George Handley (politician)

George Handley (February 9, 1752 – September 17, 1793) was an American politician.

He was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, in 1752 and moved to Savannah, Georgia in 1775. During the American Revolutionary War, Handley served in the 1st Georgia Regiment of the Continental Army, rising to the rank of captain. He was taken prisoner at Augusta, Georgia on September 18, 1780. At the conclusion of the war he was brevetted a major.

Handley served as the 21st Governor of Georgia from 1788 to 1789 and was instrumental in the drafting of Georgia's state constitution.

George Handley was a Freemason and member of Solomon's Lodge No. 1, F. & A. M. at Savannah, Georgia.^[1] 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.

References

Governors of Georgia Council Presidents (1775–76) Ewen Walton Ewen Presidents (1776–77) Bulloch Gwinnett Governors (since 1777) Treutlen Houstoun Glascock Cuthbert Wereat Walton Howly Wells Heard Davies Brownson Martin Hall Houstoun Elbert Telfair Mathews Handley Walton Telfair Mathews Irwin Jackson Emanuel Tattnall Milledge Irwin Mitchell Early Mitchell Rabun Talbot Clark Troup Forsyth Gilmer Lumpkin Schley Gilmer McDonald Crawford Towns Cobb H. Johnson J. E. Brown J. Johnson Jenkins Ruger Bullock Conley J. Smith Colquitt Stephens Boynton McDaniel Gordon Northen Atkinson Candler Terrell H. Smith J. M. Brown H. Smith Slaton J.M. Brown Slaton N. Harris Dorsey Hardwick Walker Hardman Russell E. Talmadge Rivers E. Talmadge Arnall Thompson H. Talmadge Griffin Vandiver Sanders Maddox Carter Busbee J. F. Harris Miller Barnes Perdue Deal