George Handley (February 9, 1752September 17, 1793) was an American
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
who served as the 18th
Governor of Georgia
The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either veto or approve bills passed by the Georgia Legisl ...
from 1788 to 1789. George Handley was a member of
the Society of the Cincinnati
The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...
of the State of Georgia.
Biography
Handley was born in
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
,
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
, England, in 1752 and moved to
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
, in 1775. During the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, he served in the 1st Georgia Battalion of the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
, rising to the rank of
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
. He was taken prisoner at
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...
on September 18, 1780.
Handley served as the Governor of Georgia from 1788 to 1789 and was instrumental in the drafting of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
's state constitution.
George Handley was a Freemason and member of
Solomon's Lodge No. 1, F. & A. M. at Savannah, Georgia.
Freemasonry and United States Government
Chapter 4, By James Davis Carter,
Committee on Masonic education and service, for the Grand Lodge of Texas Solomon's Lodge No. 1, F. & A. M. was established on February 21, 1734 by the renowned Freemason and founder of the Colony of Georgia James Edward Oglethorpe. Solomon's Lodge, No. 1, F. & A. M. is now the "Oldest Continuously Operating English Constituted Lodge of Freemasons in the Western Hemisphere".
Handley died near Rae's Hall Plantation near Savannah in 1793. His burial place is now unknown but is presumed to be in Savannah.
See also
* List of U.S. state governors born outside the United States
In total, 72 governors of U.S. states have been born outside the current territory of the United States. Joe Lombardo of Nevada, born in Japan, is the only current governor to have been born outside the United States. Arnold Schwarzenegger ...
References
External links
National Governors Association
*
*https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Handley, George
1752 births
1793 deaths
American Freemasons
British emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies
Continental Army officers from Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia (U.S. state) Independents
Governors of Georgia (U.S. state)
Independent state governors of the United States
People from Sheffield
Politicians from Savannah, Georgia