Richard Taylor (abt. 1642 - abt. 1678)

Born about Jun 1642 in Stanford on Soar, Nottinghamshire, England

Husband of Sarah (Cornett) Taylor — married 1664 in Winchester, Frederick, Virginia

Descendants

Died about 2 Jul 1678 at about age 36 in Old Rappahannock County, Virginia Colony

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Disambiguation Notice: Please do not confuse this man with Richard Taylor who m. Margaret Manning.

Biography

This is the profile for Richard Taylor, planter of Virginia who wrote his will 22 March 1678/9. ^[1]

It is not an uncommon name, and there is a danger that facts belonging to other persons named Richard Taylor have been conflated into this profile.

The facts listed below under Research Notes needed to be reviewed in light of the documented narrative of Nathaniel Lane Taylor

1642 Birth and Parents

The birth year, parents, and other origin information of Richard Taylor, planter of Virginia who wrote his will 22 March 1678/9, are unknown. ^[1]

Nicholas Taylor estimates his birth to be by 1642, 21 years before his estimated marriage in 1663. His place of birth is unknown, but likely England. ^[1]

Education

Richard, unlike his son Simon, could sign his name.^[1]

Arrival in Virginia

Assuming his birth in England, and that he was a servant in 1663, he was transported from England as an indentured servant (his way was paid by another, who expected labor in return) in the 1650's, as a boy.^[1]

If he were born in 1642, he would have been 16 in 1658. These estimated years are speculative.

1650 Colonel Moore Fauntleroy

Colonel Moore Fauntleroy patented 5350 acres of land on the North Side of the Rappahannock River on 22 May 1650. He was granted the land for transporting 107 persons to Virginia, among whom was a Simon Taylor, however, Richard Taylor is not named.^[1]

Nicholas Taylor believes that Simon Taylor, given the other documented associated, was likely either the father or a brother of Richard Taylor, but without enough evidence to suggest which.^[1]

1663 Servant of Fauntleroy

A Richard Taylor witnessed a deed for Colonel Moore Fountleroy on 12 March 1662/3. On 9 July 1664, Richard Taylor is paid, by court order, 800 pounds of tobacco from the late Colonel Fauntleroy's estate, for servant's wages. The implication is that Richard Taylor had been a servant for some time prior to 1664.^[1]

Nicholas Taylor believes the preponderance of evidence is that this is the same Richard Taylor who died after 1678.^[1]

1663 Marriage to Sarah

Richard Taylor's wife, Sarah, is named in his will, but like Richard, her birth year, parents and other origins are unknown. ^[1]

Nathaniel Taylor estimates that the marriage occurred by 1663, since their eldest surviving child, a daughter, was married by 1682, hence likely born by 1664. ^[1]

1664 Witness

Richard Taylor then was witness several times in the next decade;

• 7 September 1664 -- witnessed sale of land on Totuskey Creek, adjacent to that of Edward Lewis, to William Barber.^[1]
• 6 February 1665/6 -- granted power of attorney for Robert Mussell. ^[1]
• Last Saturday of February, 1667, witnessed delivery of county warrant against one Thomas Pattison.^[1]
• 22 May 1668, William Leer acknowledged receipt of one hogshead of tobacco from Richard Tailer, planter suggesting that by now Richard was considered to be of the "planter" class.^[1]
• 28, 29 August 1669, witnessed two separate deeds of Tandy family.^[1]
• 7 May 1673 witnessed sale by Gyles Cale and Mary his wife^[1]
• 5 May 1674 witnessed power of attorney between John Rowsie and James Harrison.^[1]

1671 Planter

On 1 May 1671 Richard Taylor purchased 200 acres "situated and lying upon the north side of Rappahannock abutting upon the land of Edward Lewis. ^[1]

His neighbor Edward Lewis had bought 400 acres on the Rappahannock in 1660 and patented 1140 acres more on Totuskey Creek in 1662/3 in partnership with one Thomas Richardson; Richardson in turn had been named as a headright in the Fauntleroy patent of 1650 along with Simon Taylor.^[1]

1679 Will

Richard Taylor's will was written 22 March 1678/9 and proved in Old Rappahannock County on 7 May 1679 and contains the following provisions:

• Plantation to sons Richard and Simon when they come of age, and to each of them two cows with all their increase.^[1]
• Seven head of cattle to daughter Constance, along with 1 mare to each of Richard and Simon.^[1]
• One gelding and 23 head of cattle to wife Sarah, along with rest of estate. ^[1]
• Sarah to be executrix, but she is weak so Colonel Leroy Griffin assigned as successor executors. ^[1]

Children

1. Richard, underage on 22 March 1678/9, therefore if 21 was of age for men, born after 22 March 1657/8^[1]
2. Simon, underage on 22 March 1678/9, therefore if 21 was of age for men, born after 22 March 1657/8.^[1]
3. Constance, of age on 22 March 1678/9, therefore, if 18 was of age for women, born before 22 March 1660/1.^[1]

Research Notes

Was Richard Taylor born in England?

