Broadside entitled 'The Awful Prophecies of David Ross'

Commentary

This report begins: 'THE AWFUL PROPHECIES / Of David Ross, the Glasgow Prophet, which he delivered to an immense multitude in the Dove-hill of Glasgow, on Sunday the 29th Septr. 1822.' The sheet was printed by John Muir of Glasgow.

David Ross apparently taught his preachings from a house in Great Dove-hill called 'The Church of Smyrna'. His 'shuttle', presumably the spirits which communicate through him, had been venting their spleen on the Established Church and, in particular, the Glasgow College. Also, he claimed that a woman companion he had with him was 800 years old! The author of this report, unsurprisingly, is highly sceptical of Ross's claims and seems to find him ridiculous!

Broadsides are single sheets of paper, printed on one side, to be read unfolded. They carried public information such as proclamations as well as ballads and news of the day. Cheaply available, they were sold on the streets by pedlars and chapmen. Broadsides offer a valuable insight into many aspects of the society they were published in, and the National Library of Scotland holds over 250,000 of them.

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