John Hugh Smyth-Pigott

The Ahmadiyya have removed records of the publication that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad addressed to Smyth-Pigott, a claimant to divinity and a resident of London, U.K. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad clearly, and without conditions, foretold the death of Smyth-Pigott within his own lifetime. Pigott died in 1927. This challenge was concurrent with the one given to John Alexander John Alexander Dowie.

Here is a link to the publication. Please note that it is signed as THE PROPHET : After this publication came to light through this site, the Qadiani Ahmadiyya changed the translation of their book 'Tadhkirah'. Here are the relevant pages from the 2006 and 2009 editions with the changes highlighted (thanks to Fuad Al-Attar):

Mirza died in May, 1908. Here is a 21st January, 1909 newspaper clipping that shows that Smyth-Pigott was still a pastor in good standing until that date:

Other Newspaper Clips

The Evening Post, 29 January, 1909

Pastor in Good Standing in 1909

THE AGAPEMONE.

PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SMYTH-PIGOTT.

LONDON, Jan. 21. (1909)

The Right Rev. Dr. Kennion, Bishop of Bath and Wells, prosecuted Smyth-Pigott, leader of the Agapemone, in the Wells Consistorial Court, claiming his expulsion from the Church of England on the ground of immorality and sinful life.

The Chancellor declared tho charges to be proved.

At the instance of tho Bishop of Bath and Wells, the diocesan solicitors served a citation on Smyth Pigott, at the Agapemone, or "Abode of Love," Spaxton, near Bridgewater, to answer a charge of having, as a clergyman, committed immoral acts and immoral conduct, thereby rendering him incapable of holding preferment. The proceedings were instituted under the Clergy Discipline Act, 1892. Smyth Pigott is the father of two children by

Ruth Preece, an inmate of tho "Abode of Love."

The Hawera and Normandy Star, 8 March, 1909

West Coast Times, 13 March 1909

Farncombe: Pigott still Claiming to be God

Qadiani and Lahori Sources

  1. Zafrullah Khan: ....."Piggot made no response to this challenge (by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in 1902), but became completely silent and never thereafter repeated his claim of divinity....." Ahmadiyyat the Renaisscance of Islam, published 1978 , pages 178--180
  2. Mufti Muhammad Sadiq's mention in Zikr-e-Habeeb is picked up by an article by Qazi Muhammad Barkatullah in Ahmadiyya Gazette Canada, and a rebutting Lahori book by Masud Akhtar Choudry. Mufti mentions the Pigott advertisement that ended with 'an-Nabi' and translted to 'The Prophet' by Maulana Muhammad Ali.
  3. Review of Religions, August 1904, p. 284: "....If the hope of Christ's personal second advent can possibly be fulfilled, it is best fulfilled in the person of Mr. Pigott who claims to be the very same Christ and Lord of earth and heavens who lived and died before. But people do not believe him, though if Christ can be God, there is nothing strange in the announcement he makes. But he is laughed at, though it is really the doctrine of personal second advent which ought to be laughed at." (Article: The Present Unrest in Christianity)

Bibliography

  1. 1911 Encyclopedia: One outcome of the disclosures connected with the Agapemone deserves passing mention, as throwing some light on the origin of the wealth of the community. Mr Charles Stokes Read, a resident at the Agapemone and director of the V. V. Bread Company, was requested by his fellow-directors to resign, on the ground that his connexion with the sect was damaging the business of the company. He denied this to be the case and refused to resign, pleading religious liberty and the large interests of Agapemonites in the concern. On the, 13th of September 1905, a meeting of the shareholders of the company was held, and Read "asked them to believe that it was not in the interests of the company, but because he knew that the Lord Jesus Christ had come again and was now dwelling at the Agapemone, that he was thus cast out by his colleagues." The motion calling on him to resign was carried on a poll being taken by 46,770 votes to 2953. (See The Times, 14th of September 1905.) (taken from : http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Agapemonites)
  2. "The Reverend Prince and His Abode of Love", by Charles Mander, page 140: "The Agapamone never really survived the death of Smyth-Piggot. Douglas Hamilton, who took over the running of the establishment after Piggott's death, was no Messiah, and never sought the title. Others did ; sons of God emerged from the most unlikely places, declaring their divinity. A rash of would-be Messiahs besieged the Abode of Love hoping to be installed on the throne of Heavenly Grace. Hamilton beat them off; Beloved's Soul-Brides languished loveless, and gradually the Agapamone drifted into respectability."