Richard Taylor Jr (1678 - 1753)

Born 15 Aug 1678 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Unknown) Taylor — married about 1708 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Husband of Submit (Clapp) Gibson — married 23 Jul 1741 in Framingham, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 1753 at about age 74 in Grafton, Massachusetts

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jillaine Smith [send private message]

Biography

Richard, son of Richard and Hannah Taylor, b. 15 Aug 1676.^[1]

First shows up in Sudbury Town Records (other than his birth) as paying either a tax or a debt on 6 Apr 1703.^[2] Town Meeting. Appears to have voted against moving the meeting house? Or perhaps against the committee formed to move it. In either case, he is listed among the dissenters.

On 29 Feb 1723/4... guardian bond was posted by Richard Taylor of Sudbury, husbandman, and Richard Whitney of Stow, as surety, as guardian of Ruhamah Whitney, in her18th year, and Hepsibah Whitney, in her 13th year.^[3]

Compilation of Records of Littleton (which includes some guess work on the part of Samuel Smith, compiler), indicate he married twice:

1. Sarah (Unknown)
2. Submit (Clapp) [widow of Joseph] Brintnall on 23 JUL 1741

Framingham: 1741: Taylor, Richard, of Sudbury, and Submit Brintnall, July 23 1741. In Sudbury*.^[4]

"Another place in whose settlement Sudbury citizens had some share was Grafton, a town in Worcester County... In the [1724] Indian deed concerning the territory, among other specific declarations is the following: "To Jonathan Rice and Richard Taylor both of Sudbury in the County of Middlesex aforesaid husbandmen each one fortieth part thereof... to them and their respective heirs and assigns forever."^[5]

[Between 1730 and 1734] "The committee chosen 'to take survey of the plantation of Hassanamisco, and find out and stake the centre plot of the plantation, were .... Richard Taylor of Sudbury.^[6]

"... among the inhabitants of the north-west district, early in the century [i.e., early 1700s] was Richard Taylor, who was one of the Proprietors of and prominently connected with the settlement of Grafton."^[7]

The North-West District... Some of the earlier occupants of this district were Jonathan Rice... other early occupants were... Richard Taylor^[8]

"The land purchased of the Indians included seven thousand five hundred acres. This land was divided among the proprietors at three different stated times. The following gives the number of acres each proprietor received, and the date of the receipt.:...^[9]

May 3, 1728, Capt. Richard Taylor, 168 acres.^[10]

1728: at meeting of proprietors in April: voted to serve on committee to survey the plantation: Richard Taylor; also (p 45) to consider regular method for the setting out of the lands. ^[11]

May 3, 1728: Capt. Richard Taylor received 168 acres.^[12]

Richard Taylor was selectman 1730 and 1732

1732: Richard Taylor obtained the sixth pew of the first meeting house (right hand of the east door)^[13]

Sept 1731: Richard Taylor and Jonathan Rice chosen a committee to wait upon Mr. Prentice and notify him of the call (to serve as Grafton’s minister)^[14]

Chosen to a committee to seat the meeting-house. Richard Taylor. ^[15]

November 26, 1734: Richard Taylor among group to examine the school house to see if it had been built per the orders of the General Court^[16]

Moderators at the Proprietors meeting: Richard Taylor, June 1, 1738^[17]

In 1739 (recorded in 1742), Richard Taylor of Sudbury, sold to his son Hezekiah of Sudbury, 40 acres of land in Grafton.^[18]

Non Compos Mentis

In 1750, his son Hezekiah was appointed guardian of his estate. Richard was adjudged by the Selectman of the town of Grafton to be non compos mentis.^[19] In 1753, an account of his guardianship by his son, Hezekiah Taylor was recorded.^[20]

Probate

The will of Richard Taylor of Sudbury was dated 20 December 1750 and proved in Middlesex. He mentioned his widow Submit, his only son Hezekiah, William Skinner, whom he brought up, and his only daughter Thankful. His inventory was taken on 24 January 1754 in Sudbury.^[21]

His will can be found through:

• Middlesex County, Massachusetts Probate Index, 1648-1870: Location: Sudbury; Date: 1753; Number: 22231 (This makes sense because apparently Submit Clapp Brintnall Taylor then m3. on 30 Nov 1755.)

Sources

1. ↑ Vital Records of Sudbury (as transcribed from Middlesex County records of births, marriages and deaths for that town
2. ↑ Town Records, 29 Jan 1722/3
3. ↑ Kellogg, Dale C., and Threlfall, John B., "Richard Sawtell of Watertown, Mass. and Some of His Descendants," NEHGR, Volume CXXVI (1972), pp. 6, 140
4. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 (from NEHGS online database)
5. ↑ History of Sudbury, Massachusetts, 1663-1889 by Alfred Sereno Hudson, p. 167
6. ↑ Hudson, p. 168
7. ↑ Hudson, p. 450
8. ↑ Hudson, p. 508
9. ↑ History of Grafton, p. 49
10. ↑ History of Grafton, p. 52
11. ↑ History of Grafton, p. 44
12. ↑ History of Grafton, p. 52
13. ↑ History of Grafton, p. 52
14. ↑ History of Grafton, p. 56
15. ↑ History of Grafton, p. 57
16. ↑ History of Grafton, p 59
17. ↑ History of Grafton, p. 409
18. ↑ "Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9ZH-P8PY : 22 May 2014), Worcester > Deeds 1741-1744 vol 16-18 > image 42 of 912; county courthouses and offices, Massachusetts.
19. ↑ "Probate records v. 3 1748-1751, 1793-1837, 1865-1898" database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9YY-F38P-7 : 27 March 2024), Film# 007704428, Worcester, Massachusetts, image 176, Vol 3, Page 333.
20. ↑ "Probate records v. 4 1751-1756, 1824-1847" database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9YR-XSKY  : 15 April 2024), Film# 007704429, Worcester, Massachusetts, image 76, Vol 4, Page 140.
21. ↑ Probate papers 22127-22255, Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9D5-XWL6 : 26 March 2024), Film# 007553813, Middlesex, Massachusetts, File#22231, image 1007.

Acknowledgements

• Jillaine Smith for creating this profile and adding details.