man whom she names. One night she heard a noise as if a ball of in)n were rolling down the stairs three steps, and the Spirit afterwards, she says, told her this was a sign of three great evils which were to fall upon the land — the sword, the plague, and the famine. She af- lirms that the then late war and the extraordinar\- har- vest of 1797 and 1800 happened agreeably to the pre- dictions which she had previously made known ; ami particularly appeals to the people of Exeter, where it seems she was brought up from her infancy. In No- vember, 1803, she says she was ordered to open her Bi- ble, which she did at Eccles. i, 1); and then follows a long ex|)lanation of that chapter. In March, 1805, we find Joanna published a pamphlet in London, endeav- oring to confute " Five Charges" against her which had appeared in the Leeds Mercury, and four of which, she says, were absolutely false. The tirst charge was re- specting the sealing of her disciples; the second, on tlie invasion; the third, on the famine; the fourth, on her mission; the fifth, on her death. Sealing is the grand peculiarity and ordinance of these people. Joamia gave those who professed belief in her mission and who subscribed to the things re- vealed in her " Warning" a sealed written paper with her signature, for which tlioy had to pay half a crown, and by which they were led to think that they were sealed against the day of redemption, and that all those who were possessed of these seals would he signally honored by the Messiah when he comes again. This seal was affixed to most of the voluminous writings which she printed, but the papers given to her disciples generally contained the words " The sealed of the Lord — The Elect Precious Man's IJedemption — To inherit the Tree of Life — To be made heirs of God and joint-heirs of Jesus Christ." It is said they looked upon Joanna as the bride, the Lamb's wife; and that as man fell by a woman, he will be restored by a wom- an. Some of her followers pretended also to have vis- ions and revelations. Joanna went so far at last, when l)ast sixty years of age, as to declare herself pregnant with another Messiah, who was to be called Shiloh. Her followers made costlv preparations for the birth of their expected prince, and had a cradle constructed at an expense of two hundre<l pounds. The disease by which she was deceived terminated in her death; but her deluded disci|)les, after having been compelled to in- ter her, persisted in the belief that she was to bear the Shiloh, and gave out that she would rise again with the child in her arms. The members of her society have been gathered chietiy from among the more ignorant members of the seceding denominations, especiallj' the Wesleyans, with whom she had once been associated, and of tlie Established Church. Mr. Foley, rector of Old Swinford, near Stourbridge, was said to be a firm believer in the resurrection of the prophetess; and an- other clergyman used to go regidarly to expound her writings at Bristol. The Southcotters abound princi- pally in the northern counties. At Ashton-under-Lyne they have a splendid temple, which cost them nine thousaiui poinids. Their worship is described as awful- ly wild and tumultuous. The men are known by their wearing long beards and brown hats. At present, it seems, both warning and sealing have subsided ; they are waiting in awful suspense for the commencement of the thousand years' reign on the earth. Yet it is said they do not mean that Christ will come in person, but in spirit, and that the sealed who are dead before that time will be raised from their graves to partake of this happy state. See Blunt, Diet. oflSeds, s. v.
Southgate, Richard, an English divine, was born at Alwalton, Huntingdonshire, March 1(5, 1729, and was educated partly at Uppingham, but chietiy at Peter- borough, under Kev. T. Marshall. He entered St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1745, and took his degree of A.B.
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in 1749. Retiring to his father's house on account of some unpleasant family occurrence, he continued his studies; was ordained deacon September, 1752, and priest September, 1754, by Dr. Thomas, bishop of Lin- coln. In the last j'ear he was presented with the rec- tory of Woolley, in Huntingdonshire, but resigned it when Mr. Peacock, the patron, took orders. On Jan. 2, 17G3, he went to London, and became a subcurate of St. James's, and served that cure until 17GI5. In December, 17G5, he entered upon the curacv of St. Giles's, which he retained througliout his life. He received,May,1783, the small rectory of Little Steeping, in Lincolnshire; and the following year was appointed assistant libra- rian of the British Museum. In 1790 he was present- ed with the living of VYarsop, Nottinghamshire, and in the same year became a member of the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge ; in 1791, a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and afterwards of the Lin- iiiean Societv. He died Jan. 25, 1795. Mr. Southgate never committed any of his writings to the press, al- though he was thoroughly qualified, and did make preiv arations for a new History of the Saxons and Dunes in Enyland. He was a distinguished antiquarian, and left a choice and valuable collection of books, coins, medals, shells, etc., which were sold at auction. His Sermons (1798,2 vols.) were published by Dr.Gaskin. See Chal- mers, Bioff. JHct. s. V. ; Allibone, Diet, of Brit, and A mer. A ut/iors, s. V.