Taylor Family Reunion 2010

Our branch of the Taylor family originates in Haverhill, England which is located Northeast of London near the coast.HaverhillLondon

Where Did We Come From?Our first documented/sourced ancestor was John Taylor1 (1605-1646). He was a Puritan (Protestant) who emigrated during the Great Migration from Haverhill, England to escape religious persecution.He sailed to America aboard the flagship Arbella which landed at the Salem, MA Bay Colony on June 12, 1630. At the time, there were only around 450 English settlers living in America.John was married, but his first wife and child died soon after their arrival. Their names are unknown.John applied for the colonial equivalent of citizenship & took the Freemans Oath on May 18, 1631, which gave him the right to vote or hold public office.

Reproduction of the Arbella built in 1930

Settling in This Great CountryJohn Taylor1 married Rhoda Tinker around 1639 & moved to Windsor, the first English settlement in CT. They had 2 sons, one of whom was our direct ancestor John Taylor2.John1 served on a jury, was appointed an arbitrator & held the rank of Captain in the local militia, the Hampshire Troope of Horse.In January 1646, John1 left his family behind to sail back to England with other men from the colony to secure a charter (grant of authority or rights) for CT, but the ship was never heard from again. It is assumed everyone aboard died at sea.

Settlers & IndiansJohn Taylor2 (1641-1704) married Thankful Woodward in 1662 in Northampton, MA. They had 13 children including our direct ancestor, John Taylor3.John2 built the first sawmill in Easthampton, MA with two partners in 1674. He was also Captain of the Hampshire Troop at Fort Pascomock.On May 12,1704 the French & Native Americans attacked Pascomock Fort, at which time John2 was killed.

The Massacre at Pascommuck FortThe Old Hampshire county recorders book reads: May 12, Pascomock Fort taken by ye French & Indians being about 72.They took and captivated ye whole Garrison being about 37 persons. The English pursuing of them caused them to nock all the captives on the head save 5 or 6. Three, they carried to Canada with them, the others escapd and about 7 of those knocked on the head recovered, ye rest died. Capt. John Taylor was killed in the fight, and Saml Bartlett wounded.

Another AccountA History of the Town of Northfield, Massachusetts: for 150 Years states: "May 13, an express came from Northampton, advising, that about break of day, a company of French and Indians fell on a fortified house at Pascomuck where no watch being kept, the people were alarmed in their beds by the noise of the enemy's rushing into the house; and before the inhabitants could rise, the Indians had got their guns into the port-holes and shot those that first appeared, killing some and wounding others. The surprised people made what resistance they could, firing briskly on the enemy; but the house being soon set on fire, they were forced to yield themselves prisoners. Fearing a pursuit, the enemy sent back a messenger with word, that if they were pursued they would kill all the captives. They were, however, pursued; three made an escape, eight were rescued, nineteen slain and three carried to Canada".

Pascommuck Massacre memorial plaque at Easthampton, MA.

John Taylors2 EstateAfter his passing, an inventory of Johns2 estate was taken. Interestingly, all of the following items were given the same value6 apiece:Easthampton LandLooking glassBrass kettle & warming panTen pair sheetsArms & furnitureA plow was only worth 2, while the cow was worth 4!

Third Generation AmericansJohn Taylor3 (1667-1774) married Wait Clapp around 1689 in Northampton, MA. They had 10 children including our direct ancestor Josiah1.They moved to Norwalk, CT where John3 was first a Quartermaster (army officer who provides clothing & food for troops) & later a Lieutenant in the militia in Fairfield County.Johns3 family lived quite a ways from church, so in 1713 he petitioned for & received permission to build a small chapel nearby his home for the convenience of the family to worship.

Inscription: Here lyeth ye body of Mr. Lieut. John Taylor who died Nov. ye 28 1744 age 77 years. Here lies ye body of Mrs. Wate ye wife of Lieut. John Taylor who died Jan 29 1722.John3 & Wait Taylor headstones at Kings Highway Cemetery, Fairfield, CT.

Revolutionary TiesJosiah1 Taylor (1701-1781) married Thankful French in 1729 in Norwalk, CT. They had 11 children including Josiah2 Taylor.Josiah1 served as a Private & Captain in the American Revolution, a war fought by the 13 colonies against Great Britain in 1775. They won their independence & the United States was formed in 1776.Interestingly, some of Josiahs sons were said to be Tories (loyalists to the crown). One deserted the military and the land belonging to another was confiscated.

