Author Stuart Flinders highlights the international interest surrounding the Victorian sex cult led by Henry James Prince.
Henry James Prince led a Victorian sex cult known as the Agapemonites, which operated out of a chapel in Spaxton. The group was defined by strict rules, including the requirement that members could never leave the cult. Prince, who claimed to be the physical embodiment of the Holy Spirit, required followers to surrender their family fortunes and participate in unique sex ceremonies. Author Stuart Flinders noted that the cult's internal dynamics became a subject of international interest. Under Prince's leadership, members often took their own lives due to his controlling influence. For example, the Nottidge sisters surrendered their inheritances to followers chosen by Prince, who then deposited the wealth into the cult's coffers. After Prince died in 1899, the cult was briefly led by John Hugh Smyth-Piggott before eventually dwindling in size. The original chapel, which once served as a TV studio, now functions as an Airbnb holiday let.