11 Facts About Joanna Southcott

Joanna Southcott was a British self-described religious prophetess from Devon.

Joanna Southcott was born in the hamlet of Taleford, Devonshire, baptised at Ottery St Mary, and grew up in the village of Gittisham.

Joanna Southcott did dairy work as a girl, and after the death of her mother, Hannah, she went into service, first as a shop-girl in Honiton, then for a considerable time as a domestic servant in Exeter.

Joanna Southcott was eventually dismissed because a footman whose attentions she rejected claimed that she was "growing mad".

Joanna Southcott became persuaded that she had supernatural gifts and wrote and dictated prophecies in rhyme.

Joanna Southcott came to London at the request of William Sharp, an engraver, and began selling paper "seals of the Lord" at prices varying from twelve shillings to a guinea.

At the age of 64, Joanna Southcott claimed she was pregnant with the new Messiah, the Shiloh of Genesis.

Joanna Southcott had a disorder that made her appear pregnant and this fuelled her followers, who numbered about 100,000 by 1814, mainly in the London area.

Joanna Southcott was buried at the Chapel of Ease at St John's Wood in January 1815.

Joanna Southcott prophesied that the Day of Judgement would come in the year 2004, and her followers stated that if the contents of the box had not been studied beforehand, the world would have had to meet it unprepared.

Joanna Southcott's religious teaching is still practised today by two groups: the Christian Israelite Church and the House of David.