Jonathan Odell
Jonathan Odell was an influential figure in the 18th century, born in New Jersey to a prominent family in the 1730s. He studied medicine at the College of New Jersey, graduating in 1754, and served as a surgeon in the British Army in the West Indies. Transitioning from medicine to theology, he was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1767 and returned to America to lead St. Ann's Church in Burlington, New Jersey. Known for his politically charged poetry, Odell expressed his Loyalist views during the American Revolution, which led him to go into hiding due to the increasing tensions surrounding independence. He engaged in covert activities for the Loyalist cause, including serving as a chaplain and working with British forces. Notably, he coauthored "The Loyal Verses of Joseph Stansbury and Doctor Jonathan Odell," which defended British interests. Following the war, he fled to England in 1783 but later returned to what is now Canada, where he held various political positions, including on the executive council of New Brunswick. Odell's life reflects the complex dynamics of loyalty and identity during a pivotal moment in American history.
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Jonathan Odell
Author
- Born: September 25, 1737
- Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey
- Died: November 25, 1818
- Place of death: Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Biography
Jonathan Odell was born in New Jersey in the 1730’s to a prominent family who had been in America since the 1600’s. Odell attended the College of New Jersey where he studied medicine, graduating in 1754. He then became a surgeon in the British Army in the West Indies. Odell resigned his post and traveled to England, where he studied theology. In 1766, Odell was ordained as a deacon and became an Anglican priest the following year. Odell then returned to America, where he served as the rector of St. Ann’s Church in Burlington, New Jersey. Odell began publishing politically charged poetry under various pseudonyms that warned against the popular idea of American independence.
As the American Revolution swept the fledgling nation, it became apparent that Odell was sympathetic to the British crown. Odell, fearing persecution, went into hiding, leaving his wife to hide in New York. Odell carried on many covert activities, serving the Loyalist forces as a chaplain, overseeing printing presses, acting as an intermediary between the warring factions, and performing as the translator and secretary of the commander in chief of the British forces. During this period, Odell coauthored a work titled The Loyal Verses of Joseph Stansbury and Doctor Jonathan Odell, which championed British interests, and wrote The American Times, a criticism of the morality of rebels.
Odell fled the country entirely in 1783 for England. He did eventually leave England for what was then called British North America (later to be known as Canada), where he held various political offices, including a seat on the executive council of the province of New Brunswick.