John Newman Oglethorpe

Birth* before 1716 John was born at Charleston, Berkeley District, South Carolina, before 1716.

	He was the son of Richard Oglethorpe and Johanna Little. 

Marriage* circa 1744 He married Eleanor Middleton at South Carolina circa 1744.

Marriage* circa 1768 He married Hannah Adams at South Carolina circa 1768.

Death* after 1795 He died at Camden District, South Carolina, after 1795.

Biography* John Newman Oglethorpe seems a likely possibility to have been the grandfather of John Culpepper, since he was the only Oglethorpe living in geographic proximity to the Culpeppers in the 1770's.

     Researcher Janet Biondo has found our earliest references to date on John Newman Oglethorpe. In 1738, in the South Carolina Gazette: 

OGLETHORPE, Newman (address unknown), Doctor................................................ Local News Article, 01/19/1738 Charlestown Jan. 26

.

     We hear that at Mr. William Flud's at the Sign of the Harp and Crown, is held a Lodge of the ancient and honourable Society of Free and Accepted Masons, belonging to the Lodge of St. John, Doct. Newman Oglethorpe being chosen Master. 

OGLETHORPE, ??? (address unknown), Doctor.................................................... Financial Notice, 11/08/1751, 11/13/1751, 11/18/1751 Article Subjects: Financial Affairs, Bonds & Notes, and Loans and Money.

.

     Doct. Oglethorpe (in order to satisfy his creditors) desires every person that has not lately settled his or her accompt to his satisfaction, to do it before the first of January next, after which day he is determined to sue every person who pays not a due regard hereto. 

OGLETHORP, ??? (King's Tree, SC), Doctor..................................................... General Advertisement, 11/05/1753, 11/16/1753, 11/20/1753 Article Subjects: Auctions, Real Estate, and Law Enforcement.

.

     TO BE SOLD for ready money, at public vendue, in Charles-Town, on tuesday, the 4th of December next, a house and lot in the township of Williamsburgh, at the King's-Tree, lately belonging to ___?___ Jameson deceased, seized on execution; being the place now or late possessed by Doctor Oglethorp. 

.

     We next find John Newman Oglethorpe in Rowan County, NC, where he was described as a "chirurgeon" or surgeon. He owned land along Abbott's Creek in that portion of Rowan County lying east of the Yadkin River. In 1755 he purchased two town lots in the north square of Salisbury, apparently for speculative reasons (from Carolina Cradle by Robert W. Ramsey, p. 159). 

.

     No records have yet been found for John Newman Oglethorpe between 1755 and 1764, but at some point during that period of time he returned to South Carolina, whether to Charleston, or to Camden District, is not certain. 

     Craven Co. SC, 15 May 1764, Hardyrice Jernigan and Needham Jernigan, of Craven Co., to Joseph Kershaw & Co., merchants, of Pine Tree Hill, for L 595:2:5 currency, 3 Negroes belonging to HardyRice Jernigan, & 200 ac. on Jumping Gully conveyed to Needham Jernigan by James McGirt. Date of redemption: 1 July next. Witnesses: John Chestnut (merchant), Ely Kershaw. Before John Newman Oglethorpe, J.P. Entered in Secretary's Book & p. 257 on 25 May 1765 by George Johnston, Dep. Sec. Recorded 26 Oct 1765 by Fenwicke Bull, Register. 

     By 1765, John Newman Oglethorpe was in Camden, SC, where a deed was witnessed in his presence as a Justice of the Peace (SC Deed Bk E-3, p.186, recorded 21 Oct 1765). 

     On another deed recorded that same day, Robert Milhous, Hannah Oglethorpe and Thomas Oglethorpe witnessed a deed with John Newman Oglethorpe as Justice of the Peace (SC Deed Bk E-3, p. 192) . 

     The next day Robert Milhous, Thomas Oglethorpe, and Samuel Wyly witnessed another deed between the same parties, Samuel Gibson and Isaac Ross, with John Newman Oglethorpe as J.P. (SC Deed Bk E-3, p. 194). The land in these deeds was on the Wateree River, which is near Camden. 

     The Hannah Oglethorpe, mentioned above, was John N. Oglethorpe's wife. On two occasions in 1768, Thomas Oglethorpe was reimbursed by the South Carolina Commons House of Assembly for transporting a prisoner to jail (Citizens and Immigrants--South Carolina, 1768, by Mary B. Warren). So perhaps he was the son of John N., and was about 16 to 20 years old in 1768. 

     John Newman Oglethorpe was a Presbyterian, which displeased the itinerant Anglican minister, Charles Woodmason. On Sunday, August 7, 1768, he wrote: "And yet there is a Magistrate here -- but he is a Presbyterian -- So are these Wretches. Instead of this Magistrate punishing these worthless Sinners he protects them-- and he had the Assurance to write to me to make them Satisfaction for my Admonitions to them (they not being of my Church he said) or he should indite me for an Assault--This dirty fellow I must report to the Governor and Council: How can Ministers suppress Vice, thus openly countenanc'd and protected?..." But elsewhere in his writings Woodmason was kinder: "There's Mr. Oglethorpe, there he sits, God bless Him, I say it in his face, He's a Jewel of a Man, and strives to compose Peoples Janglings all he can, as far as he knows and no Man can do more--and yet very often instead of being prais'd and Esteem'd for admonishing and reproving offenders against the Laws He is often hiss'd and hooted at When by St. Patrick would he exert his Authorityship properly, He might commit them to the stocks, or bind them over to their Good Behavior...." These quotes are from Charles Woodmason, The Carolina Backcountry on the Eve of the Revolution, edited by Richard J. Hooker. 

