George Micklejohn
George Micklejohn was a prominent minister of the Church of England, notable for his education at Cambridge and his likely service as chaplain for Frederick the Great of Prussia. He was involved in significant historical events, possibly accompanying the Duke of Cumberland at the 1746 Battle of Culloden, which marked the end of the Jacobite rising in England. Micklejohn held a doctorate in sacred theology and was licensed by the Bishop of London to minister in the North Carolina colony in 1766, initially serving in Rowan County before settling in Orange County.
At St. Matthew's Church in Hillsborough, appointed by Governor Tryon, Micklejohn aligned himself with the colonial government during the early rumblings of American Revolution. He preached to the militia in 1768, firmly expressing his loyalty to the English crown and opposing rebellion. During the Revolution, Micklejohn was captured at the battle of Moore's Creek but was later paroled and moved to Granville County, never returning to his previous post. He played a key role in the establishment of the Episcopal Church in North Carolina, serving as president of its first convention in 1790, before eventually relocating to Virginia in the early 1800s.
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George Micklejohn
Nonfiction Writer
- Born: c. 1717
- Birthplace: Scotland
- Died: 1818
Biography
George Micklejohn, a minister with the Church of England, was educated at Cambridge. It is likely that he served as chaplain for Frederick the Great, the famed king of Prussia. It is also probable that Micklejohn was at the Duke of Cumberland’s side at the 1746 Battle of Culloden, which ended the Jacobite rising in England.
The pastor held a doctorate in sacred theology, and the Bishop of London licensed Micklejohn to minister in the North Carolina colony on March 12, 1766. Micklejohn traveled initially to Rowan County before settling in 1767 in Orange County, which had the Church of England as its established religion. He was appointed to his post at St. Matthew’s Church in Hillsborough, North Carolina, by the colony’s Goveror Tryon.
When rumblings of revolution first started surging through the colonies, Micklejohn stood with the government. In 1768, when colonists known as the Regulators started to dissent, the governor brought out the state militia. He directed Micklejohn and Rev. Henry Patillo, a Granville County Presbyterian minister, to preach to the approximately 1,400 soldiers. Micklejohn’s sermon given that day, on Sunday, September 25, 1768, was recorded and preserved; it reveals Micklejohn’s determined loyalty to the English crown and his deep opposition to any form of rebellion.
During the Revolution, Micklejohn, who was traveling with Loyalist forces, was captured during the battle at Moore’s Creek, but he received parole and was allowed to resettle in Granville County. He never returned to Orange County. He became president of the first Episcopal convention in North Carolina in 1790, and in the early 1800’s, he relocated to Virginia.