Theophilus Oglethorpe Jr. facts for kids

Theophilus Oglethorpe, junior (born March 11, 1684 – died around 1737) was an English politician. He lived at Westbrook Place in Godalming. He was a member of the House of Commons from 1708 to 1713. The House of Commons is a very important part of the British Parliament, where laws are made. Theophilus was part of the Tory political group.

Early Life and Education

Theophilus Oglethorpe Jr. went to school at Eton College. This is a famous school in England. Learning at Eton helped prepare him for his future in politics.

A Family of Politicians

The Oglethorpe family was well-known in politics. Theophilus followed in their footsteps. In 1708, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Haslemere. An MP is someone elected to represent an area in the House of Commons. His father, Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe, and his older brother, Lewis, had also been MPs for Haslemere. Later, his younger brother, James, also represented the same area. Theophilus served as an MP for five years, leaving Parliament in 1713.

Supporting the Old Pretender

Like his father, Theophilus Oglethorpe Jr. supported the Old Pretender. The Old Pretender was a person who believed he should be the King of England, even though someone else was on the throne. This group of supporters was called Jacobites. Theophilus's father had been close to King James II, who lost his throne in an event called the Glorious Revolution. After this, James II went to live in another country.

Because Theophilus was a Jacobite supporter, he also left England. He went to join the Old Pretender's court, which was like a royal household in exile. It was located at Saint Germain in France. On December 20, 1717, Theophilus was given the title of Baron Oglethorpe of Oglethorpe. This was a special title given by the Jacobite court. He stayed with the Old Pretender's court for the rest of his life.