     Pp. 221-226: 15 May 1767, Col. Isaac Brunson & wife Mary of St. Marks Parish, Craven Co., planter, to Andrew Rembert Senr., planter (lease s10, release ), 250 A adj. Porcher, Thomas Jones, granted 24 Mar 1756 to Isaac 

     Brunson Isaac Brunson (LS), Wit: Isaac Brunson, Peter Brunson. Prov. in Craven County before John Newman Oglethorpe by Isaac Brunson, 19 May 1769. Rec. 7 May 1771 (SC Mag of Ancestral Research, Vol. IV, p. 201). 

     Pp. 284-290: 6 Sept 1764, John McGowen & wf Sarah of Berkley County, SC, planter, to Joshua English of Fredericksburgh Township, Craven County, planter, (lease s 10, release £ 400), 300 A in Fredericksburgh Tonwship, adj. Alexander Rattray, William Kelly, granted 5 Sept ____, to James McGowen, and by the death of James McGowen, became the property of John McGowen as son and heir Jno McGowen (LS), Sa McGowen (LS), Wit: John Stevenson, John Hunter. Proved 27 Sept 1768 before John N. Oglethorpe, by John Stephenson. Rec. 18 May 1771 (SC Mag of Ancestral Research, Vol. V, p. 38). 

     In January 1768, a belated deed, dated 22 May 1739, was recorded in Charleston, between John (German script) Pnuder, Shoemaker, and Ann Eleanor, his wife, and John Pearson, all of Berkeley County. Witnesses were John Newman Oglethorpe, John Hearn, and Philip Morris, John Perkins, J. P. (National Gen. Soc. Quarterly, 1985, Vol. 73, p. 190). 

     John Newman Oglethorpe was foreman of the first Grand Jury to sit in Camden District, SC, in November 1772 (South Carolina Gazette, 10 Dec 1772). 

     A Memorial dated 5 January 1775, for Paul Porcher, 500 acres in Granville County, St. Peter's Parish. Bounded North on Oglethorpe, now Middleton; East on Loriman; South on John Bull, and West on the Savannah River [Book 13-217:2]. 

     A Memorial dated 11 February 1775, for John Newman Oglethorpe, 450 acres in Craven County, bounded on the South on an open branch of the Black River, bounded NE on land surveyed; other sides vacant. Survey certified 29 March 1773; granted 26 August 1774. Quit Rent in two years. Jno. Belton, DS. Delivered 27 April 1775 to John Adamson [Book 13-308:1] (South Carolina Memorials of Land Titles 1774-1776 by Jesse Hogan Motes III and Margaret Peckham Motes). 

     A Memorial dated 15 May 1775 for John Chisholm: 200 acres in Granville County. Bounded South on Oglethorpe's Barony; East and West on vacant land [Book 13-479:5]. 

     On 10 November 1777, John N. Oglethorpe, Esq., one of the justices assigned to keep the peace in Camden District, took the oath of John Belton on a deed (Kershaw County SC Deed Book A, p. 351). 

     In November 1795, John Newman Oglethorpe was ordered by the court to examine the witnesses of the will of John Kelley. "By the court help for Newberry County 2 March 1793 ordered letters of administration for the estate of John Kelly deceased granted to Abijah O'Neal, Samuel Kelley Junr. By the judges of the county Court of Newberry Ordinary 21 Nov. 1795 by virtue of a didimus from under the hands of William Campbell Governer directed to John Newman Oglethorpe of Camden District to examine the witnesses of the will of John Kelley Sen. Deceased letters of administration granted to Samuel Kelley Junr. And Abijah O'Neal and an inventory to be made" (Abstracts of Newberry County Will Book A, p. 176, as found in The SC Mag. of Ancestral Research, Vol XI, Summer 1983, #3, p. 160-1. 

Family 1

Eleanor Middleton b. c 1720, d. b 1768

Marriage* circa 1744 He married Eleanor Middleton at South Carolina circa 1744.

Children

Thomas Oglethorpe (circa 1746 - )

Sarah Oglethorpe+ (circa 1750 - )

Susannah Oglethorpe (circa 1752 - after 1817)

Rebecca Oglethorpe (circa 1754 - )

Family 2

Hannah Adams b. s 1747

Marriage* circa 1768 He married Hannah Adams at South Carolina circa 1768.

Children

Hannah Oglethorpe+ (circa 1769 - 10 Mar 1808)

Mary Oglethorpe (say 1769 - )

John Newman Oglethorpe Jr.+ (circa 1774 - after 1 Jun 1840)