Books and Manuscripts

No place, no date. Signature of Signer of the Declaration of Independence from Pennsylvania, George Taylor, excised from another document; 1 1/2 x 2 3/4 in. (38 x 70 mm). Light ink smear affecting signature; paper seal present. In mat and in frame, unexamined out of frame, 7 x 8 1/2 in. (178 x 215 mm).

Very rare signature of George Taylor (1716-1781), one of nine men to sign the Declaration of Independence for the state of Pennsylvania. Taylor was born in Northern Ireland and emigrated to the United States in 1736. Practically penniless, he was forced to live as an indentured servant to pay for his passage. He established himself near Philadelphia and became an ironworker, forming a partnership with investors to lease Durham Furnace in Upper Bucks County. He worked at the furnace until 1779, forging bullets and other munitions for the Continental Army, while simultaneously serving as a public servant. His tenure in the Continental Congress however was brief, and he served only seven months to replace a Pennsylvania delegate who was opposed to the motion for independence. When the Congress was up for reelection in February of 1777, Taylor was not nominated to continue on as a delegate. He died in 1781.