Puttenham Priory

Ein Pachtvertrag General Oglethorpes mit Graf von Zinzendorf

Abstract

This study arises from a remark in the 1749 Gemeinnachrichten (weekly Moravian news reports) that Zinzendorf had made a journey to ‘Puddenham’. General James Edward Oglethorpe, a friend of Zinzendorf who had done much to help the Moravian Church, had offered to lease Puttenham Priory, his country house there, to the Count. Zinzendorf is said to committed himself to leasing the house for the incredibly long period of twenty years. His idea was that brethren and sisters who were due to travel from England to America as settlers would be accommodated there until a passage to America by ship could be secured. This plan was not realized. However, both sides held to the contract (the details of which remain unknown) for many years. As late as mid-1755 a group of single brethren wanted to settle in Puttenham as a community.