John Wereat was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician and the ninth Governor of Georgia.

Personal life

Wereat was born in Road (now Rode, Somerset) in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, around 1733 and migrated to the United States in 1759.

Political life

In the early years of the American Revolution

American Revolution

The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

, Wereat was a member of the Provincial Congress and the Council of Safety. From 1776 through the end of the war, he served as Georgia's Continental agent, representing the state in dealings with Congress. Wereat was a delegate for Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

 in the Continental Congress

Continental Congress

The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....

and Governor of Georgia in 1779.

Wereat spent a year as a prisoner of the British in Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...

 after initially being taken captive in Augusta in 1780.

After his gubernatorial term, Wereat served as state auditor from 1782 until 1793. In December 1787 he presided over the state convention that unanimously ratified the new Federal Constitution.

Death and legacy

John Wereat died at his Bryan County, Georgia

Bryan County, Georgia

Bryan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 23,417. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 30,132...

plantation on January 25, 1799.