USA > Georgia > Chatham County > Savannah > A history of Savannah and South Georgia, Volume I > Part 16
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FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT OF TROUBLE
This settlement of the difficulty was not final. as the elaim of the Bosomworths to the islands of St. Catherine, Ossabaw and Sapelo was not abandoned, and in one way and another was the subject of discussion for some years; but it was at last brought to an end, in 1759, by the payment to Mary Bosomworth of £450 as compensation for goods fur- nished in behalf of the government by her in 1747 and 1748, in addition to a sum allowed her as baek salary for sixteen and a half years, rating the ammal allowanee at $100 for her serviees as interpreter and agent of the trustees, as well as settling upon her and her husband the absolute title to St. Catherine's island. On this island they had already made their home and were engaged in raising erops.
OGLETHORPE'S LAST DAYS IN GEORGIA
In closing this chapter a few words with reference to the last days of Oglethorpe's stay in the colony may here be inserted without any impropriety. He took passage for England in the guard-ship under eommand of Captain Thompson. July 23. 1743, and with him went Colonel Heron, Mr. Eyre, sub-engineer, and others of the regiment. He arrived in London on the 25th of September following, and was annoyed by an impeachment filed against him by Lieut .- Col. William Cook, but he maintained that the trial should be made before a board of general offieers. This trial was delayed in consequence of the difficulty in seeur- ing the attendance of witnesses for Cook who lived in South Carolina. It began on the 4th of June, 1744, and lasted two days, when, deciding upon the nineteen charges made the board expressed the opinion that
* The foregoing is a condensation of a full account of this matter contained in the 2d. vol. of A. Hewitt's " Account of the Rise and Progress of the Colonies of South Carolina and Georgia."
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"the whole and every article thereof was groundless, false, and mali- cious," and when the report was submitted to the king he ordered that "the said Lieutenant-Colonel Cook should be dismissed the service."
The last letter from Oglethorpe written in Georgia is dated at Fred- erica, 10th June, 1743, addressed to the trustees, and, as it relates to Savannah, and is short, it is here re-produced :
"Gentlemen-The people of the French Church at Savannah having desired of me that the Rev'd Mr. Chiffelle might assist them in Spiritual Matters and that his charges of Boat hire, etc., for coming from his residence at Purisburg to Savannah might be defrayed, I did allow thereof and it appears unto me by the annexed and other evidence that the said Mr. Chiffelle has done his duty for five years and upwards and that the sum of Twenty-one Pounds sterling may be a reasonable allow- ance for his charges, etc .. and that the said sum of Twenty-one Pounds is due unto him by the Honorable the Trustees for establishing the Colony of Georgia in America and therefore recommend the same for payment.
" (Signed) JAMES OGLETHORPE.
"To the Honorable The Trustees for establishing the Colony of Georgia in America.
"[A True Copy, John Dobell.]
"Not seeing any cause of objection, I humbly submit it to the Hon- orable the Trust for their direction.
"WILL STEPHENS."
CHAPTER XIII
EARLY CIVIL GOVERNMENT
HENRY PARKER, COLONIAL PRESIDENT-THE FIRST COLONIAL ASSEMBLY- THE MILITIA-EARLY MEASURES TO ESTABLISH THE COLONY-PATRICK GRAHAM SUCCEEDS PRESIDENT PARKER.
On the retirement of President William Stephens, on account of ill health, he was succeeded by Henry Parker who had held offiee in Georgia as early as 1734, when he was appointed one of the bailiff's in Savannah. aeting, according to the custom of the time, as a magistrate. The office was one of more dignity and importance then than it is in these days. and while holding court the presiding justice wore a gown of purple edged with fur.
HENRY PARKER, COLONIAL PRESIDENT
Mr. Parker was the first settler at what is now known as the Isle of Hope, and from that fact his place then was for a long time called Parkersburg; but there were other settlers in that section, one being John Fallowfield and the other Noble Jones, of whom we shall have something definite to relate presently. The first time that we find the name by which it is now universally called is in the "True and Historical Narrative of the Colony of Georgia in America."# by Tailfer, Anderson and Douglas, where it is said "Near the mouth of Vernon river, upon a kind of an island (which is called Hope isle) are the settlements of Messrs. John Fallowfield, Henry Parker and Noble Jones. They have made some improvements there, but chiefly Mr. Fallowfield, who has a pretty, little convenient house and garden, with a considerable lot of hogs. and some eattle, where he generally resides with his family. Near ad- joining to this npon a piece of land which commands the Narrows, is a timber building called JJones's fort."
