John William Gerard de Brahm
Encyclopedia
William Gerard de Brahm (1718, Koblenz
–ca.1799, Philadelphia) was a German cartographer, engineer and mystic
.
He was born the eight child of a court musician employed by the Elector of Trier. He became "Captain Engineer" in the Imperial Army, but after his marriage (to Wilhelmina) emigrated to the British colony of Georgia
. In the 1750s they baptized children at the "Independent Congregational Churches" in Stoney Creek
and later Charleston
, in present-day South Carolina.
In 1754 he was appointed by the British as surveyor general for Georgia Colony. In August 1756 he traveled to a site in present day Vonore, TN on the banks of the Little Tennessee River as the engineer constructing Fort Loudoun
. He is said to have been the most prolific mapmaker in the Southern Colonies
in the late eighteenth century. Formerly an ally of European colonisation, his contact with American Indians
led him to despise European Imperialism as a sin which would ultimately bring destruction to the world. He believed that the American Indians
had been corrupted by the immorality of traders and their attempts to civilise them. He was imprisoned in France by the American Revolutionary government, accused of being loyal to the British cause. From 1778 he resided in Britain; making a brief visit to his German homeland before settling in Philadelphia in 1791 where he converted to Quakerism. There his writings on Cosmography
were inspired by the ideas of an earlier German mystic, Jacob Boehme. He perceived the eighteenth century carving up of lands for personal glory as a tyranny of reason.
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
–ca.1799, Philadelphia) was a German cartographer, engineer and mystic
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
.
He was born the eight child of a court musician employed by the Elector of Trier. He became "Captain Engineer" in the Imperial Army, but after his marriage (to Wilhelmina) emigrated to the British colony of Georgia
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...
. In the 1750s they baptized children at the "Independent Congregational Churches" in Stoney Creek
Beaufort County, South Carolina
-National protected areas:*Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge *Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 155,215 people, 45,532 households, and 33,056 families residing in the county. The population density was 206 people per...
and later Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, in present-day South Carolina.
In 1754 he was appointed by the British as surveyor general for Georgia Colony. In August 1756 he traveled to a site in present day Vonore, TN on the banks of the Little Tennessee River as the engineer constructing Fort Loudoun
Fort Loudoun
Fort Loudoun was the name of three British forts built during the French and Indian War in North America. They were named for John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun.*Fort Loudoun in present-day Monroe County, Tennessee...
. He is said to have been the most prolific mapmaker in the Southern Colonies
Southern Colonies
The Southern Colonies in North America were established by Europeans during the 16th and 17th centuries and consisted of olden South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia and Georgia. Their historical names were the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, the Province of Carolina, and the Province...
in the late eighteenth century. Formerly an ally of European colonisation, his contact with American Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
led him to despise European Imperialism as a sin which would ultimately bring destruction to the world. He believed that the American Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
had been corrupted by the immorality of traders and their attempts to civilise them. He was imprisoned in France by the American Revolutionary government, accused of being loyal to the British cause. From 1778 he resided in Britain; making a brief visit to his German homeland before settling in Philadelphia in 1791 where he converted to Quakerism. There his writings on Cosmography
Cosmography
Cosmography is the science that maps the general features of the universe, describing both heaven and Earth...
were inspired by the ideas of an earlier German mystic, Jacob Boehme. He perceived the eighteenth century carving up of lands for personal glory as a tyranny of reason.
Works
- Atlantic Pilot, (1772)
- Time an Apparition of Eternity and Voice of the Everlasting Gospel, (1791-2)
- Apocalyptic Gnomon Points out Eternity's Divisibility Rated with Time Pointed at by Gnomons Sidereal, (1795)