There's a small market town in England named Bedford which was once known to have a mysterious women's society living in it. The sect prophesied a lot of future events like the end of the world but some of their prophecies still remain hidden and locked in a box until this day.
Located in the northern part of London, the town of Bedford is a 60-mile trip which really requires travelers to stay for the night. In this far-flung destination, the Panacea Museum stands, an old Victorian-style house that was once home to a group of middle-aged women know as the Panacea Society.
According to BBC, this women's religious sect are well-known for their beliefs in curing different illnesses. The sect even believed that they could live forever and stop the apocalypse. However, the last remaining follower of the Panacea Society died back in 2012 so the place was turned into a museum. The followers of the religious sect believed that the town of Bedford was the place where the Garden of Eden stood when the world was made.
The society was founded by Mabel Barltrop in the year 1919. She was a widow 53 years of age who lived in the market town of Bedford and claimed that she was the Messiah as spoken in the Bible. She also changed her name to Octavia. According to Panaceatrust, the society didn't really go out in public that much and chose to conceal their identity.
The society also acknowledged another self-proclaimed prophet named Joanna Southcott. Southcott left behind a wooden box filled with prophecies when she died and the Panaceans took care of it. According to The Guardian, the society requested the bishops of England to open the box, however, the bishops never came so the box remains sealed to this day.
No one really knows what other prophecies the box holds but it's really an interesting artifact for travelers to see. The Panacea Museum actually attracts a lot of visitors because of the mystery that it holds.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
