In 1875 her father died; Barltrop and her invalid mother moved to Croydon to live with Mabel's widowed aunt, Fanny Waldron.

Arthur Barltrop completed theological college in 1888; he took up a position as a curate in Dover the following year, and the couple married in London on 1 June 1889.

[3] Seymour arranged for the publication of Southcott's works and a magazine, but it was Barltrop who was to lead the larger Southcottian group.

[5] Barltrop declared herself the "daughter of God",[7] took the name "Octavia" and believed herself to be the Shiloh mentioned in Southcott's prophecies.

[6] This was not her original idea as it was suggested by Ellen Oliver on 14 February 1919 and supported by Rachel Fox who decided that Barltrop was the eighth Southcottian prophet and should therefore be called "Octavia".

[9] The Society campaigned to persuade 24 Anglican bishops to open a sealed box of prophecies that had been left with instructions by Joanna Southcott.

They ejected Edgar Peissart from the community and he returned to America, where Emily Goodwin predicted he would die.

[1] In 2011, Jane Shaw published Octavia, Daughter of God: The Story of a Female Messiah and her Followers which described her life and work.

[14] The local museum had a gallery for famous people from Bedford and the women included suffragist Amy Walmsley, Barltrop and deaconess Fanny Eagles.