Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Stephens, William

STEPHENS, William, president of the colony of Georgia, b. in the Isle of Wight, England, 28 Jan., 1671; d. in Georgia in August. 1753. He was educated at Winchester school and King's college, Cambridge, and studied law, but. abandoning it for public affairs, was a member of parliament and held several important offices. About 1730 he went to South Carolina for the purpose of surveying a barony of land. He was well pleased with his reception in the colony, became intimate with Gen. James Oglethorpe, and, on the recommendation of the latter, was appointed secretary to the trustees in Georgia in 1837. His duty in this office consisted in supervising the affairs of the colony. He was made president of the county of Savannah in 1741, and of the entire colony in 1743. He held this post up to 1750, when he gave such evidence of mental and physical decline that he was requested to resign. He wrote "A Journal of the Proceedings in Georgia, beginning October 20, 1737" (3 vols., London, 1742). This work includes "State of the Province," which brings the narrative down to 28 Oct., 1741. The latter was also published separately (London, 1742). The work, which is exceedingly rare, especially the third volume, is believed to be of great importance in connection with the early history of Georgia, His son, Thomas, was the author of "The Castle-Builder, or the History of William Stephens, of the Isle of Wight" (2d ed., London. 1759).