Thomas Margett and Companions Witness a Ball of Fire in the Northern Sky (1843)

On February 17, 1843, Thomas Margett, while walking back to Thorncoat from a meeting in Sandy with four Saints and two others, observed a light in the northern sky described as a ball of fire half the size of a full moon. It remained visible for about ten minutes, moving with an unsteady, bright motion that dazzled their eyes.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

I left Bedford on Friday the 17th, which was yesterday, and went to a place called Sandy to preach, which I did with the help of the Lord. It is about ten miles from Bedford. After the meeting was over, as I was returning to Thorncoat with some of the Saints, we beheld in the north a light like a ball of fire, about half the size of the moon when at the full. When we first saw it, it appeared to stand still, but after we had gazed at it for some time, it then commenced to work with an unsteady motion up and down; sometimes it appeared brighter than at other times, while its motion still continued, while at times its brightness was so great that our eyes became dazzled. The whole time of its continuance was about ten minutes. It was about half-past nine o'clock when we first saw it; the night was dark, as there was no moon shining at the time. There were with me at the time, four Saints, and two that were not Saints.