Henry Parker, it will be remembered, was then one of the assistants to the president. and acted as president from January 15, 1751, until the surrender of the charter of the colony by the trustees. We have the statement that when the colonial assembly, authorized by the trus- tees, was called by Mr. Parker, "the customary formalities of being ad- dressed by the Executive and replied to by the Assembly were for the .
* Charleston, 1741.
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first time gone through in Georgia." Parker presided as vice-president from the date of his calling the assembly until the 8th of the following April, when he was appointed president. The address of the assembly was dated at the assembly room, 25th January, 1751, and was in these words :
"Sir-We, the deputies of the several districts, in General Assembly met, desire to return you our sincere thanks for your speech to us; and we assure you we shall endeavor, with all concord and unanimity, to go through the business appointed for us to do; and we also beg leave to embrace this opportunity of heartily congratulating. you on your being appointed vice-president of the Province, which we look upon as no more than a just reward for your long and faithful services in it; and we have no doubt but the same steadiness, justice, and candour which have formerly guided you in the execution of other offices, will direct and govern you in this.
"FRANCIS HARRIS, Speaker.
"Henry Parker, Esquire, Vice-President of the Colony of Georgia."
The reply of the vice-president follows : "Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Assembly : I heartily thank you for your kind and flattering address, and will always make it my study and endeavor to promote anything which may tend to the service and advantage of the Colony. "HENRY PARKER,
Vice-President of the Colony of Georgia."
THE FIRST COLONIAL ASSEMBLY
The assembly was a very small body, but it must be remembered that Georgia's population was not great, and it was stipulated that the delegates were "proportioned to the population of the different par- ishes or districts," and the resolution of the trustees, passed in June, 1750, called for the election of delegates to a provincial assembly to meet in Savannah on the 15th of January, 1751, with the following regulations : that once a year it was to convene in Savannah. the time to be named by the president and assistants, and that it should not re- main in session more than a month; that one deputy should be appointed for, every town, village or district containing ten families, but that two deputies could be sent by any district containing thirty families; that Savannah should be entitled to four, Angusta and Ebenezer two each, Frederica two, in case there should be as many as thirty families within its limits. No legislation could be enacted by the assembly, but it was authorized to suggest measures to the trustees for the advancement of the interests of the colony in general or of any district within the province. The members were to present within three days after the opening of the body a written account showing the member of inhabi- tants, showing in all cases the black and white. sex, and age of such inhabitants, as well as the member of aeres of land each one held under cultivation, the nature of the erop, number of negroes either owned or employed, the number of mulberry trees on each settlement, and to what
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extent the eulture of silk, cotton, indigo, or other article was carried on by each family or man in the several districts; and those accounts were to be signed by the presiding officer and submitted to the presi- dent and assistants who were required to transmit them to the trustees.
Delegates were authorized to elect their presiding officer, but such selection was subject to the approval of the president of the colony, and, in case of his refusal to accept the action of the majority, he was required, on the demand of any three delegates, to give his reasons for so doing, and to send them to the trustees for their adviee.
No qualifications were required in the selection of delegates to the first assembly, but in subsequent elections no one was eligible who did not have one hundred mulberry trees planted and fenced upon every fifty acres of land owned by him, and after the 24th of June, 1753, no one could be a delegate who had not complied with the regulation in prescribing the limit as to the number of slaves in proportion to the white servants in his home, who had not at least one female in his family who was skilled in the matter of silk reeling, and who did not produee every year as much as fifteen pounds of silk to every fifty acres of land on his place.
When this first assembly met in Savannah, the three delegates from that district were Francis Harris, John Milledge, William Franeis, and William Russell, and the first named was elected speaker of the body. Of the meeting of the small convention little need be said, as its transactions were of no importance. .
