John Houstoun
Encyclopedia
John Houstoun was an American
lawyer and statesman from Savannah
, Georgia
. He was a delegate for Georgia in the Continental Congress
in 1775. He was the 6th Governor of Georgia, in 1778, and again in 1784-1785.
immigrants in St. George's Parish, near modern Waynesboro
, Georgia. His parents were Sir Patrick (baronet) and Priscilla (Dunbar) Houstoun. His father served as the registrar of land grants for the Georgia Colony
and the collector of quit-rent
s (a permanent annual tax on each grant). John was educated in Savannah and read law there. He was admitted to the bar and started a law practice in Savannah.
Houstoun married Hannah Bryan, whose father, Jonathan, was a wealthy Savannah merchant, they built their home, White Bluff, about nine miles (14 km) northwest of Savannah. The couple had no children.
by James Wright
. But in 1774, Houstoun was one of the founders of the nascent revolutionary government in Georgia. He joined with Archibald Bulloch
and others to form a Committee of Correspondence
in support of the residents of Boston suffering the effects of the Boston Port Act
. The committee went on to create formal protests against other measures brought about by the Intolerable Acts
.
That same year, John was a representative in the rebel Provincial Congress of Georgia, and they named him as a delegate to the First Continental Congress. He declined, since fewer than half the counties were represented in the Provincial Congress. By 1775 this defect was remedied and he accepted that appointment. In Congress, he was a strong supporter of the movement toward independence, but resisted the non-importation agreements because of their negative effects on the southern colonies.
He was reappointed to the national congress in 1776, but did not attend. He stayed at home to work with the Committee of Safety to thwart the loyalist efforts of the popular preacher and loyalist, John Zubly
. Early in 1778, he was elected as the second revolutionary Governor of Georgia also being the first governor of Georgia to be born in Georgia. That same year, he took charge of the Georgia militia in an abortive attempt to seize the British post of St. Augustine
, Florida
. His disagreements with the Continental Army
commander, Robert Howe
, contributed greatly to the failure of the expedition. When the British, in response, captured Savannah on December 29, Houstoun was forced into hiding.
John died at his home, White Bluff, just outside Savannah on July 20, 1796. Houston County
in central Georgia, and the Houston Streets in Atlanta, Georgia and New York City
are named in his honor.
Trivia: John Houstoun pronounced his name "House-ton". While the county and streets noted above are named for him and pronounced the way he did, because of the spelling error the residents of Houston County and of Atlanta and New York are constantly having to correct the pronunciation of "outsiders" who are unfamiliar with them and assume them to be pronounced the same way as the name of a certain city in Texas named for a president.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and statesman from Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. He was a delegate for Georgia in the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
in 1775. He was the 6th Governor of Georgia, in 1778, and again in 1784-1785.
Personal life
John was born to ScotsScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
immigrants in St. George's Parish, near modern Waynesboro
Waynesboro, Georgia
Waynesboro is a city in Burke County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,813 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Burke County...
, Georgia. His parents were Sir Patrick (baronet) and Priscilla (Dunbar) Houstoun. His father served as the registrar of land grants for the Georgia Colony
Province of Georgia
The Province of Georgia was one of the Southern colonies in British America. It was the last of the thirteen original colonies established by Great Britain in what later became the United States...
and the collector of quit-rent
Quit-rent
Quit rent , Quit-rent, or quitrent, in practically all cases, is now effectively but not formally a tax or land tax imposed on freehold or leased land by a higher landowning authority, usually a government or its assigns....
s (a permanent annual tax on each grant). John was educated in Savannah and read law there. He was admitted to the bar and started a law practice in Savannah.
Houstoun married Hannah Bryan, whose father, Jonathan, was a wealthy Savannah merchant, they built their home, White Bluff, about nine miles (14 km) northwest of Savannah. The couple had no children.
