General James Edward Oglethorpe
The Georgia (USA) link – at St Peter & St Paul, Godalming
The State flag of Georgia, USA, hangs in the south aisle of the church above a plaque commemorating the 250th anniversary of the departure (to found the colony of Georgia) of General James Edward Oglethorpe of Westbrook Manor, Godalming.
The State Governor led a party to Godalming in 1996 on the 300th anniversary of Oglethorpe’s birth and gave the chandelier .
In 1999 a party of the “Friends of Oglethorpe” went from Godalming to Georgia and presented to the Governor a gavel made from the ancient yew tree which grows outside the porch of St Peter & St Paul, and under which the young Oglethorpe walked on his way to worship.