THE MILITIA
In addition to the regular troops, such as Oglethorpe's regiment, etc., the militia was regularly kept in readiness for any trouble that might arise, and the first general muster of that foree in the southern division was held in Savannah on Tuesday, the 13th of June, 1751, under command of Capt. Noble Jones, to the number of about two hun- dred and twenty men, including infantry and cavalry, and it was said of them that " they behaved well and made a pretty appearance." Capt. Jones, as already stated. lived on the Isle of Hope, and was a trusted friend of Oglethorpe. He aided the latter greatly in the troubles with the Spaniards, and held important offiees in Georgia, among them Treas- urer of the Provinee, Register, and member of Council.
EARLY MEASURES TO ESTABLISH THE COLONY
The charter of the colony of Georgia was limited to twenty-one years as declared in that instrument in this language: "We do hereby, for us, our heirs and successors. ordain, will and establish that for and during the term of twenty-one years, to commence from the date of these our letters patent [JJune 9, 1732], the said corporation assembled for that purpose shall and may form and prepare laws, statutes and ordinances fit and necessary for and concerning the government of the said colony, " etc.
Before the expiration of that time, however, the common council,
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as early as the 15th of April, 1751, convinced that under a different form of government the affairs of the province could be more advantageously carried on, prepared for the coming change by appointing a connnittee, headed by the Earl of Shaftesbury, "to adjust with the administration the proper meaus for supporting and settling the colony for the future, and to take from time to time all such measures as they shall find neces- sary for its well being; and to frame, set the seal of the corporation to and present such representation or representations, memorial or memo- rials, as they should think proper." For this committee, the earl re- ported, on the 8th of Jaimary, 1752. "That being informed that the Lords of the Conneil had appointed Thursday evening, December the 19th, to take into consideration the Trustee's memorial to his Majesty, and the reports thereon from the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury and the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, the said committee had, at a meeting December the 14th desired and em- powered the Earl of Shaftesbury, Mr. Hooper, Mr. Vernon, Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Traey and Mr. Fenwick to attend and deliver to the Lords of the Council the following paper in the name of the Trustces for Establish- ing the Colony of Georgia in case they should be called upon by their Lordships, viz. :
"To the Right Honorable the Lords of his Majesty's most Honorable the Privy Council :- The Trustees for Establishing the Colony of Georgia in America, who are ready, for the service of the Crown, to surrender their trust for granting the lands in the said Colony, think it their indispensable duty to offer the following considerations to your Lordships in behalf of the people settled there.
"That the Colony of Georgia be confirmed a separate and indepen- dent Province as it is expressly declared in his Majesty's charter it shall be (in confidence of which the inhabitants both British and foreign have gone thither). and as the Assembly of the Province of Georgia have petitioned for a representation to the Trustees, dated January the 15th, 1750.
"That the inhabitants of the Colony be confirmed in the titles and possessions which have been granted to them under the charter *
"They. immediately drew up the following paper and severally signed the same, vizt .:
"We whose names are here under written, being a committee ap- pointed by the Comnon Council of the Trustees for Establishing the Colony of Georgia in America, and being fully authorized by them. do hereby signify that we are ready and willing to make an absolute surren- der of all the powers, rights and trusts vested in the said Trustees by his Majesty's Royal Charter bearing date the 9th of June, 1732, with- ont any condition or limitation, humbly recommending the rights and privileges of the inhabitants of the said Colony to his Majesty's most gracious protection. "SHAFTESBURY,
".ROBT. TRACY,
"JOHN FREDERICK.
"SAM'L LLOYD,
"EDWARD HOOPER,
"December 19, 1751.
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"That the Committee were then called in again, and they presented the said paper to the Lords of the Council, and then withdrew, and were soon after acquainted by Mr. Sharpe, Clerk of the Council, that he was ordered by their Lordships to inform them that they have referred the said paper to the Attorney and Solicitor General to consider thereof and report to their Lordships in what manner the same might be most effectually carried into execution.
"Resolved, That the Common Council do concur with and approve of all the several steps taken by the Committee, and do, in a particular man- ner, approve of, ratify and confirm (as the Act of the Common Council) the paper respectively signed by the Earl of Shaftesbury and the other four members of the Committee December the 19th, and by them deliv- ered to the Lords of the Council."
