George Elliott was born on December 2, 1810, the son of Captain George Elliott and Elizabeth Freeman Elliott, both Americans then living in England. After his father’s death, Elliott’s mother returned to the United States, eventually marrying typefounder W.H. Hill. George apprenticed with his stepfather briefly, then ran away to begin a life at sea. His first experience as a merchant mariner was a sealing voyage aboard the schooner PENGUIN, out of Stonington, Connecticut.

After his return, he married Hannah Peters in Stonington on June 20, 1833. Over the years the couple had ten children.

Elliott took to ship again in September 1833 on the schooner ENERGY, sailing from Rocky Hill to Hartford, then New York, Norfolk and Richmond. From Richmond, he shipped on the brig UXOR tending to the ship CHARLES ADAMS, for whaling in the Falklands and off Patagonia. This was the high point of Elliott’s maritime career. The trip was highly successful, and he was assigned work as a substitute boatsteerer. Subsequently, he shipped on several vessels owned by Silas E. Burrows, including the MERCURY, MEDINA and AMES. He was first officer on the AMES, which grounded off Patagonia. He had prospects of being a whaling master, but these were never realized. After further unproductive attempts at whaling, and work as a machinist, Elliott returned to the United States and pursued a variety of occupations in Connecticut, elsewhere in the Northeast, and in the South. He worked as carpenter, mechanic, blacksmith and inventor, with extended absences from home and family.

Financial instability marked his later life, and that of his family.