George Taylor

Signature of Jesse Taylor
A black and white profile portrait of a woman with dark, wavy hair and wearing a dark top.

BORN – Born January 18, 1716, in Corke, Northern, Ireland.  Immigrated to America as an indentured servant to an ironmaster in 1736 (age 20), landing in Philadelphia, PA. Parents (probably Scotts-Irish ancestry) – Joshua Frances Taylor (b1692-d1724) and Elizabeth Griffiths Taylor (b1692-___).  Five Children – George Taylor (b1716-d1781), Thomas Washington Taylor (___), Mary Taylor (b1720-___), Joshua Taylor (b1724-___), Stephen Taylor (b1729-___),  

DIED – February 23, 1781 (age 65), at his home, the Parson-Taylor House, in Easton, PA.  Religion – Presbyterian.  Buried - Easton Cemetery, Easton, PA.  George Taylor was first buried in St. John’s Lutheran Church Cemetery across from his home at 4th and Ferry Street.  When the church property was sold in 1870 for construction of a public school, he was moved and re-buried at the Easton Cemetery.  In 1854 local residents erected a monument in the cemetery, and in 1870, his body was reburied in front of the monument.  

APPEARANCE – The picture above a portrait of George Taylor painted by Laura J. Schneider in 1912, probably based on an earlier painting by George T. Pool.

FAMILY – Married – Ann Taylor Savage (b1718-d1768), in 1742.  Three Children – James Taylor (b1746-d1775), Nancy Ann Taylor (b1748-___, died in childhood), George Taylor (b1754-d1831).  Wife Anne died in 1742.  Housekeeper – Naomi Smith (___).  Five Children – Sarah Smith (___), Rebecca Smith (___), Naomi Smith (1764-1795), Elizabeth Smith (___), Edward Smith (___).  

OCCUPATION – IRON MASTER, LEGISLATOR.  Good basic education in Ireland – reading and writing.  Laborer, Clerk and Ironmaster at the Warwick Furnace (PA), Coventry Forge (PA), Durham Furnace (PA), Greenwich Furnace (NJ).  An Ironmaster was the manager, and usually owner, of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron.  Member of the Continental Congress representing Pennsylvania from 1775 to 1777.

AT SIGNING – Age 60 at signing.

AFTER SIGNING – Continued to serve in Congress in Philadelphia until 1777.  Colonel in the Pennsylvania Militia in 1775.  Leased and managed the Durham Ironworks which produced grape shot, cannon balls, bar shot and cannon for the Continental Army from 1775 to 1778.  Received little compensation and his wealth declined.  Died in 1781 before the end of the war.

HISTORIC SITES

Catasauqua Home – George Taylor Mansion Museum, Catasauqua, PA (1768).  Located at 35 South Front Street, Catasauqua, PA 18032, 15 miles west of Easton, Phone 610-435-1074, Website www.catasauquaborough.govoffice.com.  George Taylor built the house, lived there from 1768 to 1774 and sold it in 1776. 

Gravesite – Easton Cemetery, Easton, PA.  Located at Easton Cemetery, 401 North  7th Street, Easton, PA.   

Easton Inn – Bachmann Publick House (later known as the Easton House), Easton, PA (1753).  Located at 169 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 18042, Phone 610-253-1222, Website www.visitpa.com.  The stone house was purchased by George Taylor in 1761 and sold it in 1779.  Now the oldest standing building in Easton.                                                  

Easton Home – Parsons-Taylor House, Easton, PA (1757).  Located at the corner of 4th and Ferry Streets, Easton, PA.  The stone house is the last residence of George Taylor which he leased during the last year of his life from 1780 to 1781.         

Ironworks – Durham Furnace and Ironworks, Durham, PA (1727).  Located on PA Route 212 near Durham, PA.  The roadside historical marker reads – “DURHAM FURNACE – Built in 1727.  Original site of Durham.  In blast until 1789, it made cannon and shot in the colonial wars and Revolution.  One time-owners included James Logan and George Taylor.

White, two-story historic house with multiple windows, located on a grassy hill with trees and a clear blue sky.

George Taylor Mansion Museum, Catasauqua, PA (1768). 

Located at 35 South Front Street, Catasauqua, PA 18032, Phone 610-435-1074, Website www.catasauquaborough.govoffice.com.

In 1767, George Taylor purchased a 331 acre estate known as the Manor of Chawton, in Biery's Port, PA (now part of Catasauqua).  On the high ground overlooking the Lehigh River, he built what was then one of the finest homes in the region with builders brought in from Philadelphia.  Shortly after the Taylors moved in, his wife Ann died.  Taylor continued to live here for the next six years, but in 1774, he returned to Durham to operate the ironworks under a new lease.