The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1914-12-26
Predictions Of Present Prophets
Recall Career of Joanna Southcott


the long series of Napoleonic wars.
This was certainly the time Of times
for the usherlng in Of "the Kingdom
OF God" Those who had scoffed at
Josanna's pretensfons now became her
devoted followers, vnger to buy the
magic seals which would assure them
Of an eternal home in the realm of the
saved. Several physicians were con.
WINGED that Josanna's hopes OF moth
e,hood we're about to be realized.
While the great majority of JOSIAH
ra's disciples were ignorant and I'M
Icttered folk, there were a few edu-
Gated peopl among them. Three cler-
gymen we're among those who were OF
this army of. the Lord" One Anglt-
can clergyman was SO earnest in his
devotion to Joanna's claims that he
publicly declared he would resign his
Twin gif the Messiah was not born to
"the holy Joanna" at the expected
time.
In London and its Immediate vicin.
fty alone the prophecies had more
than a hundred thousand converts. All
over England people made prepara-
tons to don their celestial garments.
In December OF 1914 Joanna was
taken seriously i'll. She gradually
grew worse, and became delirious, but
in her lucid moments tho deluded wo
man expressed misgtvings, but assert
cd that II she had been guilty of de.
ception, she herself had been the vic.
tim of some evil spirit.
On the twonty-seventh of December.
1914, Joanna southcott died. Her fol-
levers at first refused to believe that
she was really dead, and insisted on
keeping her body until It was in a
stage OF active decomposition.
a post norton examination of the
body proved that disease was respon-
sible for the appearance which had
resulted in SO widely spreading the de.
fusion.
Even after Joanna southcott had
been laid in her grave, many of the
most devoted of. her followers retain
ed their faith. They declared that sho
would soon rise again, with the infant
Messiah in her arms, and that her ap-
rearance would usher in the period OF
the worlds regeneration.
Thousands of Joanna's male follow.
ers took a solemn oath that they
would not shave or cut their hair
until Joanna's resurrection. AS
lasts as half a century ago there
we're left In England two or three men
with boards that reached their waists
and long. flowing hair, relics of the
Southcott delusion. In 1864 an Eng
lish writer, visiting Chatham, in Kent,
wrote that "ln this vicinity there are
several families of Joanna southcott's
disciples residing together, the men
remarkable for the great length of
their boards and hair, and all for a
marked popularity of name and ap.
pearance."
For years after her death the grave
of Joanna southcott. in the burial
ground OF the chapel Of st. Johns
Wood, II, London, was'a place OF pious
pilgrimage. A stone was erected to
mark the grave. and on It her follow.
ers. mistaken In their faith. inscribed
her claims to divinity.
Thousands Of other prophets, before
and since Joanna's days, have predict.
ed the end of the world. In all proba.
bility, thousands more will arise in the
centuries to come. Each has claimed
and will claim his deluded followers.
Like time and space. human credulity
ip infinite and without known limita-
lions.
Speaking OF RusysWeeks.
We3hearfthaf Mrs. urielE Clmmins