Page 63 - Pilgrims in Georgia

R But, for a century it was not given the status of a legal religion and only

existed by the grace of the authorities until in 1635 they were
recognized. Yet, during this time and for long afterwards terrible wars,
invasions, and mass destruction occurred to the land and people of the
Palatinate. The Thirty Years war, several invasions from France,
persecution by Catholic Princes, where cities and villages were burned,
and the population killed or driven out occurred as one side or the other
sought control of the area. Then in the winter of 1708-09 came the
harshest longest winter in the history of the Palatinate sending about
14,000 thousand starving refugees fleeing to England in hopes of being

received by “Good Queen Anne” who was rumored to be willing to
Palatine Refugees receive distressed Protestants.
So, in the 1730’s when more persecution came again, many of these “Poor

Protestants” fled to the American colonies and a group of these came to Georgia. In
order to pay for their passage they had to indenture themselves to work for those

already in the colonies for five years after which they would be free to pursue their
own occupations and futures with 50 acres of land. Soon after they had fulfilled the
terms of their contracts, they petitioned the Georgia Trustees to allow them to get

their own Pastor from their own Faith. In the intervening period, a Swiss Reformed
Rev. John Joachim Zubly
Minister named John Joachim Zubly had come to Savannah from London in 1745.

After hearing him preach the German Colonists asked for him as their pastor and for
land upon which to build a meeting house. Later that year they received two acres for

building a meeting house in an area known as White Bluff, and 100 acres of land
along the Vernon River to work for support of the church. The building also served
the German colonists as a school and has been known as the White Bluff Meeting

House until modern times when the congregation with a new building joined a
Presbyterian denomination. Today White Bluff Presbyterian congregation still

worships in the building which stands on the land deeded to the German colonists by
King George II in 1759. Old White Bluff Meeting House