Letter to Governor Wright, Appendix

Letter to Governor Wright · Appendix

p. 22APPENDIX.

To his Excellency JAMES WRIGHT, Eſq; Captain-General and Governour in Chief of his Majeſty's Province of Georgia, and to the Members of his Majeſty's Council in the ſaid Province.

The MEMORIAL of George Whitefield, Clerk,

SHEWETH,

THAT about twenty-five years ago, your Memorialiſt, aſſiſted by the voluntary contributions of charitable and well-diſpoſed perſons, at a very great expence, and under many diſadvantages, did erect a commodious houſe, with neceſſary out-buildings, ſuitable for the reception of orphans, and other poor and deſerted children; and that with the repair of the buildings, purchaſe of negroes, and ſupporting a large ophan family for ſo many years, he hath expended upwards of twelve thouſand pounds ſterling, as appears by the accounts, p. 23which from time to time have been audited by the magiſtrates of Savannah.

That your Memorialiſt, ſince the commencement of this inſtitution, hath had the ſatisfaction of finding that by the money expended thereon, not only many poor families were aſſiſted, and thereby kept from leaving the colony in its infant ſtate, but alſo that a conſiderable number of poor helpleſs children have been trained up; who have been, and now are uſeful ſettlers in this and the other neighbouring provinces.

That in order to render the inſtitution aforeſaid more extenſively uſeful, your Memorialiſt, as he perceived the colony gradually increaſing, hath for ſome years paſt deſigned within himſelf, to improve the original plan, by making further proviſion for the education of perſons of ſuperiour rank; who thereby might be qualified to ſerve their king, their country, or their God, either in church or ſtate.—That he doth with inexpreſſible pleaſure ſee the preſent very flouriſhing ſtate of the province; but with concern perceives that ſeveral gentlemen have been obliged to ſend their ſons to the northern provinces; who would much rather have had them educated nearer home, and thereby prevent their affections being alienated from their native country, and alſo conſiderable ſums of money from being carried out of this into other provinces.

Your Memorialiſt further obſerves, that there is no Seminary for Academical Studies as yet founded ſouthward of Virginia; and conſequently if a college could be eſtabliſhed here (eſpecially as the late addition of the two Floridas renders Georgia more centrical for the p. 24ſouthern diſtrict) it would not only be highly ſerviceable to the riſing generation of this colony, but would probably occaſion many youths to be ſent from the Britiſh Weſt-India Iſlands and other parts—The many advantages accruing thereby to this province muſt be very conſiderable.

From theſe conſiderations, your Memorialiſt is induced to believe, that the time is now approaching, when his long projected deſign for further ſerving this his beloved colony ſhall be carried into execution.

That a conſiderable sum of money is intended ſpeedily to be laid out in purchaſing a large number of negroes for the further cultivation of the preſent Orphan houſe and other additional lands, and for the future ſupport of a worthy able preſident, profeſſors, and tutors, and other good purpoſes intended.

Your Memorialiſt therefore prays your Excellency and Honours to great to him in truſt, for the purpoſes aforeſaid, two thouſand acres of land, on the north fork of Turtle River, called the Leſſer Swamp, if vacant, or where lands may be found vacant, ſouth of the river Alatamaha.

GEORGE WHITEFIELD. Savannah, in Georgia, the 18th of December, 1764.

Immediately granted.

p. 25The Addreſs of both Houſes of Aſſembly. GEORGIA.

To his Excellency JAMES WRIGHT, Eſq; Captain-General and Governour in Chief of his Majeſty's province of Georgia.

May it pleaſe your Excellency,

WE his Majeſty's moſt dutiful and loyal ſubjects, the council and commons houſe of aſſembly of Georgia, in general aſſembly met, beg leave to acquaint your Excellency, that with the higheſt ſatisfaction we learn that the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield has applied for lands, in order to the endowment of a college in this province—The many and ſingular obliga…o…s Georgia has continually laid under to that Reverend Gentleman, from its very infant ſtate, would in gratitude induce us, by every means in our power, to promote any meaſure he might recommend; but in the preſent inſtance, where the intereſt of the province, the advancement of religion, and the pleaſing proſpect of obtaining proper education for our youth, ſo clearly coincide with his views, we cannot in juſtice but requeſt your Excellency to uſe your utmoſt endeavours to promote ſo deſireable an event, … to tranſmit home our ſincere and very …erv…nt wi…h…s▪ …r p. 26the accompliſhment of ſo uſeful, ſo beneficent, and ſo laudable an undertaking.

