TAYLOR, George, signer of the Declaration of Independence, born in Ireland in 1716 ; died in Easton, Pennsylvania, 23 February, 1781. He is said to have been the son of a clergyman and to have received a liberal education and begun the study of medicine, which he abandoned in order to emigrate to this country in 1736. Leaving his home clandestinely and without money, he took passage as a redemptioner, and on his arrival at Philadelphia was bound to an iron-manufacturer at Durham, Pennsylvania, for a term of years. He worked as a clerk, instead of at common employer died, several years later, he married the widow, and became proprietor Of the works, which prospered under his direction. removing to Northampton county, where he established a large iron-mill, he was soon called to take part in public affairs as a member of the provincial assembly that met at Philadelphia on 15 October, 1764. He was appointed on the committee on grievances, and engaged effectively in the debate on the revision of the charter. He was reelected for each year till 1770, taking an active part in the discussions, and after that applied himself to his business, which proved unprofitable in the new situation, holding only the offices of county judge and colonel of militia. Returning to Durham, he was again sent to the provincial assembly in 1775, and was placed on the committee of safety. He was a member also of committees on grants of the crown and military preparations and of the one that was appointed to draw up instructions for the delegates to the Continental congress. These instructions, forbidding them to vote for separation, were revoked in June, 1776, and because five of the delegates from Pennsylvania hesitated to agree to the Declaration of Independence, others were chosen in their place on 20 July. George Taylor was one of the new delegates. He took his seat in congress on the day of his election, and signed his name to the declaration with the other members when the engrossed copy of the instrument was ready, 2 August He made a treaty in behalf of congress with several Indian tribes of the Susquehanna border at Easton, where he had resided in the neighborhood of his estates in Northampton county, and in March, 1777, he retired from congress.