Edward Telfair
Edward Telfair (
1735–
September 17,
1807) was
governor of the state of
Georgia in
1786 and
1790-
1793.
He was born in "Town Head,"
Scotland, and graduated from the
Kirkcudbright Grammar School then acquired a thorough commercial training. He immigrated to the
United States in
1758 as agent of a commercial house and settled in
Virginia. He moved to
Halifax, North Carolina and then established a commission house in
Savannah, Georgia in
1766. Telfair was a member of the council of safety in
1775 and
1776, and a delegate to the Provincial Congress at Savannah in
1776; member of the committee of intelligence and other important committees in
1776;
Telfair was a member of the
Continental Congress for
1778,
1780,
1781, and
1782. He was one of the signers of the
Articles of Confederation and a delegate to the State ratification convention. In
1783, he was commissioner to treat with the
Cherokee Indians. Telfair was also designated agent on the part of Georgia to settle the northern boundary of the Commonwealth in February
1783, and eventually Governor of Georgia.
He died in
Savannah, Georgia, and was buried in the
Bonaventure Cemetery there. His son,
Thomas Telfair, represented Georgia in the U.S. Congress. Georgia named
Telfair County in his honor.
*
biographic sketch at U.S. Congress website
