ABSTRACT
David Margate travelled to America in late 1774 in order to minister to slaves working at the Bethesda Orphanage just outside of Savannah in Georgia. Bethesda was the creation of evangelist George Whitefield, who raised vast sums for its support on his preaching tours through the American colonies. A disastrous fire in 1773 saw many of the buildings at Bethesda destroyed and William Piercy, chaplain to the Countess, was dispatched to ensure the work of the orphanage continued. Piercy was immediately struck by the lack of access that the slaves working at Bethesda had to religion. The letters are not well known, most likely because they have never been printed, and have been used mainly by historians interested in the early history of Methodism, rather than those researching slavery in colonial America. Piercy visited Charleston in May 1775 and found the citizens still outraged about Margate’s sermon six months previously.
