James Wright.
December 20, 1764.
A Letter to his Excellency Governor Wright, giving an account of the steps taken, relative to the converting the Georgia Orphan-House into a College: Together with the literary correspondence that passed upon that subject, between his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Reverend Mr. Whitefield.
Provide things honest in the sight of all men. Romans xii. 14.
Honoured Sir,
AS your Excellency, together with the members of his Majesty’s honourable council, and house of representatives, were pleased at my late visit to the Orphan-house, not only highly to approve of, but also deeply to interest yourselves in the design of converting the present Georgia Orphan-house into a college; so I am persuaded, you make no doubts but that ever since my arrival in England, July 1765, I have exerted my utmost efforts in endeavouring to bring this important affair to a desirable issue. To mention all the various circumstances which have occurred during that interval, to impede and retard its more speedy prosecution, would be tedious and unnecessary: I would therefore only inform your Excellency, that about fifteen months ago, a memorial was delivered into the hands of the late clerk of his Majesty’s most honourable privy council. That this memorial was by him transmitted to the Lord President, and by his Lordship referred to the consideration of his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury; that by his Grace’s permission a literary correspondence ensued; but as that correspondence, and with that, the negociation itself seems at an end, I think it my duty, not only to lay an account of the whole before your Excellency in particular; but, through your Excellency’s hands, before his Majesty’s council and house of representatives of the colony of Georgia, together with all the other American colonists, and the public in general, on both sides the water, who have so liberally contributed to the promoting this design.
To the King’s most Excellent Majesty.
The Memorial of George Whitefield, Clerk,
Sheweth,
THAT about twenty-six 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 very 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 orphan family so many years, he hath expended upwards of twelve thousand pounds sterling, as appears by the accounts, which from time to time have been audited by the magistrates of Savannah, and which are humbly presented with this memorial.