Person:James Taylor (29)

Working Timeline

Note: Research in progress. Help in locating and properly citing applicable primary records is appreciated.

1654--New Kent County is formed in Virginia.

abt 1666 - Unknown - James Taylor marries Frances Unknown ^{Citation needed}

3 Dec 1675 - New Kent County, VA - James Taylor buys 200 acres from Thomas Reynolds. [per 30 Oct 1686 land record]

23 Sep 1680 - New Kent County, VA - wife Frances dies ^{Citation needed}

12 Aug 1682 - Unknown County, VA - James Taylor marries Mary Gregory.^{Citation needed}

30 Oct 1686 - New Kent County, VA - James Tayler patents 950 acres in New Kent County "which he lives upon, in the freshes of Mattapony River, adjoining George Weston, Bagby, John Joy, and the Ridge Path; over Torropin Swamp to the land of Thomas White; 200 acres purchased of Thomas Reinolds, Dec 3 1675; 100 acres of Joseph Haile, Mar 26 1680; & 400 acres of George Brooks, Oct 30 1682, which 3 parcels are part of 1000 acres granted to Maj. Martin Palmer & Mr. George Chapman, the residue for transporting 5 persons." [Virginia Land Patents Book 7:520; Nugent, 2:300; Casey, 136]

• Note: As the county lines would change, Taylor's land, originally in New Kent County would be located in King and Queen County (1691), then King William County (1700), and finally Caroline County (1728).

21 Oct 1687 - Old Rappahannock County, VA - James Tayler patents 480 acres in Rappahannock County adjoining Mr. Henry Awbery, near the Road Path to Piscaticon Creek. [Virginia Land Patents Book 7:596; Nugent, 2:312]

• Note: As the county lines would change, Taylor's land, originally in Old Rappahannock County would be located in Essex County (1692).

21 Oct 1687 - New Kent County, VA - James Taylor of New Kent County receives a 744 acre land patent on the South side of the Rappahannock River. 480 acres formerly granted to Mr. Henry Abery, who sold to Mr. Robert Bishopp, who bequeathed to John Gregory, who gave to his sister, Mary, now the wife of said James Taylor, said land in danger of being lost was petitioned for by said Taylor the 2st day of the last Genrll. Court, 15 Apr 1687, and granted by the Governor, beginning by the Indian Path alias Mr. Abrey's path, to fork of Gregory's Creek, on Richard Gregory' lyne, in sight of John Gatewood's plantation, to the Rowleing Road. 246 acres for the transport of 5 persons: James Taylor, Hanna Martin, Robert Jones, Ursula Collis, and Hanna Collier. [Virginia Land Patents Book 7:625; Nugent, 2:317; Casey, 136; Brewer, 198, 201]

20 Oct 1689 - New Kent County, VA - Mr. James Taylor and John Neal of New Kent County enter 209 acres in New Kent County in St Stephen's Parish, on North side of Mattapony (Mattaponi) River, beg. below James Taylor's plantation, along John Neel's line, to Col. Thomas Walker, on Robert Jones, To Thomas White's. Importation of 5 persons: Thomas Grimstone, Hugh Jones, Thomas Allen, Thomas Davis, Anne Brooking. [Virginia Land Patents Book 8:16]

4 Jun 1690 - Old Rappahannock County, VA - James Taylor deeds 100 acres of his 744 acre land patent in Farnham Parish, (Old) Rappahannock County to John Waggener, Jr. This land was adjacent to Taylor, John Meadeu/Meader, John Evans, and Richard Hales. Wit: Thomas Pettis and Thomas Wheeler. ^{Citation needed}

1690 - New Kent County, VA - "as Sub-Sheriff of New Kent, County, Virginia, James Taylor served summons on those connected with Jacobite disturbances. He was Attorney of several cases in Essex County. He was also connected with trying to stop the lawless organization known as 'Plant Cutters,' who destroyed and burned tobacco plants and beds at night in an effort to control the price of tobacco." [from 6 Jun 1933 speech [1], delivered during the commemoration of a memorial tablet to James Taylor at the King and Queen County courthouse in Virginia.]

1691--King & Queen County was created 16 Apr 1691 from New Kent County.

1692--Essex County was created 16 Apr 1692 from Rappahannock (old) County.

