Taylor, George, 1716-1781

George Taylor (1716 – February 23, 1781) was a Founding Father of the United States, Colonial ironmaster, and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Pennsylvania.

Born in Ireland, Taylor emigrated to the American colonies at age 20, landing in Philadelphia in 1736. To pay for his passage, Taylor was indentured to Samuel Savage, Jr., who was ironmaster at Coventry Forge in Chester County northwest of Philadelphia. Taylor started as a laborer at the ironworks, but when it was discovered he had a certain degree of education, he was promoted to a position in the offices as a clerk. Having learned the iron-making operations, Taylor became ironmaster, managing the ironworks owned by Savage after Savage's death. In 1755, Taylor formed a partnership to lease the Durham Furnace in Upper Bucks County north of Philadelphia.

Shortly after becoming ironmaster at Durham, Taylor entered public life for the first time, serving as a justice of the peace in Bucks County from 1757 to 1763. Taylor was elected to the provincial assembly for Pennsylvania in 1764, and was reelected for five consecutive years. He was a member of the committee to draft the instructions of Pennsylvania delegates to the first Continental Congress, a member of the Committee of Correspondence, and of the Committee of Safety. In 1775 he was appointed to replace a member of the Pennsylvania delegation who refused to support Independence. He arrived too late to vote, but did sign the Declaration.

Taylor's service in the Congress was brief, just over seven months. On February 17, 1777, when the Assembly appointed a new Pennsylvania delegation, Taylor was one of seven signers from Pennsylvania who were not among those re-nominated. Instead, in March, he was appointed to Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council, which was formed to govern the province under its new constitution. Taylor attended all of the council's daily meetings from March 4 through April 5, but fell ill and was bedridden for more than a month. He subsequently retired from the council, calling an end to his public career. Taylor died in Easton, Pennsylvania and was buried at Easton Cemetery there.