Comments on Richard Robert Taft

+3 votes
177 views

On 7 May 2023 Jane (Cournoyer) McNicol wrote on Taft-97:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft_family I don’t think he’s uncertain.

WikiTree profile: Richard Taft
in Genealogy Help by Jane McNicol G2G1 (1.7k points)

1 Answer

+5 votes
 
Best answer

Hi Jane. The name on the profile just above the birthdate line shows as

Richard Robert [uncertain] Taft

This is intended to indicate that the middle name Robert is uncertain, not that the existence of the person is uncertain. It results from the status "uncertain" on the middle name in the data fields for the profile.

It could have been set this way if there are no reliable primary sources stating that the middle name was Robert. (Middle names were unusual at this time.)

by Jim Richardson G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
selected by Susan Laursen

As Jim says it is almost unheard of for a person in early 17th C England or before  to have a second given name. It wasn't common until much later. The only one I've come across is https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Browne-1489 ( Anthony Maria Browne a man from a prominent family of Catholics ) see also https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1422132/i-was-wondering-about-middle-names-in-the-middle-ages#a1422236

There is a second uncertainty. There appears to be no evidence demonstrating a connection between Richard Taft and his wife Margaret Fan (married in London in 1646 ) and a Robert Taft said to be  born in Ireland in about  1640.(impossible if this date is anywhere near accurate)  There also doesn't seem to be any evidence that  Robert Taft  in America was born in Ireland. 

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