James Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe was one of the most influential figures in a number of spheres connected to British interests in the Americas. He remains little known in his homeland, yet in the American state of Georgia his legacy endures — in county and place names, and in institutions of learning.
Oglethorpe plays an important role in the life of Jack Coffey, from their first encounters in the early 1730s through to Oglethorpe’s death in 1785 at the age of 88.
To judge his life merely by summarising his offices, roles, and achievements does him a disservice. He had no contemporary biographer — despite Samuel Johnson reportedly telling James Boswell that, “I know no man whose life would be more interesting. If I were furnished with materials, I would be very glad to write it.”
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 22 December 1696 | Birth of James Edward Oglethorpe in Godalming, Surrey, England. |
| 1714 | Admitted to Corpus Christi College, Oxford. |
| c. 1715–1718 | Leaves England to attend a military academy in Paris, then fights under Prince Eugene of Savoy in the Austro-Turkish War. |
| Aug-Sep 1719 | Returns to England. |
| 1719 | Re-enters his name at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. |
| 1722 | Elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Haslemere. |
| c. 1728–1729 | Leads a parliamentary committee investigating debtors’ prisons — work that influences his social-reform thinking. |
| 9 June 1732 | Granted charter by the Crown for the colony of Province of Georgia (with supporting Trustees including Oglethorpe). |
| 17 November 1732 | Departs England with the first group of colonists aboard the ship Anne. |
| 12 February 1733 | Arrives at Yamacraw Bluff (Savannah River) and founds the settlement that becomes Savannah, Georgia — first city of the new colony. |
| 1733–1743 | Acts as de facto leader (civil and military) of Georgia, representing the Trustees who founded the colony. |
| 1740 | Leads British colonial forces in the first major campaign against Spanish Florida — siege of St. Augustine, Florida (unsuccessful). |
| 1742 | Wins decisive victory against Spanish forces on St. Simons Island at the Battle of Bloody Marsh — helps secure Georgia from Spanish invasion. |
| 1743 | Leaves Georgia and returns to England, ending his active colonial administration. |
| 17 December 1745 | Shap Moor Incident |
| 1746 | Court martial: Acquitted but Duke of Cumberland blocked any future military appointment. |
| 1754 | Loses his seat in Parliament — after more than 30 years as MP for Haslemere. |
| 1755 | Leaves England. |
| 1758 | Present at Field Marshal Keith's death at Hochkirch |
| 1761 | Returns to England after the death of George II |
| 30 June 1785 | Dies at Cranham Hall, Essex, England, aged 88. |
I have spent some time studying Oglethorpe — trying to unravel a complex man whose achievements were frequently judged by others to be greater than he himself may have believed. For much of his life his voice — whether in letters, pamphlets, or a fairly steady stream of anonymous newspaper articles — was active and heard. Yet there are tantalising stretches when he disappears from the record entirely.
That absence of documentation has encouraged a number of highly fanciful theories about his activities, especially in Europe during the Seven Years' War. He appears to have spent this entire period using at least on pseudonym so his activities are disputed.
We also lack a clear understanding of his views on American independence — though I suspect he would have regarded it as the second-best outcome. He campaigned for American colonists to be granted full rights as Englishmen. Plenty of fuel for the alternative history enthusiasts!
As far as further reading is concerned I can definitely recommend Michael L Thurmond's book James Oglethorpe - Father of Georgia. This not only provides particular perspective of someone who has grown up in Georgia with all its Oglethorpe lore and for whom chance afforded him the opportunity to rexamine the life of someone who he felt he already knew. The parallels he draws between the entreaty of the Darien settlers and that of Lincoln's second inauguration address are compelling.
