Born: 22-Dec-1696
Birthplace: London, England
Died: 1-Jul-1785
Location of death: Cranham Hall, Essex, England
Cause of death: unspecified

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Government

Nationality: England
Executive summary: Founder of Georgia colony

Military service: British Army

English general and philanthropist, the founder of the state of Georgia, was born in London on the 21st of December 1696, the son of Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe of Westbrook Place, Godalming, Surrey. He entered Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in 1714, but in the same year joined the army of Prince Eugène. Through the recommendation of the duke of Marlborough he became aide-de-camp to the prince, and he served with distinction in the campaign against the Turks, 1716-17, more especially at the siege and capture of Belgrade. After his return to England he was in 1722 chosen member of parliament for Haslemere. He devoted much attention to the improvement of the circumstances of poor debtors in London prisons; and for the purpose of providing an asylum for persons who had become insolvent, and for oppressed Protestants on the continent, he projected the settlement of a colony in America between Carolina and Florida -- Georgia. He arrived on the North American continent via the ship "Ann" in 1732, and founded Savannah. He and his associates received a Royal Charter on 9th June 1732. Under the insistence of Oglethorpe, the colony forbade slavery, though it was permitted after 1750. In 1745 Oglethorpe was promoted to the rank of major-general. His conduct in connection with the Scottish rebellion of that year was the subject of inquiry by court-martial, but he was acquitted. In 1765 he was raised to the rank of general. He died at Cranham Hall, Essex, on the 1st of July 1785.

Father: Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe (b. 1650, d. 1702)
Brother: James (b. 1688)
Daughter: Henrietta (b. circa 1680
Daughter: Eleanor (b. 1684)
Daughter: Frances Charlotte

    University: Corpus Christi College, Oxford University (dropped out 1714)

    UK Member of Parliament 1722 for Haslemere

New! NNDB MAPPER

Create a map starting with

James Edward Oglethorpe

Requires Flash 7+ and Javascript.

Do you know something we don't?
Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile

Copyright ©2019 Soylent Communications