1693 - deeds 2 acres and 50 perches of land on the south side of Hoskins Creek to the trustees of South Farnham Parish for a church. ^{Citation needed}

30 Apr 1698 - James Taylor dies.

• cos1776 Note: his will devises 400a to son Edmund Taylor and 340a to daughter Ann Taylor as can be seen by the following records.

1700--King William County was created 5 Dec 1700 from King and Queen County.

10 May 1707 - Essex County, VA - Edward Eastham and Anne, his now wife, of St. Stephens Parish, King and Queen County, sell 225 acres in Essex County to William Croudus and Robert Moody. This parcel adjoined the land of Henry Pendleton, the line of Mr. John Burnett and the land of John Waggoner. Witnesses were James Alderson, Erasmus Allen, and William Thornton. Memo of possession given witnessed by John Games, Martin Nall and Argol Blackstone. [Essex County Deed Book 12:437]

26 Aug 1719 - Essex County, VA - Edward Eastham sells 100 acres to Edmund Taylor, his brother in law. Land is part of the 340 acre inheritance his wife Anne received from the will of her father, James Taylor.

16/17 Nov 1719 - Essex County, VA - Edmund Taylor and his wife, Sarah, of St. John's Parish, King William County, VA, sell 500 acres to Henry Reeves. Land is located in South Farnham Parish, Essex County, VA, called "Gregorie/s Swamp". Deed says that 100 acres of this land was part of the 744 acre parcel which was patented to James Taylor, Gent., deceased, which Edward Eastham sold to Edmund Taylor on 26 Aug 1719 and 400 acres of this land was part of the same 744 acre parcel which was patented to James Taylor, Gent., deceased, and by his last will devised to Edmund Taylor. This land was adjacent to a branch of the north side of Gatewood's rolling road, Thomas Evans' corner, John Burnett and the south side of Gregory's Swamp. Witnesses: Samuel Clayton, William Winston, and Alex Somerville. [Essex County Deed Book 16:142]"

1727--Caroline County was organized in 1728 on the basis of a legislative act of 1727. The county was formed from Essex, King and Queen, and King William Counties.

21/22 Dec 1750 - Essex County, VA - Hugh Wilson and Catherine, his wife, of South Farnham Parish, Essex County, sell 112 acres, being part of 340 acres left by the will of James Taylor, late of King and Queen County, to Ann, his daughter, and by her and Edward Eastham, her husband, sold on 10 May 1707 To William Crodus and Robert Moody, and by the will of William Crodus he gave the 112 acres to his wife, Sarah, who afterward married William Bradburne of Spotsylvania County which said Bradburne and his wife, Sarah, sold on 20 Nov 1738 to Hugh Wilson. The land adjoins Joseph Burnet, Peter Kemp and Nathaniel Pendleton. The witnesses were Richard Coleman, Thomas Amiss and Richard Smith. [Essex County Deed Book 25:178]

Related

• The Taylor Association - Descendants of James Taylor I (d. 1698, VA)
• Two Land Patents of James Taylor I - meticulously drawn by Steve Taylor and Robert M. Allen

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Family Recorded, in Anderson, William Kyle. Donald Robertson and his wife Rachel Rogers of King and Queen County, Virginia: their ancestry and posterity : also a brief account of the ancestry of Commodore Richard Taylor of Orange County, Virginia, and his naval history during the War of the American Revolution. (Detroit, Mich.: unknown, 1900)
   225-228.

   JAMES TAYLOR, the first of the family in America, emigrated from Carlisle, England, to Virginia, between the years 1650-1667. The exact date or year of his arrival is not known. One tradition fixes it as early as the year 1658. We think as late as 1666 or 1667 is more apt to be correct.
   
   In or about the year 1668 he entered a tract of land as a homestead, consisting of about one thousand acres, situated on the Mattapony river, in that part of Drysdale Parish which then lay in New Kent county, but which afterwards was included in the southerly part of Caroline county. Part of this tract had been previously taken up by other parties, but had been in the year 1662 forfeited by them on account of failure to comply with the terms of settlement required by law.
   
