Welcome to the History Extra podcast, fascinating historical conversations from the makers of BBC History Magazine.

In the 1840s, a strange, secretive community known as the Agapemnonites set up camp in Spakston in Somerset. Presided over by

a rogue Anglican priest who believed he had a hotline to God, this religious cult attracted wealthy

members in search of a deeper connection to the Lord. But once they'd handed over their worldly possessions in order to join the cult,

the members soon found out that it was rather harder to leave.

Stuart Flinders explores the story of the Agapemnonites in his new book,

A Very British Cult, and I spoke to him to find out more.

Thanks for joining me, Stuart, to talk about your new book, A Very British cult. And I spoke to him to find out more.

Thanks for joining me, Stuart, to talk about your new book, A Very British Colt.

So to kick us off, introduce us to that titular Very British Cult. Who are they?

Well, the Agapeminites, known originally as the Princeites after their founder Henry James Prince,

were a radical sect of Christians at a time of great fervour in Christianity in the 1840s.

There was lots of talk of revival and reformation and enthusiasm.

Their peculiarity was that they believed that the day of judgment wasn't just around the corner.

It had arrived. God had already

decided who were the saved and who were the damned, who was going to heaven and who was going to

hell. And it was they, the princeites, who were going to heaven. And all they had to do was

wait to be called and they'd be transported to heaven in the twinkling of an eye without even the need

of death. Henry James

Prince led them into what became a big mansion in Somerset, in a place called Spanxton, and they

waited. The house became known as the Agapemini, which is from an ancient Greek word agape,

meaning love. So the place was the abode of love. And they waited for the

...