Josiah Taylors headstone in Kings Highway Cemetery in Westport, CT.

Relocation to New YorkJosiah2 Taylor (1730-1811) married Abigail Raymond around 1753 in Norwalk, CT. They had 7 children including our direct ancestor Nathan Taylor.They moved to Ballston Springs, NY and later to Aurelius, NY.Not much information is available about Josiahs2 family other than residency recorded by land deeds.

A Life of ServiceNathan Taylor (1760-1838) married Hannah Gilbert in 1783. They had 10 children including our direct ancestor Moses Taylor.Nathan enlisted in the military in 1777 & served in the Revolutionary War as a Private & was later promoted to Sergeant.He was granted 160 acres of bounty land. Hannah passed away & Nathan remarried Mehitable Watkins & had 5 more children. She received Nathans war service pension in 1861.Nathan is buried in Schroon, NY, where his grandson, Charles F. Taylor established a resort on Schroon Lake.

Nathan Taylors signature as found in his family Bible

Nathan Taylors headstone in Old Baker Street Cemetery, South Schroon, NY.

In 1879 Charles F. Taylor & his wife Sarah Noble purchased 200 acres of land on Schroon Lake in NY called Spirit Point. By 1885 they established a resort called Taylors on Schroon. The hotel had rooms for 150 guests, as well as 15 cottages. It had its own post office, telegraph office, bowling alley & boat dock where steamers made regular stops. Nathan Taylor & many of his relatives lived Schroon, NY at the time the resort was owned & operated by his grandson Charles Taylor. It is very likely that many of them worked there.The Taylor family sold the resort to a private party in 1914. In the 1960s it was sold again to the State of NY & the buildings were destroyed so that it could be made into a park.

A Notable Relative

Postcard of Taylors on Schroon dated 1910

Partial Panorama of Taylors on Schroon dated 1910

Bounty Land Brings Family WestMoses Taylor (1785-1869) married Permelia Pettingill in NY around 1813. They had 10 children including our direct ancestor Samuel Taylor.Permelia passed away in 1834 & Moses remarried Azubah Pratt.Moses & Azubah moved to Oakdale, WI to claim bounty land given to him for his service as a Private in the War of 1812. Moses & Azubah are buried in the Oakdale Cemetery.

Azubah (Pratt) & Moses Taylors headstones at Oakdale Cemetery in Oakdale, WI. Moses first wife & our direct ancestor, Permelia (Pettingill) is buried at Griswold Cemetery in Fort Ann, NY.

Welcome Home!Samuel Taylor (1814-1894) married Sarah Jane Dake in 1843. They had 8 children including our direct ancestor George Arthur Taylor.The couple relocated from Fort Ann, NY to Monroe County, WI in the 1850s. Samuel & Sarah were farmers.Samuel & Sarah moved into a home that had been built in 1844. Later, they added on to the original structure. The house and property remains in the family today, and is occupied by Evelyn (Dorcaster) Taylor. Evelyn has done an exceptional job researching & preserving our familys history, and I would like to personally thank her for sharing many stories with me throughout the years.

Capturing TimeSarah Jane (Dake) Taylor kept a journal from 1886-1895 that captures what their everyday lives were like. Her words describe very hard-working people that cherished their relationships with their families & neighbors. They relied on one another to survive. We have copies of part of Sarahs journal, but because it is over 100 years old, many pages were not able to be photocopied.I have displayed some of the journal pages on the memorabilia table. These pages are in protective covers. If you turn the pages over you will find that I transcribed the entries, to help you decipher her handwriting. The rest of the journal pages without transcriptions are in a blue binder. I would like to encourage everyone to read a few of Sarahs entries.. Maybe even try to find out what was happening on your own birthday a century ago.

Theres Always a ComedianOne particularly amusing entry is found on page 13:Henry ate some supper & was going down to the marsh & Samuel came, said the machine had given out Boys went with oxen so as to top out a stack of Franks hay & got back half past eight Samuel had milked & got chores done they said they couldnt find any break or anything the matter with the mower, but hitched an oxen to it & mowed right along. George said it was an educated machine, knew when five oclock come & wouldnt do any more but concluded there had a little dry stick got in the wheel & Pa couldnt see it.George refers to George Arthur Taylor (Walters father) & Pa refers to Samuel Taylor (Walters grandfather).

