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Sep 5, 1773.. Thomas Taylor is born in Pennsylvania. (Birthdate from Richland County, OH Cemetery Records, 1981, Pg 58, in Clay Lutheran Cemetery, Franklin Twp, compiled by Richland County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Birthplace is from James Taylor biography, 1887, Acme Publishing, Pg 354 and census records showing only PA as birthplace.)
1800 Census South Beaver Twp, Beaver Co, PA, Pg 167.
Before 1807.. Thomas Taylor marries Nancy/Agnes McClelland in PA, probably Beaver County (maybe Nancy McClelland, with Agnes as nickname, or maybe full name was Nancy Agnes) We know the oldest birth we have a date of a child was 1807. We get her name, Agnes, from the James Taylor biography. Her headstone, if we have the right one, says Nancy. I have seen posts in newsgroups that Nancy and Agnes are both derived from Ann and someone quoted (I haven't verified) that Agnes is a variation of Nancy from First Name Variants by Bardsley.
Jan 8, 1807.. Robert Taylor is born in Beaver County, PA (per A Pioneer History of Richland Co, OH, Brinkerhoff, 1993, pp 787-8).
1810.. Census. Shendango Twp, Beaver Co, PA, Pg 28.
Oct 4, 1811 James Taylor is born, per his biography in "Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington Co, IA, 1887, pg 354.
Dec 3, 1818.. The date of death in a cemetery index for Nancy/Agnes Taylor, wife of Thomas, in Clay Lutheran Cemetery, Franklin Township, Richland County, OH, per pg 58, Richland County Cemetery records, compiled by Richland County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society.. As noted before, we had her name as Agnes from James' bio. This date is in question as described above.
1820.. South Beaver Twp, Beaver Co, PA, Pg 152. Robert Taylor's bio says he come to Ohio in 1824. James' bio says he came as a "small boy" and was educated in Ohio schools. (He was born in 1811). This would seem to indicate something a little before 1824. The date of death of Nancy, if accurate, would suggest the family was in Richland County, OH. Post 1850 censuses that ask for the state of birth of two of the children shown as born after 1820 show they were born in PA. Page 415 of the Graham's history of Richland Co, OH indicates: "some of the later settlers were John Kendall, who came ... in 1825... the Taylor's... and others." There is a Thomas Taylor in Hanover Township in the 1820 census, but we have already tied him to another family and we're sure he's not ours. And the final little piece of the puzzle so far is a remark in Graham's history that a Thomas Taylor was the first teacher in Franklin Twp in 1821. This looks like another Thomas Taylor, or the date is wrong.
1821.. The "Pioneer History of Richland County" /Brinkerhoff, pg 417, indicates that Thomas Taylor was the first teacher. There is a Thomas Taylor in the 1820 census, in Hanover Twp, which we don't think is ours. Again, the best evidence we have at this point that our Thomas Taylor was in Richland County by now is the date of death of wife Nancy in 1818. Of course, another Thomas Taylor could have popped in and out of Richland County.
February 23, 1825.. A Thomas Taylor appears in Richland County list of 1822 and 1823 Taxes Unpaid. We're quite sure he's not in Richland County until about 1824 or 25, so believe this is probably the Hanover Twp Thomas Taylor. Also, note there are three entries for "Thomas Taylor" in the 1825 tax roll, but I'm having a hard time deciphering if these are non-resident speculators, repeats due to our Thomas being delinquent, or what. There is a note that "most of these were paid later", indicating our ancestor probably wasn't a deadbeat! <G>.We don't know if this is our Thomas or the Hanover Twp Thomas.
May 25, 1825.. A Thomas Taylor is a witness on a will for Joseph Flora in Franklin Twp, in Richland Will Abstracts by Richland Co, Genealogical Society.
Mar 11, 1828.. A Thomas Taylor is a witness on a will for Israel Dille in Franklin Twp (Pg 13 of Richland County, OH Abstracts of Wills 1813-1873, by Ohio Genealogical Society, 1974)
1830.. Census shows Thomas Taylor on pg 036 of Franklin Township, Richland County with one fella 50-60, one lady 40-50, and nine boys and two girls (Total in the house: thirteen!!). Three of the boys show age 20-30, so don't know if they are family or farmhands. Robert, if at home would fit that category, James would not. Also, if Nancy did die in 1818, then Thomas could have remarried, he would have been around 50, so some of these kids could be his second wife's from a previous marriage (step kids to Thomas).
