George Taylor (Pennsylvania politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Taylor
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| Member, Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania | |
| In office March 4, 1777 – November 8, 1777 |
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| Pennsylvania Delegate to the Continental Congress | |
| In office July 20, 1776 – February 17, 1777 |
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| Member, Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly | |
| In office 1763–1769 |
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| In office 1775–1777 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1716 Kingdom of Ireland (possibly Ulster) |
| Died | February 23, 1781 (aged 64–65) Parsons-Taylor House, Easton, Pennsylvania |
| Resting place | Easton Cemetery |
| Spouse | Ann Taylor Savage |
| Children | James and Ann (Nancy) |
| Occupation | Ironmaster |
| Signature |  |
George Taylor (born around 1716 – died February 23, 1781) was an important American businessman and politician. He was an ironmaster, meaning he owned or managed iron-making factories. He is known as a Founding Father of the United States because he signed the United States Declaration of Independence for Pennsylvania. Today, his old home, the George Taylor House in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, is a special historic place called a National Historic Landmark.
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George Taylor's Early Life in Pennsylvania
George Taylor came to the American colonies from Ireland when he was about 20 years old. He arrived in Philadelphia in 1736. People believe he was the son of a Protestant church leader. To pay for his trip, Taylor agreed to work for Samuel Savage, Jr. Savage owned an iron factory called French Creek Iron Works in Chester County.
Taylor started as a regular worker at the ironworks. But soon, people noticed he was educated. By 1739, he was promoted to a clerk position in the offices. In 1738, Samuel Savage, Jr., and his family built another iron factory called Warwick Furnace.
In 1742, Samuel Savage, Jr. died. The next year, Taylor married Savage's widow, Ann. Her maiden name was also Taylor. In 1745, George Taylor became the manager of the ironworks. When Ann's son, Samuel III, became an adult in 1752, he took over the mills as his father's will stated.
The Taylors lived at Warwick Furnace until 1755. Then, George Taylor partnered with others to rent Durham Furnace in Bucks County. This ironworks was built in 1727 by rich and powerful men in Pennsylvania. These men included James Logan, who managed the Pennsylvania colony, and William Allen, who later founded Allentown.
George Taylor's Political Career
After becoming an ironmaster at Durham, George Taylor started his public service. He worked as a justice of the peace in Bucks County from 1757 to 1763. A justice of the peace was a local official who handled minor legal cases and kept order.
When his lease for the Durham mill ended, the Taylors moved to Easton. This was the main town of Northampton County. They bought a stone house and built a stable. Taylor continued to be involved in public life. He became a justice of the peace in Northampton County. He was also elected to the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly, which was like a local government. He even helped build a new courthouse in Easton.
In 1767, Taylor bought a large piece of land near Allentown. He built a house there, which was finished in 1768. But soon after they moved in, his wife Ann died. Taylor lived there for several years. In 1776, he sold the estate. Many years later, in 1971, this house was named a National Historical Landmark.
While living at Biery's Port, Taylor again leased the Durham ironworks in 1774. The ironworks had been bought by Joseph Galloway, a lawyer and speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly. Galloway did not support breaking away from England. Taylor, however, was re-elected to the Assembly in 1775. He also attended a special meeting called the Provincial Convention. In July, as the colonies prepared for war, he became a colonel in the Pennsylvania militia.
Two weeks later, on August 2, Taylor got a contract to make cannonballs for Pennsylvania's Committee of Safety. On August 25, Durham Furnace sent 258 cannonballs. This made Durham Furnace the first ironworks in Pennsylvania to supply weapons to the Continental Army.
Signing the Declaration of Independence
In 1776, the Continental Congress voted for independence on July 2. They officially adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4. Before the vote, five of Pennsylvania's delegates, who were loyal to England, had to resign. On July 20, George Taylor was chosen as one of the new delegates.
One of his first jobs as a member of Congress was to sign the Declaration of Independence. He did this on August 2, along with most other delegates. Out of the 56 signers, only eight were born outside of America. George Taylor was one of them. He was also the only signer who had been an indentured servant and the only one who was an ironmaster.
George Taylor's Final Years
George Taylor's time in Congress was short, lasting less than seven months. On February 17, 1777, the Assembly chose new delegates for Pennsylvania. Taylor was not chosen again. Instead, in March, he was appointed to Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council. This group was created to govern the state under its new constitution.
Taylor attended all the council meetings from March 4 to April 5. But then he became sick and had to stay in bed for over a month. After this, he retired from the council, ending his public career.
Taylor continued to manage the production of cannonballs and shells at Durham Furnace for the Continental Army and Navy. After independence was declared, Joseph Galloway, the owner of Durham mill, fled to England. Galloway was later found to be a traitor, and his properties, including the Durham mill, were taken by the government.
Taylor asked the Supreme Executive Council to let him finish his lease. He was able to continue for five years. But in 1779, the government sold Durham Furnace to a new owner. Taylor then formed another partnership and leased Greenwich Forge in what is now Warren County, New Jersey.
George Taylor's Personal Life
We don't know much about George Taylor's life before he came to Philadelphia in 1736. But most people agree he was born in northern Ireland, possibly in Ulster.
His wife Ann Taylor's family history is well known. Her grandfather, John Taylor, came to Pennsylvania from England in 1684. He became a surveyor for Chester County. Later, her father, Isaac Taylor, also worked as a surveyor. Ann's family belonged to the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. However, she was no longer considered a Quaker in 1733 because she married Samuel Savage, Jr., who was not a Quaker.
George and Ann Taylor had two children. Their daughter, Ann (called Nancy), died when she was a child. Their son, James, was born at Warwick Furnace in 1746. James studied law after his parents moved to Easton in 1763. In 1767, he married Elizabeth Gordon. James practiced law in Allentown until he died in 1775. James and Elizabeth had five children: George, Thomas, James, Jr., Ann, and Mary.
Death and Legacy
George Taylor's health was failing. He moved back to Easton in April 1780 and died there on February 23, 1781, at age 65. Taylor was first buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery in Easton. When the church property was sold in 1870, Taylor was re-buried at Easton Cemetery. Local people put up a monument there in his honor in 1855. His body rests in front of this memorial. The house he rented in his last days is now called the Parsons-Taylor House. It was built in 1753 and is the oldest house in Easton.
Taylor's will was written in January 1781, a month before he died. He left money to his oldest grandchild, George. He also left money to Naomi Smith, his housekeeper, because she had taken great care of him. The rest of his estate was to be divided among his grandchildren and five children he had with Naomi Smith. However, these gifts were never given. Taylor had faced legal issues with his businesses in his last years. These legal problems continued until 1799, and his estate was found to have no money left.
See also