Revolutionary years
Houstoun was a successful lawyer, and was appointed to the Governor's CouncilColonial government in America
The organization and structure of British colonial governments in America shared many attributes. While each of the Thirteen Colonies destined to become the United States had its own history and development, there emerged over time some common features and patterns to the structure andd...
by James Wright
James Wright (governor)
James Wright was an American colonial lawyer and jurist who was the last British Royal Governor of the Province of Georgia. He was the only Royal Governor of the Thirteen Colonies to regain control of his colony during the American Revolutionary War.James Wright was born in London to Robert Wright...
. But in 1774, Houstoun was one of the founders of the nascent revolutionary government in Georgia. He joined with Archibald Bulloch
Archibald Bulloch
Archibald Bulloch was a lawyer, soldier, and statesman from Georgia during the American Revolution.-Early life:...
and others to form a Committee of Correspondence
Committee of correspondence
The Committees of Correspondence were shadow governments organized by the Patriot leaders of the Thirteen Colonies on the eve of American Revolution. They coordinated responses to Britain and shared their plans; by 1773 they had emerged as shadow governments, superseding the colonial legislature...
in support of the residents of Boston suffering the effects of the Boston Port Act
Boston Port Act
The Boston Port Act is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which became law on March 30, 1774, and is one of the measures that were designed to secure Great Britain's jurisdictions over her American dominions.A response to the Boston Tea Party, it outlawed the use...
. The committee went on to create formal protests against other measures brought about by the Intolerable Acts
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts or the Coercive Acts are names used to describe a series of laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 relating to Britain's colonies in North America...
.
That same year, John was a representative in the rebel Provincial Congress of Georgia, and they named him as a delegate to the First Continental Congress. He declined, since fewer than half the counties were represented in the Provincial Congress. By 1775 this defect was remedied and he accepted that appointment. In Congress, he was a strong supporter of the movement toward independence, but resisted the non-importation agreements because of their negative effects on the southern colonies.
He was reappointed to the national congress in 1776, but did not attend. He stayed at home to work with the Committee of Safety to thwart the loyalist efforts of the popular preacher and loyalist, John Zubly
John Joachim Zubly
Reverend John Joachim Zubly , born Hans Joachim Züblin, was a Swiss-born American pastor, planter, and statesman during the American Revolution. Although a delegate for Georgia to the Continental Congress in 1775, he resisted independence from Great Britain and became a Loyalist.-Early life and...
. Early in 1778, he was elected as the second revolutionary Governor of Georgia also being the first governor of Georgia to be born in Georgia. That same year, he took charge of the Georgia militia in an abortive attempt to seize the British post of St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. His disagreements with the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
commander, Robert Howe
Robert Howe (soldier)
Robert Howe was a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.-Early life:His great-grandfather was James Moore, colonial governor of South Carolina...
, contributed greatly to the failure of the expedition. When the British, in response, captured Savannah on December 29, Houstoun was forced into hiding.
Later career
After the surrender at Yorktown, the British abandoned Savannah in 1782. Houstoun returned home, and was elected to another one year term as governor in 1784. In 1790 he became the first elected Mayor of Savannah, and in 1791 was appointed a justice of the Superior Court of Georgia. After 1792 he served as president of the Chatham Academy.John died at his home, White Bluff, just outside Savannah on July 20, 1796. Houston County
Houston County, Georgia
Houston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on May 15, 1821, as one of five huge counties, later reduced in the formation of Bibb, Crawford, Pike, Macon and Peach counties. As of the 2000 census, the population is 110,765...
in central Georgia, and the Houston Streets in Atlanta, Georgia and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
are named in his honor.
Trivia: John Houstoun pronounced his name "House-ton". While the county and streets noted above are named for him and pronounced the way he did, because of the spelling error the residents of Houston County and of Atlanta and New York are constantly having to correct the pronunciation of "outsiders" who are unfamiliar with them and assume them to be pronounced the same way as the name of a certain city in Texas named for a president.
Further reading
- Edith Duncan Johnston; "The Houstouns of Georgia"; 1950, University of Georgia Press