1833.. A Thomas Taylor is one of the signers of the articles of association of the Congregational Church of Mansfield, Ohio. "A Pioneer History of Richland County, OH" /Brinkerhoff. Pg 467. Not sure if this is our Thomas or not. The farm wasn't that far from town, so it's possible.
1840.. Census. There are 3 Taylor dwellings in succession on pg 130 of Franklin Township. Thomas Taylor's shows one male 60-70, one lady 50-60 and one lady 60-70, two teenage boys, and one teenage girl. James is batching by himself. Robert shows a family of seven. This proximity of names is what ties James & Robert to Thomas. We already knew that James had a father named Thomas in Richland County, and the succession of names, together with the match of ages in the 1830 census, and the absolute tie-in of kids names in 1850, all indicate that both of these boys are Thomas' children. (Also, Robert named a son Thomas W.) (Not to be confused with his brother Thomas W... whew). And, the kicker is that the sister Mary Robison named in Thomas 1847 will appears in Robert's household in the 1850 census.
Jul 21, 1847.. Date of death of Thomas Taylor, per Richland CountyCemetery Records, Richland County Genealogical Society, pg 58. Buried in same plot with wife Nancy/Agnes (second wife not here), Robert and second wife, and son Samuel, plus what appears to be some grandchildren.
Jul 27, 1847.. A will is entered into probate for Thomas Taylor. This will does not name James, Robert, or Thomas W., but does name other children. We are convinced this is the right will because of the proximity to the date of death and the bequest in the will: "to sister Mary Robison, her bed and board with wife of testator". There are two older ladies in the household in the 1840 census, and then, in 1850, this Mary Robison pops up in son Robert's household in the same township. This will names Samuel, Alexander, and Johnson as sons. (Note: one of the co-executors of this will is Henry Pittenger, a neighbor of the Taylor's (per proximity of census entries) and a name that pops up frequently in Richland County histories.) (Richland County, OH Abstracts of Wills, 1813-1873, Ohio Genealogical Society, Mansfield, OH, 1974)
Jul 13, 1849.. We find Samuel Taylor, son of Thomas and Nancy, in the family plot in Clay Lutheran Cemetery, date of death Jul 13, 1849, with no age or date of birth. A Samuel Taylor was a co-executor of Thomas' 1847 will. This is most likely Robert's and James' brother. Since the inscription on his headstone was "son of Thomas and Nancy", we suspect he never married nor had children.
1850.. Census. Thomas (Sr) had dropped from the census now, giving more weight to the 1847 will being his. There is only one elderly lady in one of the Taylor homes now (Thomas's), and that is Mary (Taylor) Robison, which just about seals the fact that the 1847 will is our Thomas's. There are three Taylor's, all listed sequentially in the Franklin Twp census: Robert, Thomas W. (the son), and James. There is a Catherine Robison in Robert's home, and his wife is now Mary Robison (second). Catherine might be Mary's mom and both this Mary and Catherine are most likely related to the elder Mary (Taylor) Robison's husband.
Editors Notes:
Thomas Taylor was the father of James Taylor, Iowa Pioneer in 1856, and grandfather to Edwin Maxwell Taylor, Kansas Pioneer in 1871. Robert and Thomas W. Taylor, James' brothers, seem to have stayed in Richland County. Robert is buried there, and Thomas W. is mentioned as being in Richland County in 1880, in Graham's History of Richland Co, OH.
We presently have accounted for 242 descendants now, but are missing all descendants, if any of the siblings of James and Robert, so this could turn out to be quite a few descendants when we're finished. But, some of the kids in this apparently large family could be step-kids of Thomas and kids of the second wife. Only time will tell.
As with any puzzle, sometimes as you move along, you change the pieces around.. and some of the pieces you think fit now, end up not really being the right color later, and so on. But, then, that's what makes this so much fun, right!
About the researchers:
See the story of the Taylor migrations.
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