'The family bible of Ambrose Madison and Frances Taylor gives Ambrose Madison's and Frances Taylor's dates of death, date of marriage and lists their three children with birth and baptism dates and Godparents as follows:
1. James Madison was born March 27, 1723, and was baptized April 21 and had for Godfathers Thomas Madison & James Taylor & for godmothers Martha Taylor & Elizabeth Penn.
2. Elizabeth Madison, born June 14th, 1725, and was baptized July 3d & had for Godfathers James Taylor & Richard Thomas and for Godmothers Martha Taylor and Elinor Madison.
3. Frances Madison was born March 6, 1726, and was baptized April 9th & had for Godfather James Pendleton & for Godmothers Isbell Pendleton & Elizabeth Penn.'
While others have interpreted Frances' birth date to be 6 Mar 1725/26 and her baptism date to be 9 Apr 1726, it would appear that she was born 6 Mar 1726/27 and baptized 9 Apr 1727, for two reasons:
- The information comes from a bible entry at a time when old style dating was used. Presumably her parents would have written the date as was in common use at the time (March 6 coming at the end of the year) and would have thought nothing of having April 9 1727 closely follow March 6 1726.
- Her sister was born 14 Jun 1725 (and survived), not quite 9 months before 6 Mar 1725/26.
