Milledge, John, 1721-1781

John Milledge I (ca. 1721-1781) came in the first group of settlers to Georgia in February, 1733, along with his parents, brothers, and sisters. His father died in July, 1733, and his mother died in June, 1734. John, being the oldest, took charge of the family. He went back to England for a short period, soon returned to Georgia. James Edward Oglethorpe took an interest in him and in 1741 had Milledge appointed as overseer for a "certain public work." In 1742, he was appointed Captain of Rangers by Oglethorpe, a position he held for many years. He was a member of the first Colonial Assembly of Georgia in 1751; for many years he represented Christ Church Parish in the Commons House of Assembly. He became a wealthy land and slave owner. He married Ann Skidaway Smith (born in Georgia, 1734); they had one son, John Milledge II. After losing his wife in 1763, Milledge I remarried to Ann Rasberry, the widow of Thomas Rasberry. John Milledge II (1757-1818) was the only son of John Milledge I and Ann (Smith) Milledge. A prominent lawyer, he sided with the patriots at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War and took an active military part. He was Attorney-General of Georgia in 1780 and a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1782 until 1790. In 1792, Milledge II became a member of the U.S. Congress, serving until 1801. He was then elected governor of Georgia, 1802-1806, after which he served on the U.S. Senate, 1806-1809. John Milledge III (1814-1872) was the son of John Milledge II and his second wife, Ann Lamar. He was a lawyer and a member of the Georgia Legislature. He married Catherine Elliott Habersham, the daughter of Richard Wylly Habersham.