The Ellen G. White Letters and Manuscripts: Volume 1

LOTHROP, Howard (c. 1805-after 1880) and Olive (c. 1807-after 1880)

Howard Lothrop, then living in Eaton, Canada East, was first mentioned in the Review in 1850. From 1851 to 1853 Lothrop was active as a Sabbatarian preacher in Canada East as well as undertaking an extensive preaching tour of Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Ellen White, however, was shown in vision in 1852 that Lothrop “had traveled too extensively” and that the effect of his preaching was not positive. On several occasions he was reproved by the Whites for “fanaticism,” and he subsequently joined the breakaway Messenger Party. After the collapse of that movement, there was some speculation in the Review that Howard Lothrop had turned up in Minnesota claiming to be a bona fide Sabbatarian Adventist preacher. James White took the occasion, in 1861, to remind church members to demand identification papers of unknown visiting ministers in order to expose “impostors.” 1EGWLM 864.2

See: 1851 Canada East Census, “Howard Lathrop [sic],” Canada East (Quebec) Sherbrooke County, Eaton, p. 41; 1860 U.S. Federal Census, “Howard Lotrop [sic],” Minnesota, Goodhue County, Roscoe, p. 112; 1880 U.S. Federal Census, “Howard Lothrop,” Minnesota, Goodhue County, Roscoe, p. 10; Ellen G. White, Lt 4, 1852 (Oct. 25); W. [James White], “Our Tour East,” Advent Review, August 1850 (No. 1), p. 15; search term “Lothrop” in Words of the Pioneers; “Organization,” Review, Aug. 27, 1861, p. 100; SDAE, s.v. “Messenger Party.” 1EGWLM 864.3