Nicholas Taylor hypothesizes a possible English Origin based on the following logic:

• Richard Taylor is associated, via Col. Moore Fountleroy, with a Simon Taylor, who may be his father. ^[1]
• The name Simon Taylor is unique in colonial Virginia, being associated only with North Farnham Parish.^[2]
• A Simon Taylor married Constance Berrington at Stanford-on-Soar, Nottinghamshire, in June 1641. Constance then died a year and a half later in her home town of Hathern, Leicestershire (adjacent to Stanford-on-Soar), after giving birth to a daughter Constance, "who could chronologically have been the second child born to this couple, though the record of their actual marriage and any first child they might have had does not survive. ^[2]
• "It is possible that this couple were also parents of a son, Richard, and it is possible taht the widowed father, Simon, went on to Virginia in the service of Moore Fountleroy by 1650^[2]
• Nicholas Taylor notes that what gives this speculation credence is the occurrence of Simon and Constance in England, and then appearing in the names of Richard Taylor's children. ^[2]

Was Richard's Father Named Richard?

Many genealogies show this Richard Taylor as Richard Taylor, Jr, son of a Richard Taylor, Sr. Nicholas Taylor's research shows that if Richard Taylor's father can be known at all, his name was probably Simon. ^[2]

Example: Richard Taylor, Jr was born 1621. He was the son of Richard Taylor, Sr. ^[3]

Wes Taylor presents other facts also, which have not been documented:

• He was born in Farnham Parrish, Rappahannock County, Virginia Colony. ^[4]

An Ancestry site also presents undocumented "facts":

• Richard Taylor was born in Virginia in 1627. ^[5]
• He was born 22 March 1667 in Rappahannock, Virginia. ^[5]

Did Richard Taylor marry Sarah Barker?

This Richard Taylor DID NOT marry Sarah Barker. (1645-1682). Sarah Barker Taylor and her husband, Richard lived in the Flowerdew Hundred areas of Charles City Shire throughout their lives. Author Nick Taylor disambiguates this couple from his ancestors in A Taylor Family.

• In 1664 he married Sarah Cornett in Farnham Parrish, Rappahannock County, Virginia. ^[4]

Alternatively, Richard Taylor married Sarah Baxter. They were the parents of Richard Taylor

Was his daughter named "Constance Seaven Taylor?""

Wes S. Taylor provides the following regarding Richard's children:

1. Richard Taylor, III., b. March 22, 1667, North Farnham, Rappahannock County, Virginia, d. January 23, 1716, North Farnham, Rappahannock County, Virginia. ^[4]
2. Constance Seaven Taylor, b. Bef. 1668, Richmond County, Virginia, d. Bef. 1704.
3. Simon Taylor, Sr., b. Bet. 1668 - 1669, North Farnham, Rappahannock County, Virginia He died February 05, 1729, North Farnham, Rappahannock County, Virginia ^[4] They had a child, Simon Taylor, born 03 Mar 1668/69, North Farnham, Old Rappahannock Co, VA; d. 10 Jan 1728/29, Richmond Co, VA.

Note how facts become garbled in popular genealogies. Daughter Constance is named in the will: "I give to my daughter Constance seaven head of cattle." In popular genealogies, 'seaven' has become her middle name, Constance Seaven Taylor

Disconnected Relationships

The following previously linked relationships have been discontinued:

• Richard Taylor was previously shown as married to Sarah Cornett. They were disconnected because the birth name and parents of his wife Sarah are unknown.
• Richard Taylor was previously shown as married to Sarah Baxter They were disconnected because the birth name and parents of his wife Sarah are unknown.
• Richard Taylor, Jr was previously shown as the son of

Richard Taylor, Sr., born 1574 in Invernessshire, Scotland and Dorothy Taylor, born 1589 in Kent, England. They were disconnected because there is no documentation for such a relationship, while there is strong evidence that the parents of Richard Taylor, Jr were Symon Taylor and Constance Berryman of Leicestershire, England]]

• http://nltaylor.net/taylor/Taylor_origins_2009.pdf

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27} Nathaniel Lane Taylor, FASG. An American Taylor Family: Descendants of Richard Taylor (d. 1679) of North Farnham Parish in the Northern Neck of Virginia, for Seven Generations. Compiled 1992-2015. Pdf manuscript. Chapter 4, "From Servant to Planter: Richard Taylor; pages 14-16. Sourced extensively from Old Rappahannock County Deeds Book and Deeds and Wills Book. Accessed June 5, 2018 jhd (Will as a separate small PDF)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Nathaniel Lane Taylor, FASG. An American Taylor Family: Descendants of Richard Taylor (d. 1679) of North Farnham Parish in the Northern Neck of Virginia, for Seven Generations. Compiled 1992-2015. Pdf manuscript. Chapter 2, "A Possible True English Origin of Our Taylor Family; pages 5-7. Explored in more detail in Nicholas' article, "The False and (Probably) True English Origins of Richard Taylor of Old Rappahannock County, Virginia" published in The American Genealogist in 2009. Accessed June 5, 2018 jhd
3. ↑ 1084. Website Info. (FamilySearch.org). AFN: 8LVK-6K. Cited by Wes S. Taylor. Taylor's of VA, IL & IN / Ireland's & Snelgrove's of Canada:Information about Richard Taylor, Jr. Accessed June 5, 2018 jhd
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} Wes S. Taylor. Taylor's of VA, IL & IN / Ireland's & Snelgrove's of Canada:Information about Richard Taylor, Jr. Accessed June 5, 2018 jhd, citing
   • 1085 Website Info, www.familysearch.org/Search/af/family_group_record.asp?familyid=1989887.
   • 1086. Website Info, worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=winterwounderland&id.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Richard Taylor. Ancestry.com http://records.ancestry.com/richard_taylor_records.ashx?pid=8203878 Accessed May 26, 2015