James Edward Oglethorpe (1696-1785), Founder of Georgia

Sitter in 4 portraits
James Oglethorpe entered Parliament as an MP in 1722 where he became involved in the issues of prison reform and the plight of the poor. The idea of creating a new colony in America rose out of these concerns, and in 1732 Oglethorpe became one of the twenty-one Trustees of the new colony of Georgia. He accompanied the first boatload of settlers on their journey to America and worked tirelessly on behalf of the colony where he lived until returning to England in 1743. Although his formal title was Trustee, he is universally regarded as Georgia's first Governor.