Description:

Connecticut Newspaper Offers Fascinating Account of Followers of the Public Universal Friend

This issue includes an extensive and fascinating account of the experiences of Sarah Wilson, who alleged that followers of Jemima Wilkinson, known as "The Public Universal Friend," attempted to murder her in her sleep for speaking disrespectfully of "The Friend."

[JEMIMA WILKINSON]. The New-Haven Gazette, and the Connecticut Magazine, April 12, 1787. New Haven, CT: Josiah Meigs. 8 pp. (57-64), 8.75" x 10.375". Disbound; separation on central fold; yellowed tape repairs to pp 1, 8; some staining and light, scattered spots throughout.

Excerpts
"As a great deal of pains is taken by some persons to invalidate the account given by Sarah Wilson, of a most horrid design formed against her life, at the house of David Waggoner, in the beginning of January last, and some unintentional misrepresentations of the same account, occasioned in some, probably by a defect of their memory in repeating what they had heard, it appears proper that the truth of the facts should be made public...."

"'On the 4th of January, 1787, being at the house of David Waggoner, at which time were there divers of the followers of Jemimah Wilkinson, in the evening they had a meeting, for worship; after the meeting the conversation turned upon the subject of some strange phenomena that had been seen, which I accounted for in a natural way, but my accounting for those things in this way, was looked upon by them as impious, and gave them offence, for they said they were a judgment upon the people.... Abigail Dayton tole me to take care what I said against them, for very strange things happened to those people who had talked against the Friend; that sudden death had happened to some, and great misfortune to others....'"

"'I was awaked by a noise like somebody strangling, I turned me round, and saw Abigail Dayton upon the body of the young woman, who lay in the place that I had removed from, with one of her hands on the young woman's throat, and the other upon her mouth and nose, endeavouring to stop her breath.... I repeated to Dayton in the presence of several others, in what manner she had acted during the night, and told her she meant to murder me, and then to have my sudden death represented to the world as a judgment from the Almighty upon me.'"

"'Sarah Richards had a VIEW, as they term her fits, but I was not informed of it until she came to, altho' she had lain, as I was afterwards informed, about three hours.... she said to me, I am in a great deal of distress, had have had a view on thy account, and I saw every thing as thee saw it, except that it was the devil who had assumed friend Dayton's shape to deceived thee, and she added that she saw friend Dayton down on her knees, clothed in a white robe, appealing unto the Lord for her innocence....'"

"How far it may be proper to take some notice of those people in a judicial way is a matter submitted to the public, but there are some circumstances which give sufficient ground to suspect they are a very dangerous people.... It is also well known to many that as they believe Jemimah is Christ, so they think she knows even their secret thoughts; it therefore seems reasonable to infer that if they have privately taken the life of any person, or attempted it, it must be with her approbation, for they do implicitly observe all her directions...." (p1/c1-p3/c2)

Additional Content
This issue also includes the proceedings of the Confederation Congress on March 23 (p5/c2-p6/c2); an essay opposing the funding of the public debt (p5/c2-p6/c1); and a variety of notices and advertisements including one for the sale of a "healthy, strong and active Negro Boy, about 11 years of age" (p8/c1) and another for "A Sermon to Swine" by "Common Sense," which refutes the "principles of the Deists" (p8/c2-3).

The New Haven Gazette, and the Connecticut Magazine (1784-1789) was a weekly newspaper in New Haven, Connecticut. It began as the New Haven Gazette, published by Josiah Meigs (1757-1822), Daniel Bowen, and Eleutheros Dana (1761-1788). In April 1786, Bowen left the partnership to publish the New Haven Chronicle. Dana left the partnership in August 1787, and Meigs continued to edit the newspaper alone.

Jemima Wilkinson / Public Universal Friend (1752-1819) was born in Rhode Island to Quaker parents. Wilkinson was a cousin of Stephen Hopkins (1707-1785), who served as governor of the colony of Rhode Island for several periods between 1755 and 1768 and signed the Declaration of Independence. After suffering a severe illness in 1776, the Friend claimed to have died and been reanimated as a genderless evangelist named the Public Universal Friend. Avoiding her birth name and gendered pronouns, the Friend wore androgynous clothes and preached throughout the northeastern United States. The Friend's followers became known as the Society of Universal Friends, which shared many Quaker beliefs, opposed slavery, and supported sexual abstinence. Members of the Society acquired land in western New York, where they formed the town of Jerusalem, but the Friend died in 1819, and the Society ceased to exist by the 1860s.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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