John Wesley (1703-1791)

John Wesley (1703-1791) is a Georgia historical marker in Chatham County, dedicated 1958.

Located in the parking lot near the visitor center of Fort Pulaski National Monument, off U.S. 80 east of Savannah on Tybee Island.

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On February 6, 1736, John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, landed at Peeper (now Cockspur) Island near here and there preached to his fellow voyagers his first sermon on American soil. A monument has been erected on Cockspur Island to commemorate the event. Sent to Georgia by the Trustees as missionary, Wesley was the third minister of the Established Church (Anglican) in the colony. He preached in the scattered settlements of Georgia, journeying thither by boat and over Indian trails. Wesley returned to England in 1737 after differences with his parishioners. "I shook off the dust of my feet and left Georgia," he wrote, "having preached the Gospel there (not as I ought, but as I was able) one year and nearly nine months."

Maps this old were drawn largely by eye, so places on them can sit miles from where they really are. The pin is ours and marks the marker's location today.

TodayHistorical map

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1746 · A Map of the British Empire in America. (Sheet 10). (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1764 · Carte de la Nouvelle Georgie (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1778 · Parte Orientale della Florida, della Giorgia, e Carolina Meridionale. Fogl. XI (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1874 · Plache VII. Sea Islands. (Carolina du Sud). (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
[Savannah River and Savannah Sound]. (University of Michigan Library)

A Map of the British Empire in America. (Sheet 10), 1746, covering the location of John Wesley (1703-1791), with a pin at the marker's coordinates — A Map of the British Empire in America. (Sheet 10), 1746, covering this location. David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries. The pin is ours, placed from the marker's coordinates.

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This historical marker is part of the Georgia Historical Marker Program and was erected by the Georgia Historical Commission. Marker texts and locations come from the Society's own marker database.

More markers nearby

Cockspur Island Lighthousesame spot
The Waving Girlsame spot
History of Emancipation: Gen. David Hunter and General Orders No. 7same spot
Fort Pulaskiunder 1 mi