Richard Brothers' London Judgment
Prophet Richard Brothers Booked London's Destruction for June 4, 1795
A thunderstorm hit on cue; the city did not. He later claimed his prayers had bought a respite — from a private asylum.
What was claimed (paraphrase)
he named the day when the city should be destroyed
— Richard Brothers (self-styled Prince of the Hebrews / 'Nephew of the Almighty') · said 1794 · due June 4, 1795
June 4 brought a severe thunderstorm and ale-house anxiety, not the annihilation of London or Parliament. Brothers was already under arrest as a lunatic.
The Story
Richard Brothers, late Navy lieutenant and self-appointed Nephew of the Almighty, printed revelations, wrote Parliament, and put London on a short fuse.
June 4, 1795 was the day the capital and government were to be annihilated. Reformer John Binns later recalled how hard it was to convey the fear that prediction stirred. A thunderstorm of unusual severity arrived on schedule; dozens waited it out in an ale-house. The city did not fall.
Brothers, already locked up in May as a danger to order, explained that his prayers had bought a delay. Followers thinned when the next date slipped too.
Receipts
Past Tense: Brothers fixed June 4, 1795 for London's destruction / day of judgement; severe storm that day; Binns on panic; Southey on naming the day. Wikipedia covers the later Nov. 19 1795 'Prince of the Hebrews' claim separately — filed here is only the June 4 London destruction date.
Quote paraphrases Southey via Past Tense.
- Today in London's apocalyptic history, 1795 — Past Tense / London Radical Histories (June 4, 2020)accessed 2026-10-24
- Richard Brothers — Wikipediaaccessed 2026-10-24
As of Oct 25, 2026
since it didn't happen
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