elaw moved to england, preaching in the summer of 1840. she lived there and preached at least into the 1860s, penning "memoirs of the life, religious experience, and ministerial travels and labours of mrs. zilpha elaw, an american female of colour" in 1846. according to her memoirs, she preached more than 1,000 sermons in great britain over these years, but often faced hostility and heavy criticism from the victorian british clergy, who believed that it was inappropriate for a woman to preach. it is unclear if she returned to the us before her death.