Joanna Southcott

Joanna Southcott was a doomsday prophetess and central figure for the Southcottian sect from England.  The Southcottian movement was heavily influenced by Christian mystic Jane Lead,[1] and Southcott's prophecies were often compared to Lead's prophetic writings.  Southcott was repeatedly exposed as a charlatan in newspapers, inspiring Charles Dickens to mention her in his book A Tale of Two Cities.[2]  Her religious teaching is still practiced today by two groups: the Christian Israelite Church and the House of David.

Southcott published "poorly spelled and ungrammatical prophecies" which had a "tremendous sale".  The prophecies alone made her a comfortable living, but combined with the sale of "seals" issued to the "elect", Southcott made a small fortune.[3]  The seals sold by Southcott allegedly guaranteed the owner entrance into heaven after the Apocalypse.  They were limited to 144,000 — placing them in high demand and resulting in exorbitant prices.[4]  The seals consisted of slips of paper bearing the name of the purchaser and the following words: "The sealed of the Lord, the Elect, Precious, Man's Redemption, to inherit the tree of life, to be made heirs of God and joint-heirs of Jesus Christ".  This was authenticated by Southcott's seal in red wax, consisting of "a circle inclosing the letters 'J. C.' with a star above and below."[5]

One of these seals was sold to Mary Bateman, the English criminal and alleged "Yorkshire Witch"[6] tried and executed for murder during the early 19th century.[7]  Bateman had joined the Southcott sect in 1806 and began attending meetings.[8]  Southcott's converts publicly admitted that Bateman had one of the seals, but described Bateman as the "Judas" to Sothman's "Christ".[9]

It is true Mary Bateman had a Seal, but her wicked and diabolical conduct can no more in justice be ascribed to Joanna Southcott, than the wicked and diabolical conduct of Judas could, in justice, be ascribed to our blessed Lord, because he was one of his Disciples -- and this the wise will understand, though the wicked and unbelieving will not understand.[10]
- Thos. Philip Foley, Rector of Oldswinford.  Oldswinford, Worcestershire, April, 1809.

The controversy continued to spread, however, and Southcott retaliated by issuing "prophecies" against the Bishops in the Church of England in the newspapers.  The alleged prophecies, written more like riddles, ridiculed the Church in poetic voice.  Peculiar statements commanded them: "Now let the Bishop be as wife as the King, or out of his own mouth will I condemn him".  Curses were placed to "let them know that my judgments are just, to cut them off as cucumbers of the ground."[11]

When Southcott noticed a man laughing[12] after reading her Warning to the Bishops, she issued a more threatening curse upon the Bishops with apocalyptic undertones.  According to the "prophecy", the day of reckoning would be in the month of April, 1814.

To my Thoughts I was answered, that the Lord hath been provoked with Man in the same Manner; and found it a crooked and perverse Generation, that did not know the Ways of the Lord; therefore, he would say of this Nation, as he said of the Jews of old, that they should never enter into his promised rest, if they waited until the forty Years, mentioned by me, were up; which will be next April 1814. -- Therefore I am answered, that this is the Day of Salvation, if they will hear his Voice: they must not harden their Hearts, as in the Days of Temptation in the Wilderness, "But now is the accepted Time; now is the Day of Salvation: if they turn unto the Lord, he will have Mercy upon them; and to the Most High God, for he will abundantly pardon them." -- The King's Business requireth haste: for a quick Work will the Lord do upon the earth.  This is my strict command to thee, that my Answer to their Words must be put in the Newspaper, that I may be clear from the Blood of All Men.[13]
- Joanna Southcott.  London, Monday, Nov 16, 1813.  

The Bishops did not engage Southcott in her attempts to provoke them into a publicized argument, however,[14] and Southcott suddenly ceased the "prophetic" attacks.  She was apparently suffering from stomach trouble that would soon lead to her death.  Before her demise, however, she went out with what appeared to be one final prophecy:  At age 64, Southcott announced that she was pregnant by immaculate conception with the new Messiah, the "Shiloh of Genesis".  In her Book of Wonders, Southcott declared:

This year, in the 65th year of thy age, thou shalt have a Son by the power of the Most High, which if they receive as their Prophet, Priest, and King, then I will restore them to their own land, and cast out the Heathens for their sakes, as I cast out them when they cast out me, by rejecting me as their Savior, Prince, and King, for which I said I was born, but not at that time to establish my kingdom.[15]
- Joanna Southcott, Book of Wonders

Southcott's stomach had enlarged and her converts were convinced that she was, indeed, carrying "Shiloh" as had been prophesied.  Southcott's doctor, Mr. Want of Tottenham Court Road, however, advised her that there was no foundation for any belief in pregnancy; she was suffering from a terminal illness that caused excessive flatulence and swelling of the stomach.  Mr. Want warned Southcott that the disease might result in death.[16]  Upon her death in 1814, shortly after Want's medical advice, Southcott's corpse was dissected "independent of the question of pregnancy".[17]  It was determined that "the intestines were much distended by fluency, and hence that protuberance which led to the conclusion of pregnancy.  The omentum was loaded with fat, a very considerable quantity of calculi or stones, were found in the gall bladder."[18]

Before she died, Southcott placed many of her "most important prophecies" in a box to be opened after her death and willed it to the care of the Archbishop of Canterbury.  It was to be "opened only in case of some great national crisis, and then only with the sanction of the twenty-four bishops of the Church of England".[19]