Sarah Jane (Dake) andSamuel Pettingill Taylor

Tragedy Leads to DestinyGeorge Arthur Taylor (1861-1936) married Rachel Irene Nuttall in 1888. They had 4 children. George & Rachel lived with his parents & were farmers. Rachel passed away in 1895, when their youngest daughter was only 10 weeks old. George remarried Minnie Rosetta Lobe in 1897. They had 9 children including our direct ancestor, Walter Harold Taylor.

George Arthur Taylor, Minnie Rosetta (Lobe), Minnie Irene, Walter Sr., Irma & Emmroy

Our Most Recent AncestorsWalter Harold Taylor Sr. (1907-1976) married Jean Ellen Mizer in 1931. They raised 14 children in Oakdale, WI (1 child died at birth).Walter was a farmer & electrician, working to bring power to Camp Douglas.He loved to hunt & fish (Kostics Resort at Lake Holcomb was a favorite fishing spot). When a deer was brought home, fresh venison steak was served for supper.Walter is remembered by many people for his homemade sauerkraut (his mother Minnie was German)

Childhood photograph of Walter Harold Taylor Sr.

Our most recent ancestorsJean was a hard worker who tended to the farm & occasionally worked outside the home to supplement the familys income.She enjoyed sewing, quilting, embroidering, crocheting & was locally famous for her cooking & baking. She regularly canned & stored food for the family. According to Meredith Eisfeldt, it was not unusual for Jean to have hundreds of quarts of various fruits & vegetables stored in the basement.

Childhood photograph of Jean Ellen Mizer

TogetherWalter & Jean were self-sufficient. They would raise their own food. Cows for milking or beef, chickens, pigs, vegetables.Walter & Jean enjoyed travelling. They vacationed once at Yellowstone National Park & visited extended family in Idaho.They had fun playing a variety of card games such as Euchre & Pinochle with family & friends. Walter would make fudge & serve it as a snack during card games.Walter & Jean hosted many family reunions at their home in Oakdale, WI where many people would camp.Most of all, they loved their children, grandchildren & great grandchildren; that is evidenced by the love that those people still hold in their hearts today for Walter & Jean Taylor.

Jean Ellen Mizer andWalter Harold Taylor Sr.

A Picture is Worth 1,000 WordsThe following is a small collection of photographs from the Taylor family.Enjoy!

Jean Ellen

Walter Harold Sr.

Jean Taylor far right in black dress

Left to right:Mary Lou, Gerri, Betty holding Meredith & Jackie

Left to right: Mary Lou, Jackie, Gerri & Betty

Walter Sr. holding baby Laureen

Della & Max Albright (family friends) with Taylor childrenBack row: Baby Bob & GerriSecond row: Mary Lou & JackieFront row: Meredith & Junior

Back: Jackie, Mary Lou holding Sherry Middle: Junior, Bob, Meredith. Front: Laureen, Don, Pat.

1942Don, Laureen, Mary Lou holding Sherry

1945 Back row: Jean holding Pat, Walter & GerriMiddle row: Jackie, Mary Lou, Meredith, JuniorFront row: Bob, Laureen & Don

Back to front:LaureenDonPatRickSherry

Back Row: Jackie holding Rick on her shoulders Front Row: Don, Pat & Laureen

Leonard & Betty Butterfuss, Gerri McKittrick

Bob, Junior, Don, Jackie, ?, Gerri, Meredith holding Pats shoulders, Mary Lou holding baby Rick

Back row: Laureen, Rick, Don & Pat

Middle row: Sherry, Tom Carlisle, Tony Adams, Tom Adams

Front row: Gary Adams, Jeannie Carlisle; Terry?

Walter Harold Taylor Sr.

Gerri & Merles Model T truck. Meredith Eisfeldt remembers riding in the truck with Gerri to Mill Bluff State Park for a picnic lunch. On their way, they stopped to get .25 worth of gas!

Jean next to Mary Lous station wagon with Skip sitting in the front seat. Jean has her hair set in bobby pins.

Walter Sr. holding pet pug Pixie next to his son Terry Taylor

Jean & Walter Sr.

Walter Sr. & Jean Taylor

Row 3: Don, Rick, Bob & SkipRow 2: Junior, Terry, Laureen, Pat, Sherry & MeredithFront: Mary Lou, Gerri, Jackie, Jean & Betty