About the end of the month of August, 1732, Sir Gilbert Heathcote acquainted the court of directors of the Bank of England, that his Majesty had granted a charter for establishing a regular colony in Georgia; that the fund was to arise from charitable contributions which he recommended to them, shewing the great charity of the undertaking and the future benefit arising to England, by strengthening all the American Colonies, by increasing the trade and navigation of the kingdom, and by raising of raw silk, for which upwards of L500,000 a year was paid to Piedmont, and thereby giving employment to thousands of tradesmen and working people.  Then Sir Gilbert gave a handsome benefaction to the design, and his example was followed by the directors then present, and a great many others belonging to that opulent society; and James Vernon, Robert Hucks, and George Heathcote, Esquires, paid into the Bank (the treasury for this use) L200 each for the charity, which was conducted by the following gentlemen as trustees: 

Anthony Earl of Shaftesbury,         Francis Eyles, Esq. 
John Lord Viscount Purceval,         John Laroche, Esq. 
John Lord Viscount Tyrconnel,        James Vernon, Esq. 
James Lord Viscount Limerick,        Stephen Hales, A.M. 
George Lord Carpenter,               Richard Chandler, Esq. 
Edward Digby, Esq.                    Thomas Frederick, Esq. 
James Oglethorpe, Esq.                Henry L’Apostre, Esq. 
George Heathcote, Esq.                William Heathcote, Esq. 
Thomas Towers, Esq.                   John White, Esq. 
Robert Moore, Esq.                    Robert Kendal, Esq. 
Robert Hucks, Esq.                    Richard Bundy, D.D. 
William Sloper, Esq.

Collections were made all over England, and large sums raised, and the Parliament gave L10,000, which enabled the trustees to entertain many poor people that offered, and to make provision for their transportation and maintenance till they could provide for themselves.

[OLDMIXON, I. p.526.

“Those who direct this charity have, by their own choice, in the most open and disinterested manner, made it impossible for any one among them to receive any advantage from it, besides the consciousness of making others happy.  Voluntary and unpaid directors carry on their designs with honor and success.  Such an association of men of leisure and fortune to do good, is the glory and praise of our country.”]

[Sermon before the trustees for establishing the colony of Georgia, by THOMAS RUNDLE, D.D., Bishop of Londonderry, Ireland.  Lond. 1734, page 16.]

X.

OGLETHORPE’S DISINTERESTEDNESS IN THE UNDERTAKING.

As Oglethorpe’s going along with this new Colony proceeded merely from his public spirit, and from a disinterested and generous view of contributing all that was in his power, towards the benefit of his country, and the relief of his distressed countrymen, it met with just and deserved applause.  In one of the public prints of the day the following encomium was inserted.