WHITEFIELD, George, Eng lish evangelist, founder of the Calvinist Methodists: h. Gloucester, 16 Dec. 1714; d. Newburyport, Mass.. 30 Sept 1770. He was sent to the grammar school of Saint Mary de Crypt at Gloucester, and at IR entered as servitor at Pembroke College, Oxford, where be became acquainted with the Weskys. and joined the small society which procured them the name of Methodists. Heanng of his de votional tendencies, Dr. Benson, bishop of Gloucester, made him an offer of ordination at 21. which he accepted, and he was ordained a deacon in 1736. Such was his powerful and exciting preaching, that, after his first sermon at Gloucester, a complaint was made to the bishop that be had driven several people mad; on which the prelate observed that he hoped the madness would not be forgotten before the next Sunday. He for some time supplied a curacy at Dummer, in Hampshire, but the next account sent him by the Wesleys of their progress in Georgia excited in him a desire to assist in their labors, and he arrived at Savannah in May 1737. Observing the deplor able want of education in the colony, he pro jected an orphan-house for which he de termined to raise contributions in • Eng land, where he arrived in the beginning of 1739. Although discountenanced by many of the clergy, Bishop Benson did not scruple to confer on him priest's orders; and on going to London the churches in which he preached were incapable of holding the crowds assembled. He then adopted the practice of preaching in the open air, which he first carried out at Kingswood, near Bristol, among the colliers, on whom his discourses produced a surprising effect, and whose vicious manners and habits be visibly improved. He afterward preached
in the open air in Bristol, and in Moorfields, Kennington, and other places in the neighbor hood of London, to vast • eo pie. In August 1739, he again eitil,iriscti for a j mr through seN gal of the provinces, where cached to m useum audiences, with an enect por trayed in the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. He arrived at Savannah in January 1740, where he laid the foundation of the or phan-house, and after making another exten sive tour, returned to England, in March 1741. Daring his absence his cause had been declin ing at home, and the differences between him and 1Vesley on the doctrines of election and reprobation deprived him of many followers. After visiting many parts of England. Scot land and Wales, where he married in 1741, he again returned to America (1744), and re mained there nearly four years. His preach lag met with great opposition in New England at this time and Harvard College put forth a 'testimony* against him. Returning to England in July 17•8 he was soon after introduced to the Countess of Huntington, who made him one of her chaplains. A visit to Ireland and two more voyages to America followed, and for several years his labors were unremitting. He preached at Exeter, N. H.. the day before his death, and also at Newburyport. He is buried beneath the pulpit of the Federal Street Church at Newburyport. His works were pub lished in 1771-7Z. Consult Gillies, (Memoirs' (772) Tyerman, L, 'Life of Whitefield' (1876-i7).