James Oglethorpe was Member of Parliament for Haslemere from 1722 for 32 years and became a leading humanitarian and philanthropist. In 1728 in Parliament, he advocated reform of the terrible conditions experienced by sailors in the Royal Navy, by publishing an anonymous pamphlet, ‘The Sailors Advocate’. More significantly, he also campaigned for the improvement of debtors in London prisons and came up with the idea of resettling them in a new colony in America (which he called Georgia in honour of George II). In Georgia he also encouraged the arrival of Protestant refugees from persecution in Europe and, as a soldier, repelled attacks by the Spanish based in Florida. James Hanson, Head of Boys at the Royal School, will cover the life and times of this very distinguished man.

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