   We have no knowledge of James Taylor's father or mother, or whether he had brothers or sisters. The connection between him and the family at Carlisle has never been traced. As to the date of his birth we are also ignorant. In "Horton's List of Emigrants from England to America" between the years 1600 and 1700, there appears the name "Zachary Taylor, aged twenty-four," who sailed from Gravesend 6th June, 1635, for Virginia, on the ship "Thomas and John," of which Richard Lambart, was master. We suspect from this early emigrant's name - a name kept up for three centuries by the Taylors in America - that he was a near kinsman, an uncle, or possibly a brother of our ancestor.
   
   James Taylor was married twice. Tradition says the first marriage took place in England. The surname of his first wife is not known to us, but her given name was Frances, and in every generation of Taylors since her time it has been a favorite. She was a woman charming in person and amiable in character, and her descendants have always delighted to render her honor. Their first child was born in the year 1668, and from this fact we draw the inference that they had then been married not more than a year or two; and if we assume as correct the tradition that they were married in the old country, the date of their arrival in Virginia could not have been much, if any, before the year 1667. ...
   
   ... James Taylor, the elder, spent the rest of his life in Drysdale Parish, and died April 30, 1698. He was buried on his own farm, about eight miles south of the present town, Bowling Green, in Caroline county. The place is still owned and occupied by one of his descendants, Major William Pendleton.
   
   We are informed that James Taylor, the elder, attained a "very advanced age," a statement which, though possibly true, we accept cum grano salis, as four of his children were born within the last eight years of his life, and the last one only a year and a half before his death.
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   [cos1776 Note of Caution: LIKELY ERRORS. Land record is dated in 1686, not 1668.]

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Family Recorded, in Lewis, William Terrell. Genealogy of the Lewis family in America, from the middle of the seventeenth century down to the present time. (Louisville, Kentucky: Courier-Journal Job Printing Co., 1893)
   376.

   THE TAYLOR FAMILY IN PART.
   A 1. James Taylor, Sr., came from Carlisle, England, in 1658, and settled near the Chesapeake Bay, in Virginia, where he died in 1698, leaving five sons and several daughters:
   B 1. Jane Taylor, born December 27, 1668.
   B 2. Mary, born in 1670; married H. T. Pendleton and Ed. Watkins.
   B 3. James, Jr., born in 1675; married Martha Thompson, in 1699.

3.   Recorded, in Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Heraldica: Being a Registry of Virginia Gentry Entitled to Coat Armor, with Genealogical Notes of the Families. (Richmond, Virginia: Virginia State Library Photographic Laboratory, 1951?)
   7:108.

   James Taylor.
   Crest: A naked arm couped at the shoulder embowed, holding an arrow ppr.
   Motto: Consequitur quodcunque petit.
   "Strikes what he aims at or he gains what he seeks."

4.   Transcript of James Taylor's Memorial Tablet, in Rootsweb.

   "On 6 June 1933 a memorial tablet to James Taylor 1st was unveiled at King and Queen County courthouse in Virginia. Dr. Rupert Taylor, Senator Henry Taylor Wickham and Admiral Hugh Redman of the U.S. Navy addressed the gathering. ... The Tablet is inscribed as follows:
   
   "James Taylor of England emigrant lawyer, public officer, lived in St. Stephen parish, King and Queen County, Virginia, died April 30, 1698, first wife, Frances Walker, born 1640, died April 22 or Sept 22, 1680, she was the daughter of Thomas Walker and niece of Edward Walker of Virginia. James's second wife, Mary Gregory, daughter of John Gregory the son of Roger Gregory who first married Mildred Washington, aunt of General/President George Washington. Mary was from Essex County, married August 12, 1682, from him were descended , President James Madison, President Zachary Taylor, Colonel James Taylor (Knighe of the Horse Shoe), Judge Edmond Pendleton, John Penn signer of the Declaration of Independence, John Taylor of Carolina, General James Taylor of Kentucky, Admiral David Taylor, Admiral Hugh Rodman, Admiral Robert M. Berry, and other distinguished churchmen, soilders, sailors and officials, in each generation who assisted in the formation and perpetuation of the colonies and this nation".
   
   "This tablet given by Jaquelin P. Taylor, seventh in descent, June 1933."
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   [cos1776 Note of Caution: Tablet inscription above is known to contain errors. Will be marked as they are found.]