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Sale 58
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Lot 52
Taylor, George (1716-1781) Founding Father and Signer of the Declaration of Independence from Pennsylvania. Born in Ireland, he indentured himself to ironmaster Samuel Savage, Jr. to finance his passage to America in 1736, In 1742, Savage died and Taylor married his widow, Ann. He managed Savage's two ironworks until Savage's son came of age in 1752. In 1755, Taylor formed a partnership to lease Durham Furnace in Upper Bucks County and Taylor became the ironmaster. About the same time, he entered public service. He served as a justice of the peace in Bucks County, then Northampton County, and in 1774 was elected to the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. In July 1775, he was commissioned a colonel in the Third Battalion of the Pennsylvania Militia, and in August he secured a contract for cannon shot from the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety; Durham Furnace became the first ironworks in Pennsylvania to furnish munitions to the Continental Army. When independence was declared, five of Pennsylvania's delegates to the Continental Congress were forced to resign because they were loyalists. Taylor was one of five replacements named by the Pennyvania Assembly on July 20th; thus, on August 2, 1776, he affixed his signature to the Declaration of Independence. Taylor served only seven months in the Congress, not being renominated in March 1777. Instead he was appointed to Pennsylvania's Supreme Council, but ill health caused him to cut short his service. Taylor was one of only eight foreign-born Signers, the only one to have been indentured, and the only ironmaster among the group.
Very rare Autograph Letter Signed "Geo. Taylor," one page with integral address leaf, 8¼ x 6½ in., Easton (Pa.), November 11, 1780. Written three months and twelve days before his death. Taylor addressed the integral leaf to Richard B. Backhouse at Durham: "I am sorry your people did not take care to send the propper plates ["there" is marked through] for the stoves, there is one Bottom plate wanting for a Large stove and one notchd inside plate for a smal[l] stove, so that I cannot fit them up till those plates are sent. I have no opportunity of sending for them & must Beg the favor of you to send them with the Kettles & potts if you can possibly spare them…." He adds a note at lower left, "I did not attend to the unloading the waggon or I would have wrote by the Carter. P.S. Rhoan will be down to morrow Evening." Written on laid, watermarked paper. Light toning; minor soiling to address leaf. Thin strip of archival tape at right edge of address leaf, also on verso at lower edge and down left margin of verso. Boldly penned and signed. Overall fine condition. Another opportunity to acquire a George Taylor ALS may not occur for years.
Estimated Value $50,000 - 60,000.
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