James Habersham was a pioneering merchant and statesman in the British North American colony of Georgia. Habersham is credited with opening the first direct trade between Savannah, Georgia, and London, England. He was an influential advocate for slavery in the colonies and served as King Secretary of the Province and as President of the King's Council. In opposition to his adult sons, Habersham remained a Loyalist during the American Revolution. All three of Habersham's sons became actively involved in the Revolutionary movement. Joseph Habersham became a zealous revolutionary in 1774. After July 1776, both he and brother John took up arms against the British and their loyalist allies, while James Jr. contributed to the revolution through political and financial service. The senior Habersham's death in 1775 prevented the painful family division from extending into the war years.
Early years
Habersham was born in Beverley, Yorkshire, England, the son of a freeman and burgess, on 26 January 1712. He was baptised in the Anglican church of St. Mary's on 26 January 1715/16. In 1722, he moved to London, where he worked as a merchant apprentice. In the 1730s, Habersham began following the teachings of George Whitefield and converted to Wesleyan Methodism. At Whitefield's behest, Habersham traveled to the Georgia Colony as a missionary and schoolmaster in 1738. The decision changed the trajectory of Habersham's life. In addition to Whitefield, Habersham was associated with William Piercy, an English curate whom the Countess of Huntington had appointed to serve as president of Bethesda Orphanage, now the Bethesda Academy, near Savannah, Georgia. It is the oldest extant charity in North America. Habersham taught at Bethesda, and it was there, in Savannah, that Habersham met and married Mary Bolton.
Business career
In 1744, he became a merchant and set up a partnership with Francis Harris to make commercial trans-Atlantic trips to England. He and Harris's business was considered the first successful commercial endeavour in Georgia. With resources from this business, Habersham acquired land along rivers for rice planting. After the slavery ban in Georgia was lifted, his rice fields developed into a massive 15,000-acre plantation with 200 slaves.
Politics
By the 1750s Habersham had become politically influential. His advocacy for the economic benefits of slavery influenced a repeal on the ban of slavery. He was a senior counselor to the royal government of the colony and in 1754 was appointed King Secretary of the province. Beginning in 1767, Habersham served as president of the Upper House of the General Assembly. As president of the council, he also assumed the position of acting governor of Georgia during the 19-month absence to England of Governor James Wright in 1771/1772. All three of his sons became supporters of the American Revolution, but Habersham pledged his loyalty to the crown. He died on 28 August 1775. He is buried in Savannah's Colonial Park Cemetery.
