Centenary marks arrival of 'prophet's cradle'

Joanna Southcott, 1750-1814, claimed to have started receiving visions and voices from God in about 1797

A society which "believed in signs and dates" would have found "great significance" that it had been 100 years since one of its most important artefacts came into its possession, a museum director has said.

The Panacea Society, in Bedford, was founded in 1919 by Mabel Barltrop, who claimed to be the daughter of God.

In 1924 it acquired a cradle that had belonged to Joanna Southcott, who the society considered to be a prophet and in 1814 claimed she was pregnant, at the age of 64, with the new messiah.

She died that year, without giving birth, but the society believed the baby's spirit went to Ms Barltrop, who was also known as Octavia. Ms Southcott's cradle is on show at a museum to the now defunct society.

Zara Matthews said a temporary exhibition was on display at The Panacea Museum, on Newnham Road, Bedford

The Regency cradle was made in 1814 and cost £200, equal to about £10,000 today.

It was made for Ms Southcott's child - but a post-mortem examination revealed she had not been pregnant.

In 1860 the cradle was donated to the Royal Salford Museum, now known as the Salford Museum & Art Gallery, but has been on permanent loan to the Panacea Museum, which is in Bedford and was the former home of the society.

The cradle is made of satin-wood with gilded detailing, and was made by Seddons of Aldersgate Street, London

Looking back to 100 years ago when the society got the cradle, Zara Matthews, director of the museum for the Panacea Charitable Trust, said: "1924 was an auspicious year for the Panacea Society.

"As followers of Joanna Southcott they were delighted to take in the cradle made in 1814 and other items made for Southcott on 15th May 1924.

"A few days after the cradle arrived in Bedford they sent a petition with 10,000 names to the Archbishop of Canterbury demanding the opening of Joanna Southcott’s box of prophecies."

A replica of various prophesies of Joanna Southcott are kept in a sealed box within the museum

The society believed that a box featuring Ms Southcott's prophecies could only be opened if all 24 bishops in the country gathered at a house in Bedford.

This event did not happen, and the box was not opened. A replica of the box is on display at the museum, but the society will not reveal where the original is kept - but it says it remains unopened.

"The society believed in signs and dates, and we think they would have found great significance in so many of their important events having an anniversary in 2024," Ms Matthews said.

Mabel Barltrop styled herself as "Octavia", the eighth prophet

In 2012 the last member of the Panacea Society died.

It was renamed The Panacea Charitable Trust and the museum opened.

On Saturday, the museum will mark the anniversary with a printing session and talk.