Further, on the 21st of March; 1752, the following action was taken by the common council : "Read a copy of a report from the Attorney and Solicitor General in answer to a reference from the Lords of the Committee of his Majesty's most Honorable Privy Council for Planta- tion Affairs, directing them to consider in what manner the Trustees offer to surrender their trust into the hands of his Majesty mnight best be carried into execution, setting forth that it was their opinion a deed of surrender should be executed by the Common Council under their com- mon seal, thereby to surrender their charter, and likewise to grant to his Majesty the one-eighth part of the lands in Georgia granted and sold to the Trustees by the Right Honorable John Lord Carteret.
"Resolved, That the Trustees for Establishing the Colony of Georgia in America, or any three or more of them, do, at such time and in such manner as they shall think fit, surrender and yield up to his Majesty the charter granted by his Majesty to the said Trustees bearing date the 9th of June, 1732, and likewise that they do grant to his Majesty the one- eighth part of the lands and territories lying within the limits described in the said charter granted and sold to the said Trustees by the Right Honorable John Lord Carteret, by an indenture bearing date the 28th of February, 1732.
"Resolved, That the Trustees, or any three or more of them, be, and they are, hereby empowered accordingly to affix the seal of the corpo- ration to such surrender and grant which shall be prepared by the Attor- ney and Solicitor General in pursuance of an order of the Lords of Committee of his Majesty's most Honorable Privy Council for Planta- tion Affairs, bearing date the 19th day of December, 1751."
Contemplating the change in the form of government which would follow the surrender of the charter, the lords justices, seconded by the privy council, issued a proclamation declaring that. until a new system should be adopted. the officers of every sort in Georgia, holding appoint- inents from the trustees, should hold over, with the same regulations as to compensation for services rendered, until their successors should be named, and Mr. Benjamin Martyn was made the agent of the colony in England.
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PATRICK GRAHAM SUCCEEDS PRESIDENT PARKER
Just when Mr. Parker died we have no positive information, but upon his death Patrick Graham was made president, with James Habersham, Noble Jones, Pickering Robinson, and Francis Harris as assistants. We learn from information given by these officers in a communication to the Board of Trade, on the 11th of April, 1753, that a eensus had just then been taken by which it was shown that the population of the colony amounted to 3,447, of whom 2,381 were white and 1,066 were blaeks, the population of Savannah being somewhere between seven and eight hundred; but this enumeration did not include the troops in serviee, or the boatmen, or the Midway settlement just from South Carolina, with their slaves, or Butler's colony. At that time six vessels were docked at Savannah, loading for London and for American ports. The silk industry had been in the hands of Mr. Pickering Robinson who was suc- ceeded at this time by Joseph Ottolenghe, who had been educated in the manner of caring for filatures in Italy ; and this brings us to the period when Georgia became a royal province, with a governor at her head with a commission from the king of England.
CHAPTER XIV
CIVIL, RELIGIOUS AND ROYAL
GOVERNOR JOHN REYNOLDS (1754)-CHANGES UNDER NEW GOVERNMENT -GOVERNOR REYNOLDS ARRIVES-GUBERNATORIAL PROCLAMATION- COLLAPSE OF COUNCIL HOUSE-NEW COUNCIL HOUSE-NOTES FROM AN EARLY "PLAN OF SAVANNAHI"-REYNOLDS' ADMINISTRATION DISAP- POINTING-HENRY ELLIS SUCCEEDS REYNOLDS-JAMES WRIGHT FOL- LOW'S ELLIS-PROVINCE DIVIDED INTO PARISHES-SECOND SAVANNAH CHURCH (CHRIST CHURCH PARISH )-INDEPENDENT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-LUTHERAN CHURCH ORGANIZED-GEORGE III SUCCEEDS GEORGE II-PUBLIC CEREMONIES PROCLAIMING NEW SOVEREIGN.
Anticipating the change which the surrender of the colonial char- ter necessitated. the lords commissioners for trade and plantations were clothed with authority to prepare a plan for the goverment of Georgia and to lay the same before the privy council. This they did on the 5th of March, 1754, and the plan submitted by them was approved.
GOVERNOR JOIIN REYNOLDS (1754)
A commission was issued to Capt. John Reynolds as governor which conferred upon him the full title of "Captain-General and Governor-in- Chief of his Majesty's Province of Georgia, and Vice-Admiral of the same." The commission was dated the 6th of August, 1754. and sail- ing from England a few days thereafter he arrived at Savannah on the 29th of October following.
