98:. Evidence indicates he occasionally faked signatures as a way to gain authority from a "guide from the past"; however, these signatures were dated beyond the lifetimes of the deceased. Spear believed that the purpose of this group was to bring new technology to people so that greater levels of personal and spiritual freedom could be achieved. The following year, Spear and a handful of followers retreated to a wooden shed at the top of High Rock Hill in
114:. The New Motive Power was constructed of copper, zinc, and magnets, all carefully machined, as well as a dining room table. At the end of nine months, Spear and the "New Mary", an unnamed woman, ritualistically birthed the contraption in an attempt to give it life. This failed to have the desired effect, and the machine was later destroyed by hostile Spiritualists.
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Spiritualism influenced Spear throughout most of his life. His business card notes, "Guided and assisted by beneficent Spirit-Intelligences, Mr. S. will examine and prescribe for disease of body and mind, will delineate the character of persons when present, or by letter, and indicate their future as
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In 1872, Spear claimed to have received a message from the
Association of Electrizers urging him to retire from the ministry. He died in October 1887, in the city of
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impressions are given him; will sketch the special capacities of young persons ... Applications to lecture, or hold conversations on
Spiritualism, will be welcomed."
58:. In the 1840s, Spear was active in petitioning for social reform including women's rights, labor reform, and the removal of the death penalty. Also a prominent
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minister who was most known for his attempts to construct an electrically powered
Messiah which he referred to as the "New Motive Power".
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In 1852, Spear broke all ties with the
Universalist church and instead turned to
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The
Remarkable Life of John Murray Spear: Agitator for the Spirit Land
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209:, by John Benedict Buescher, University of Notre Dame Press, 2006,
22:(September 16, 1804 – October 5, 1887) was an American
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Plato's Ghost: Spiritualism in the
American Renaissance
299:. Archive Service Center, University of Pittsburgh.
230:. Archive Service Center, University of Pittsburgh.
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38:in 1804 and was from a young age a member of the
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259:. New York City: Oxford University Press.
16:American Spiritualist minister (1804–1887)
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273:from the original on February 20, 2024
294:"J. M. Spear Business Card, ca. 1864"
228:"Thaddeus Sheldon Papers Finding Aid"
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70:Constructing the New Motive Power
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181:. 5.uua.org. Archived from
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179:"John Murray Spear"
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