Joanna Southcott
| Joanna Southcott | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | April 1750 Taleford, Devon, England |
| Died | 27 December 1814 (aged 64) London, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | religious prophet |
Joanna Southcott (or Southcote) (April 1750 – 27 December 1814), was a self-described religious prophetess. She was born at Taleford, baptised at Ottery St. Mary, and raised in the village of Gittisham in Devon, England.
Her father was a farmer and she herself was for a considerable time a domestic servant in Exeter. She was originally of the Church of England, but about 1792, becoming persuaded that she possessed supernatural gifts, she wrote and dictated prophecies in rhyme, and then announced herself as the Woman of the Apocalypse spoken of in Revelation – in the King James Version, Revelation 12:1–6:
Coming to London at the request of William Sharp (1749–1824), the engraver, Southcott began selling paper "seals of the Lord" at prices varying from twelve shillings to a guinea. The seals were purported to ensure the holder's place among the 144,000 people who would be elected to eternal life.
At the age of 64 Southcott affirmed that she was pregnant and would be delivered of the new Messiah, the Shiloh of Genesis 49:10. The date of 19 October 1814 was that fixed for the birth, but Shiloh failed to appear, and it was given out that she was in a trance.
She died not long after. The official date of death is given as 27 December 1814; however, it is likely that she died the previous day, as her followers retained her body for some time, in the belief that she would be raised from the dead. They agreed to its burial only after it began to decay.
...
Wikipedia