CHANGES UNDER NEW GOVERNMENT
Before taking up the affairs of his administration. let us consider the changes required by the adoption of the plan adopted. The new system differed materially from that which existed under the trustees, but was in conformity with that of the other colonies older than Georgia. The governor could call an assembly capable of making laws, create courts to enforce the laws, grant lands, and do other things not theretofore lawful. He had as his advisors twelve men of position and influence. called the conneil, and under him were officers to collect customs and duties, to look after quit-rents and grants of lands, in addition to the very important ones of secretary, provost-marshal, and attorney-general.
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The colonial seal was changed in accordance with the following action : "Order of Council at the Court of Kensington, 21st of June, 1754.
"Present, the King's most Excellent Majesty in Council.
"Upon reading at the Board a representation from the Lords Com- missioners for Trade and Plantations, setting forth that his Majesty, having been graciously pleased to approve of a plan for the establish- ment of a eivil government in his Majesty's Colony of Georgia in Amer- ica, and it appearing necessary that a publie seal should be prepared for sealing all publice documents there, according to the method practieed in all his Majesty's colonies in America. the said commissioners have therefore prepared the draught of such a seal as to them seems to be proper for the said Colony of Georgia, wherein a figure, representing the Genius of the Colony. is described, offering a skein of silk to his Majesty, with the motto. Hine laudem sperate Coloni, and around the circumference, Sigillum Provinciac nostrae Georgiac in America; and on the obverse are his Majesty's arms, erown, garter, supporters, and motto, with the inseription. Georgius II Dei Gratia Magnae Britanniae Fr. et Hib. Res. Fidei Defensor, Brunswici et Lunecbergi Dus, Sacri Romani Imperii Archi Thesausarius et Princeps Elector.
"His Majesty, in Council, took the same into consideration. and was pleased to approve of the same draught, and to order that his Majesty's Chief Engraver of Seals do forthwith engrave one silver seal for the use of his Majesty's Colony of Georgia, according to the said draught. and of the same size with those sent to his Majesty's Provinces of South and North Carolina ; and the said Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations are to prepare a warrant for his Majesty's royal signature to the said engraver. as usual upon the like occasions, and to direet him to lay the said seal before his Majesty at this Board for his royal Appro- bation.
"(Signed) W. SHARPE."
The following are the names of the first couneil of Governor John Reynolds and the chief officers of his province: Councillors: Patrick Graham, Sir Patrick Houstoun, Bart., James Habersham, Alexander Kel- lett, William Clifton, Noble Jones, Pickering Robinson, Francis Harris, Jonathan Bryan, William Russell.
Seeretary of the Province, James Habershamn :
Attorney-General. William Clifton ;
Provost-Marshal, Alexander Kellett ;
Naval Officer, William Russell ;
Surveyors, Henry George and John Gerar William DeBrahm.
GOVERNOR REYNOLDS ARRIVES
The coming of Governor Reynolds is thus recorded. together with the solemn act of his inauguration. in the minutes of the president and assistants at a meeting held on the 30th of October, 1754, at which were present Patrick Graham, president. James Habersham, Noble Jones. Pickering Robinson and Franeis Harris, assistants: "Yesterday in the
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afternoon John Reynolds. Esq., who came over in His Majesty's Ship the Port Mahon, landed at this Town. and this morning the Board waited on the said John Reynolds, Esq., in Council, when he produced his most sacred Majesty's Commission or Letters patent, bearing date at Kensing- ton the sixth day of August. 1754, in the twenty-eighth year of his Majesty's reign. commissionating him the said John Reynolds, Esq .. his said Majesty's Captain General and Governor in Chief of the Colony of Georgia in America : and the said Commission being read, Patrick Gra- ham, Esq., delivered up the chair to his Excellency.
"The Board. on this occasion, cannot omit acknowledging with the greatest gratitude his Majesty's paternal care in appointing and send- ing over a Governor and settling the Government of this Province which was so much wanted.
"PAT. GRAHAM, "JAMES HABERSHAM."
The next day (October 31) all of the council were present, except William Clifton, who had not arrived in the province, and all took the oath of office except William Russell who "very respectfully declined the Honor intended him." After giving attention to certain preliminary acts, the commission of Governor Reynolds was read, then ordered to be recorded in the office of the secretary of the province and that it "be read and published at the head of the militia now under arms before the Council Chamber."
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