Jonathan Odell

Jonathan Odell (25 September 1737 – 25 November 1818) was a Loyalist poet who lived during the American Revolution.

Life
Odell was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1737 to John and Temperance Odell. He graduated from Princeton University (at the time known as the College of New Jersey) in 1754. While he was trained in medicine instead of pursuing a career as a doctor he joined the Church of England ministry. As a minister he preached at parish priest at Burlington, New Jersey and Mount Holly, New Jersey.

When the revolution broke out Odell became a strong loyalists and wrote poetry promoting the loyalist cause. He was brought before the New Jersey Provincial Congress for such actions and on July 20, 1776 he was ordered to sign a loyalty oath and remain within eight miles of the Burlington County courthouse. In December of that year he fled to New York, with the help of local citizens, and served as an administrator and satiric poet-propagandist for the British cause.

After the war in 1784 he emigrated to New Brunswick, Canada where he received the post of provincial secretary as a reward for his loyalty. He continued to write poetry and prose until his death in Fredericton.

Publications

 * The Loyal Verses of Joseph Stansbury and Doctor Jonathan Odell Relating to the American Revolution, ed. Winthrop Sargent. J. Munsell, 1860.