A little-known Victorian sex cult has been exposed by an author, revealing a disturbing history of control and exploitation. The Agapemonites, based at a chapel in Spaxton, near Bridgwater, was founded by Henry James Prince, who claimed to be the Holy Spirit.
Prince's followers were told they could never leave the cult, and many ended up taking their own lives. Inquests at the time revealed the controlling power that Prince had over his followers, who were forced to hand over their family fortunes.
The cult's sex ceremonies, which included Prince impregnating other women, have been compared to those in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Prince's wife would often watch the ceremonies, which were justified by Prince as a religious ritual where the Holy Spirit took flesh.
Prince's first job was as a priest in the village of Charlinch, nearby to Spaxton, where he quickly gained a reputation for being out of touch with reality. He would have conversations with the Holy Spirit, asking for advice on mundane matters such as whether it would rain.
After being kicked out of the Church of England, Prince bought a plot of land in Spaxton and built a large chapel and house for his followers. The chapel was sold in the 1960s to become a TV studio, where classic programmes like Camberwick Green and Trumpton were filmed. Today, the chapel is used as an Airbnb holiday let.