Peter Taylor (abt. 1655 - 1720)

Born about 1655 in Sutton, Cheshire, England

Husband of Sarah (Houlston) Taylor — married Apr 1685 in Chester MM, Delaware, Colony of Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 25 Nov 1720 at about age 65 in Caln, Delaware, Pennsylvania

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Biography

Peter was a Friend (Quaker)

According to Pennsylvania history books, Peter Taylor was born in Sutton, County of Chester, England. No exact birth record has been found. Peter Taylor was a part of the Quaker migration to America. According to Henry Graham Ashmead's History of Delaware County Pennsylvania, Peter and his brother William Taylor purchased 1250 acres of virgin land directly from William Penn on March 3, 1681.^[1] It is interesting to note that the price was only twenty five British pounds for the whole 1250 acres! 700 of these acres are now lying underneath the town of Media Pennsylvania. In 1681 it was virgin forest that the brothers intended to clear for farming.

Early Land Map Farms of Peter and William Taylor and John Houlston

Peter Taylor came to America a bachelor. His brother William, on the other hand, already had a wife and 3 young children when they decided to make this journey. Ashmead alleges that the brothers came to the New World on The Amity in 1682. (p 587) However, his brother is listed as entering Pennsylvania on The Friendship on 14 Aug 1682. ^[2] The land of Peter Taylor was said to be in the "shape of a parallelogram" and extended from Ridley Creek to the Providence Road. The southern border of Peter's land was the same as Washington Street in the borough of Media and the northern border was said to be where the county jail property was located in 1884.(p 587)

Unfortunately, William Taylor and his wife Margaret both died in January of 1683. Peter was a witness to his brother's will, made just before his death.

Peter's marriage to Sarah Houlston was recorded at Chester Monthly Quaker Meeting of Delaware County, Pennsylvania in April of 1685. She was the daughter of John Houlston, owner of the neighboring farm.

Quaker Marriage Intention

Peter's children were William, John, Peter, Samuel and Sarah.

Peter's death was recorded in Pennsylvania Quaker meeting minutes in 1720.

Burial Record

Sources

1. ↑ Henry Graham Ashmead, History of Delaware County Pennsylvania. Published 1884. p 587-588, The history of Media Pennsylvania.
2. ↑ Sheppard, Walter Lee, Jr., comp. Passengers and Ships Prior to 1684. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1970.

• Goshen Monthly Quaker Meeting Records, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

• Hazard, Samuel. The Annals of Pennsylvania from the Discovery of the Delaware. Available on-line through several sites. Book first published in 1850. page number 641. From the appendix naming all people who were given land in Pennsylvania by William Penn. Peter Taylor and William Taylor entered Pennsylvania in 1682.

• Howard WIlliams Lloyd. Lloyd Manuscripts: Genealogics of the Families of Awbrey-Vaughan, Blunston, Burbeck, Garrett, Gibbons, Heacock, Hodge, Houlston, Howard, Hunt, Jarman, Jenkin-Griffith, Jones, Knight, Knowles, Lloyd, Newman, Paschall, Paul, Pearson, Pennell, Pott, Pyle, Reed, Sellers, Smith, Thomas, Till, Williams, Wood. Howard Williams Lloyd Press of the New era printing Company, 1912 - Lloyd family - page 12. Free on www.archive.org.

• Cartwright, Dawn Powell. Thomas Powell in Chester County, Pennsylvania 1682. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1991, pp. 7-9.

• American Ancestry, Vol 3. p 208. Peter Taylor and Sarah Houlston are referenced in the lineage of Samuel Lightfoot Smedley.

• Henry Graham Ashmead, History of Delaware County Pennsylvania. Published 1884. p 587-588, The history of Media Pennsylvania.

• Sheppard, Walter Lee, Jr., comp. Passengers and Ships Prior to 1684. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1970. p 40, p 205.