Tradition & Legacy: A Spotlight on George Whitefield
Portrait of George Whitefield
On March 7th, 2023, the Museum of Gloucester opened a new temporary exhibition in our Overmantel gallery on the first floor titled ‘Tradition & Legacy: A Spotlight on George Whitefield’.
George Whitefield’s legacy in Gloucester presents an interesting dilemma for modern audiences. He is often held up as one of Gloucester’s most famous sons and celebrated for his great achievements. But, as with most historic figures, there is difficult history mixed in with these achievements which are rarely spoken about and certainly not memorialized.
Whitefield owned 49 enslaved people and a plantation, but he also campaigned for the legalization and use of enslaved labour in the state of Georgia. This exhibition aims to share a more balanced view of Whitefield’s life and works – to explain why he is celebrated but why he is a difficult and controversial figure. The Museum is not trying to change history with this exhibition, but we believe it is very important that the whole of Whitefield’s story is told…
Early life
George Whitefield was born at the Bell Inn on Southgate Street, Gloucester on 16 December 1714. His parents, Thomas and Elizabeth ran the inn with the help of their children. Whitefield started at the Crypt School when he was 12. He became an avid reader and was also skilled at public speaking and acting. The school, which was located next to St Mary de Crypt church, still stands today.
In 1732, Whitefield left Gloucester to study at Oxford University. Whitefield’s time at Oxford was one of hard work. Due to his father’s death and the inn falling on hard times, he worked as a servitor – paying his rent by working for the Fellows of the university and wealthier students.
He married Elizabeth James, a widow, in 1741 and she primarily resided at their house in Tottenham, London. She suffered multiple miscarriages and their only surviving son died at 4 months old. She passed away from a fever in 1768.
Faith
Whilst at Oxford, Whitefield joined the ‘Holy Club’, where he was befriended by John Wesley. Established by Wesley and his younger brother Charles, the group consisted of like-minded students who met regularly to discuss the gospel and provide spiritual support and advice to each other. They became known as ‘Methodists’ due to their methodical approach to carrying out their Christian faith.
Today, Methodism is separate to the Church of England. However, it was initially concerned with reforming of the Anglican Church. Whitefield and the Wesley brothers are credited as founders of this group.
Whitefield returned to Gloucester in 1736. He was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England at Gloucester Cathedral. He was a noted and unorthodox speaker and preacher – giving one of his first sermons at St Mary de Crypt Church. He was not allocated a Church so often preached outside in the open air.
America and the colonies
Following a letter from John Wesley, Whitefield felt called to visit Georgia, a newly established British colony in America. He first visited in 1738 – the start of his longstanding relationship with America. Georgia had already outlawed the use of enslaved labour.
Whitefield travelled quite extensively to preach on the East Coast. Witnessing the inhuman treatment of enslaved people troubled him and led him to write an angry, open letter to 3 southern colonies in 1749:
“Your dogs are caressed and fondled at your tables; but your slaves who are frequently styled dogs or beasts, have not an equal privilege. They are scarce permitted to pick up the crumbs which fall from their masters’ tables… Although I pray God the slaves may never be permitted to get the upper hand, yet should such a thing be permitted by Providence, all good men must acknowledge the judgement would be just.”
He also purchased 5000 acres in Pennsylvania to build a school “for the instruction of these poor creatures.” He intended to do the same in South Carolina, but neither of these projects succeeded.
Plantation ownership & Bethesda Orphanage
Bethesda (meaning House of Mercy) Orphanage for Boys was set up in 1740 by Whitefield on 500 acres outside Savanna, Georgia. The focus was to teach useful trades – skills such as spinning, agriculture and mechanics.
This was more expensive than anticipated and Whitefield fell into heavy debt to keep it afloat. Whitefield’s solution was to purchase a plantation, named ‘Providence’, in South Carolina (where slavery was legal) using charitable contributions collected in Charleston in 1747. The proceeds from this plantation went directly to supporting the orphanage.
From 1746, Whitefield began lobbying for the legalisation of slavery in Georgia – he was by this time a famous and influential figure on both sides of the Atlantic and his word carried weight. He claimed that both his orphanage and the colony of Georgia would fail without slavery. Slavery was re-legalised in Georgia in 1751 – in large part because of the lobbying of George Whitefield. Once legal, Whitefield bought more enslaved people to work at the orphanage.
Death and legacy
Whitefield died in 1770 on his 13th visit to Georgia. He was buried at the Old South Presbyterian Church, Newburyport, Massachusetts. Due to their longstanding friendship, John Wesley preached the sermon at Whitefield’s funeral in London.
The ownership of the 49 enslaved people, orphanage and the plantations passed to his patron Selina Hastings, the Countess of Huntingdon, upon his death. Financial mismanagement and lack of oversight meant that Whitefield’s wishes for a university on the site never came to fruition. Bethesda Orphanage burnt down in 1773 and the site was subsequently redeveloped into Bethesda Academy for Boys, an institution that still runs today.
Slavery in Georgia lasted until the official abolition in 1863 and continues to have profound far reaching social and economic consequences for African Americans.
Whitefield’s legacy is complicated and difficult to categorise. He did, on several occasions, highlight and campaign against the cruel treatment of enslaved Africans in the American colonies. He is very much celebrated in Gloucester as a founder of the Methodist faith and for the establishment of the Bethesda Orphanage. However, he actively supported and advocated for the role of slavery in America and owned enslaved people himself. The truth of history is about hearing the good and the bad of a person, celebrating someone for their achievements whilst accepting and talking about the negatives.
When looking around the exhibition, we are asking our visitors to consider the following three questions:
What do you think about this balanced approach to history?
What did you know about George Whitefield before visiting today?
How do you feel about George Whitefield, now that both sides have been presented?
If you would like to leave some feedback on the exhibition and its feature on our blog and/or social medias, please contact us:
Instagram: @MuseumOfGloucester
Twitter: @museumofglos
Email: museum@gloucester.gov.uk