James Edward Oglethorpe by Joyce Blackburn with a Preface by Eugenia Price-1970

 James Edward Oglethorpe by Joyce Blackburn with a Preface by Eugenia Price-1970

Five years ago, in consultation with Max u, it was decided every December there should be a post in Observation of the Birth Anniversary of our father, born on December 2, 1918 in a small then very undeveloped tiny town in south Georgia, Cairo.

Our Father served four years in the United States Army during World War Two.  He was a junior officer serving under General Douglas MacArthur.  He was stationed in New Guinea and shortly after the war in the Philippines.  For the initial observation in December of 2018 I posted on a wonderful book, Rampage MacArthur, Yamashita and The Battle of Manila by James M. Scott .  Shortly after I posted, the author, a great speaker, did a book tour in Manila.  My wife and I attended one of his talks. Afterwards we had a lovely conversation with Mr. Scott.

In 2019, I came upon a perfect book for the second annual birthday observation, War at the End of the World: Douglas MacArthur and the Forgotten Fight For New Guinea, 1942-1945 Book by James P Duffy.  

This year I decided to go in another direction, exploring the early history of Georgia as an English colony.  Our last name comes from a very ancient pre-Roman City in Germany.  (The City has a very famous cathedral and is the birthplace of Albert Einstein).  Because our last name is relatively uncommon we havd been able ascertain when and where our first American ancestor bearing our Last named arrived in tbe colonies, Savanah Georgia in 1755.

Born 1696. Into an old Family with royal connections

1722 - having inherited a large estate, he becomes a member of parliment 

He becomes interested in forming a colony in Georgia to be settled by inmates of debtor’s prisons and the unemployed.  The political appeal to the English government is as a buffer to keep Spanish intrusions from Florida 

In 1732 he departs for Georgia to serve as the first governor.

He will return to England in 1743 never to return.

He tried to keep cordial relationships with Native Americans and temporarily outlawed slavery.  He felt slaves would join forces with the Spanish.

Died: June 30, 1785, Cranham, Upminster, United Kingdom

“James Edward Oglethorpe turned his back on Oxford University, his family's Jacobite schemes, and a career as courtier to a prince to settle as an English country squire. But history was not to let him stay unnoticed. As a member of Parliament in the eighteenth century, Oglethorpe fought for debtors? rights and prison reform, and when he gained them, volunteered to found a new colony in America. Under his direction, settlements were established, strong bonds were formed with the Creek Indians, and the colony of Georgia flourished. He guided it during its formative years and protected it during war with Spain. That alone should have assured Oglethorpe of his place in history...but as he learned, politics and fortune are fickle. In this captivating biography, Joyce Blackburn details the career and life of this gallant gentleman, hero, visionary, and patriot.” From the publisher 

Joyce Blackburn

“Joyce was the only child of Reverend Leroy and Mrs. Audry Knight Blackburn. A graduate of Moody Institute in Chicago, taking a job as a broadcaster at WMBI after graduation. During her career there, she directed dramatic programs and presented her own series. Her recording of Suki and the Invisible Peacock lead to a contract for her first book of the same title and subsequent prize-winning titles for young readers have made her well-known among librarians and teachers. In 1996, the Suki books were reissued in a Silver Anniversary Edition and she was presented with the 1996 Governor's Award in the Humanities from the Georgia Humanities Council.

In the 1940's she became life long friends with writer Eugenia Price and in 1965 the two moved to St. Simons Island, Georgia where the two continued to write. There they established the Eugenia Price–Joyce Blackburn Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose proceeds fund grants and scholarships, support charitable organizations, and create programs that promote excellence in writing. 

Joyce was buried to the right of her life long friend, Eugenia Price.” From the publisher 

This is a young adult book.  I would suggest rather than spending $11.95 you just read the Wikipedia article