THE LIFE OF SUSANNAH MOSSENDUE OF STANION WIFE OF JOHN SPENDLOVE

And the search for her ancestors. 
(Written and researched by John Dewey Spendlove now deceased,)



Susannah never heard the message of the restored church in
this life. According to her grandson, Joseph, who states that his father
used to come and meet him on the Stanion road, while he was working at
Medboum. On one of these occasions, he writes, that his father told him
of a dream his Grandmother, Susannah had. She related that she seen, in
her dream, her son reading the old bible to his family when two young men
came into the room. They took the old bible out of his hands and gave him
another book that had a shiny cover and after reading from this book,
for a while the got up and went with the strange men. When she awoke she
wondered what the new book was and told her son about the dream, saying
that something very important would come into his life some-day and he
should prepare himself to receive it. Joseph always believed that this
was the message of the restored church.

The life of Susannah was one of service and kindness to her
family and friends. This is evident, from the writings of her grandson,
Joseph. She could not have been otherwise. Both she and her husband pre-
pared the field so that when the Gospel came to the door of her son, John,
he became interested, for a while, and excepted the truth. Her teachings
and her example were far reaching, so much so that not only her son but
many of her grandchildren caught the spirit of the restored church and
the sweet echo's of its teachings which led some of them to follow the
call of the spirit of Moses and to immigrate to the tops of the mountains
where the Lords house would be built and they could live in peace and
happiness among the saints of God.


FAMILY.
As the Parish records disclose there was born to John and
Susannah 6 children 4 of whom lived to maturity. There was MARY,  ANN,
SARAH, WILLIAM, who died young, JOHN and SUSANAH, who also, died young.
Their Grandson, Joseph, was well aquainted with his aunts and writes,
the following facts concerning them.

"My father had narry a brother. Only 3 sisters. There was
Mary, Ann and Sarah. Ann was married to John Humphries .
He was from the Parish of Gr. Oakley. He was a good man
and kind to everyone. She was a good woman. Mary and
Sarah were married but moved away from Stanion. They were
good women and lived good lives."

Although Joseph knew his Aunts and spoke well of them,
and no doubt, took a great liking to them, he writes very little as to
where they lived, when and where they were married, The date of their
marriage, what work they did and the names of their children. He did
the temple work for his  in Aunts 1905 but lists no dates of birth, or
marriage except to write that all his aunts were dead before the year
1845. ( See research on Spendlove families) (Research continuing) 


RELIGION. 
Susannah and her family were all members of the church of
England. Her grandson, Joseph, writes in his diary the following.

"Now my father and mother believed in the teachings of the
church of England and to this church they belonged. So did
their parents before them. I remember when we went to the
old church in Stanion with my father it was that cold, in
it, that my feet used to ache with the cold."

All the children were christened in the local church house
and attended service there most every sunday. The old church had been
built many years before and was over 300 years old. Here she took her
loved ones and if they learned to be more obidient and grew up to rever-
ence the laws and teachings of the bible, it was because she tried to in-
still into them tBese things that were worth \'ihile in life .

There is no doubt that Susannah read to her children from
the old bible that had been in the family for years .These teachings
were a great help in their growing up to live good lives. The old bible
was handed down in the family and Joseph records that he found it in
the home of his sister, Rebecca, when he was on his mission, to England,
in 1885.


CLOSING YEARS.
Susannah and John Spendlove were living in Stanion in the
year 1800 for the records of the Parish show they paid a tax there and
that they were counted among the inhabitants of the town. There is no
doubt that they lived to see all their children married but the final
years of their lives are not recorded in the registers of Stanion or
revealed in the writings of their descendants.
Since Susannah is not listed as being buried at Stanion, she
may have spent the last few years of her life in the home of her eldest
daughter, Mary, and there her life came to a close. Future research may
disclose the place and date of her death and burial and the Parish town
where her body was laid to rest .
Then, to Susannah and her husband, is the Spendlove family
indebted for the role she holds in their history .It is one of gratitude
and thanks for the part she played and may her memory be one of tender
thoughts to bless her life in the hearts of her many descendants, as
the years come and go.
the end.                                     J.D.S'.     more to follow...