James Jezreel, born James Rowland White (c. 1851 – 2 March 1885), was a nineteenth-century
soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
and self-proclaimed
prophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
.
Life
Jezreel started off as a follower of
John Wroe
John Wroe (19 September 1782 – 5 February 1863) was a British evangelist who founded the Christian Israelite Church in the 1820s after having what he believed were a series of visions.
Biography
Wroe was born, on 19 September 1782, in the vil ...
signing as a member of the
Christian Israelite Church
The Christian Israelite Church was founded in 1822 by John Wroe.
History
From 1822 to 1831, the church had its headquarters in the town of Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, United Kingdom, which the church wanted to turn into a "new Jerusalem". W ...
at
Chatham, Kent
Chatham ( ) is a town located within the Medway unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham.
The town developed around Chatham ...
on 15 October 1875.
[ James Jershom Jezreel, Wikisource] In the 1880s, White chose the name 'James Jershom Jezreel' as he became convinced that he was a prophet. His followers, known as the
Jezreelites, were mainly concentrated in Kent and the south-east of England. A temple was built,
Jezreel's Tower, in
Gillingham, Kent
Gillingham ( ) is a large town in the unitary authority area of Medway in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham. It is also the largest town in the ...
.
[''Who were the Jezreelites?'', by Nick Rennison, p. 95, April 2011, ]BBC History Magazine
''BBC History Magazine'' is a British publication devoted to both British and world history and aimed at all levels of knowledge and interest. The publication releases thirteen editions a year, one per month and a Christmas special edition, an ...
Further reading
* The tower of mystery surrenders its secrets by Stephen Rayner, Memories page, ''Medway News'', May 2006
*''The Sixth Trumpeter'' by PJ Rogers
*The Times
*D Roberts, ''Observations on the Divine Mission of Joanna Southcott'' (1807)
*R Reece, ''Correct Statement of the Circumstances attending the Death of Joanna Southcott'' (1815)
*Library of Biography. ''Remarkable Women of different Nations and Ages''. First Series. Boston. John P Jewett and Co. (1858)
References
1885 deaths
British Army soldiers
Prophets
1851 births
{{UK-army-bio-stub