RECORDS OF THE NEW AND LATTER HOUSE OF JEZREEL (OR ISRAEL, ALSO KNOWN AS JEZREELITES)

N/JZ

1813-c.1972

fonds

6 boxes (1.3 linear metres)

The Jezreelites, a religious group officially titled the New and Latter House of Jezreel (or Israel), were established by James White in 1875, greatly inspired by the methods and teachings of the Christian Israelites. White had started his religious writings (later called the 'The Flying Roll') whilst he was in the British Army. He had arrived in Chatham only weeks after enlisting in 1875. He was particularly interested in the writings of Joanna Southcott (1750-1814) who had made many prophecies and had predicted a "second coming". The new church was established after White met up with a Mr and Mrs Head of Chatham, who led a congregation of "Southcottian" followers known as the New House of Israel. This congregation included members of the Rogers family (see collection DE1224). White soon came into disagreement with some of the group and left to form his own "church". After a posting to India in 1876, during which time he would send copies of his sermons home to Joseph Head, White returned to the Medway Towns. In 1881 he married Clarissa Rogers at the local register office. He took the name "James Jershom Jezreel" before embarking on a missionary trip to the USA, where Christian Israelite followers could be found in some of the north-eastern states. Clarissa had already visited America in early 1881, and had stayed for a time with a Mrs Easton in New York. When Jezreel returned to England, he and his wife (now called Esther) took up residence in Gillingham, eventually moving to the house known as Woodlands (later the residence of Louis Brennan, inventor). Members paid a tithe to the sect and then lived as a type of commune. During 1882-1883 Jezreel travelled the British Isles on his mission to gain new converts. The Jezreelites' headquarters was in Gillingham but they had branches (referred to as "bodies") across England, Scotland, the USA and Australia. The first Jezreel meeting hall was at the junction of Nelson and Napier Road in Gillingham, but there were plans to build a much grander meeting place. In 1885, construction began on Jezreel's Tower (see N/JZ/6/2). This would be the sect's temple and headquarters and would incorporate a school as well as workshops and small businesses. Jezreel/White died suddenly in 1885 aged 45. His wife Esther succeeded him but only led the sect for three years before her death aged 28 in 1888. A revival of the sect was subsequently attempted by part of the American membership, led by a man calling himself "Prince Michael", but it did not gain momentum. By the early 20th century the headquarters was based in north London, with Ann Rogers in charge. A weekly newspaper, 'Pioneer of Wisdom', was published until 1935. At its peak the sect is thought to have had about 1400 members.

An associated collection (papers of the Rogers family) can be found at DE1224.