By order of the Upper Houſe. JAMES HABERSHAM, Preſident, December 20th, 1764. By order of the Commons Houſe, ALEXANDER WYLLY, Speaker.

To which his Excellency was pleaſed to return the following Anſwer.

Gentlemen,

I AM ſo perfectly ſenſible of the very great advantage which will reſult to the province in general, from the eſtabliſhment of a Seminary for Learning here; that it gives me the greateſt pleaſure to find ſo laudable an undertaking propoſed by the Rev. Mr. Whitefield; the friendly and zealous diſpoſition of that gentleman, to promote the proſperity of this province, has been often experienced, and you may reſt aſſured, that I ſhall tranſmit your addreſs home, with my beſt endeavours for the ſucceſs of the great point in view.

JAMES WRIGHT. 20th December, 1764.

General Account of monies expended and received for the uſe of the Orphan-houſe, in Georgia, from January 7th, 1738…9, to February 9th, 1765.

GEORGIA ſſ.

Before me the Honourable Noble Jones, Eſq; ſenior, one of the aſſiſtant juſtices for the province aforeſaid, perſonally appeared the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield and Thomas Dixon of the province aforeſaid who being duly ſworn, declare that the accounts relating to the Orphan-houſe, from Fol. 82 to Fol 98 in this book amounting on the Debit …ile to Three thouſand three hundred and forty nine pounds fifteen ſhillings and ten pence ſterling, and on the Credit file to Three thouſand one hundred and thirty two pounds ſixteen ſhillings and one farthing▪ contain, to the beſt of their knowledge, a juſt and true account of all the monies collected by, or given to them or any other for the uſe or benefit of the ſaid houſe; and that the diſburſements amounting to the ſum aforeſaid have been faithfully applied to and for the uſe of the ſame.

February 19th, 1765.

Signed,

GEORGE WHITEFIELD,

THOS. DIXON.

Signed, N. JONES, Sealed.

Sworn this 9th day of February 1765, before me, in juſtification whereof I have cauſed the ſeal of the general court to be affixed.

GEORGIA ſſ.

Before me, the Honourable Noble Jones, Eſq; ; ſenior, perſonally appeared Jam…s Edward Powell and Grey Elliott, Eſqs. members of his Majeſty's honourable council for the province aforeſaid, who being duly ſworn, declare that they have carefully examined the accounts containing the receipts and diſburſements, for the uſe of the Orphan houſe in the ſaid province, and that comparing them with the ſeveral vouchers, they find the ſame not only juſt and true in every reſpect, but kept in ſuch a clear and regular manner, as does honour to the managers of that houſe; and that on a careful examination of the ſeveral former audits, It appears that the ſum of two thouſand and ſixty-four pounds, five ſhillings and ten pence, has at ſeveral times been given by the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield for the uſe of the ſaid houſe; and that in the whole the ſum of twelve thouſand eight hundred and fifty five pounds five ſhillings and four pence three farthings has been laid out for the ſame houſe ſince 7th January, 1738-9 to this day—Alſo that it doth not appear that any charge has over … made by the ſaid Rev. Mr. Whitefield, either for traveling-charges or any other expences whatever, and that no charge of ſalary has been made for any perſon whatever, employed or concerned in the management of the ſaid houſe.

February 9th, 1765. signed

JAMES-EDWARD POWELL.

GREY ELLIOT.

Signed, N. JONES, …,

Sworn this 9th day of February 1765, before me, in juſtification whereof I have cauſed the … of the general court to be affixed.

THE END.

End of the text · George Whitefield, Letter to Governor Wright (1768)