers were poorly paid and women preachers were paid just half that amount. When she was preaching at Soham in 1847 she was criticised for the poor quality of her dress. In reply she noted that even if she spent all of her money on clothes she would not be able to meet any standard of smart attire.
She retired in 1862. There were at least 40 itinerant women preachers and no one in the church gave them a senior position or paid them. Women did not stop preaching but Elizabeth is considered to be the last one who became itinerant to preach. After her the only authorised preachers were male. Elizabeth was the last of a group of women who preached with authority. Her church did not prevent women being preachers - it just stopped authorising any more.
Elizabeth died in Heigham in 1890 after a long illness.
Read Part One Hundred And Nine HERE
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