Alphonso Taft (1810 - 1891)

Born 5 Nov 1810 in Townshend, Windham, Vermont, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Fanny (Phelps) Taft — married 29 Aug 1841 in Townshend, Windham, Vermont, USA

Husband of Louisa Maria (Torrey) Taft — married 26 Dec 1853 in Millbury, Massachusetts, United States

Descendants

Died 21 May 1891 at age 80 in San Diego, California, United States

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Preceded by 30th Secretary William Belknap

Alfonso Taft 31st United States Secretary of War 1876

Succeeded by 32nd Secretary J. Donald Cameron

Biography

Alfonso Taft is Notable.

Alphonso Taft was born 05 November 1810, in Townshend, Vermont, the only child of Peter R. Taft and Sylvia Howard. Paternally, he was descended from Robert Taft who had migrated to America from England in 1640. His mother Sylvia, was descended from Deacon Samuel Chapin, the "Puritan" founder of Springfield, Massachusetts, born in England in 1598 ^[1]. The Taft family was of substance and education, but not wealthy.

Taft attended local schools until the age of sixteen and then taught school to earn money to attend Amherst Academy. In 1828 he assisted the instructor, Timothy R Cressy, an Amherst College Graduate, at the Select School maintained by the West Townshend Community in which the Taft family were vital participants. Among the students in attendance at the school were several first cousins of Alphonso Taft, including Clarina Howard and her siblings, children of Chapin Howard, Alphonso's mother's brother. ^[2]

In 1829, Alphonso Taft entered Yale College graduating in 1833. While attending Yale, Taft co-founded America's most famous secret society, known as 'Skull and Bones' in 1832, with William H. Russell. His son and future US President, William Taft and grandson Robert E Taft would also be members of 'Skull and Bones' as would two other US Presidents, several senators, congressmen and business titans.

Upon graduation from Yale, Taft became a teacher in Elington, Connecticut from 1835 to 1837. He subsequently studied law at the Yale Law School and simultaneously held a tutorship at Yale. He was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1838 and started a practice there. In 1839 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Alphonso became a member of the Cincinnati City Council and one of the most influential citizens of Ohio.

In 1841 he married Fannie Phelps, daughter of Judge Charles Phelps of Townshend, VT. She died in 1852 leaving him with two surviving sons, Charles Phelps Taft, named after her father, and Peter Rawson Taft, named in honor of his father.

On 26 December 1853, he married Louisa Torrey. She gave birth on 15 September 1857 to William Howard Taft, 27th US President.

Alphonso Taft was a jurist, diplomat, Attorney General and Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant. As Secretary of War, Taft reformed the War Department by allowing commanders at Indian forts to choose who could start and run post traderships. While serving as Attorney General, he strongly held that African Americans must not be denied the right to vote through intimidation and violence. Attorney General Taft coauthored a bill to Congress, signed into law by President Grant, that created the Elections Commission that settled the controversial Hayes-Tilden election.

In 1882 Taft was appointed as minister to Austria-Hungary by Chester A. Arthur in 1882. He served until 04 July 1884, and was then transferred by President Arthur to Minister of Russia in St. Petersburg and served until August, 1885. Taft had a reputation for serving political office with integrity and character.

Marriage

"Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915,"

Name Alphons Taft

Event Date 26 Dec 1853

Event Place Millbury, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Age 43

Birth Year (Estimated) 1810

Father's Name Peter R. Taft

Mother's Name Sylvia Taft

Spouse's Name Louisa M. Torrey

Spouse's Age 26

Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated) 1827

Spouse's Father's Name Sam'El Torrey

Spouse's Mother's Name Susan Torrey

Citing this Record

"Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4ML-GGJ : 7 December 2017), Alphons Taft and Louisa M. Torrey, 26 Dec 1853; citing Millbury, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,432,879.

Child William Howard TAFT DEATH

District of Columbia Deaths

Name William Howard Taft

Event Date 08 Mar 1930

Event Place District of Columbia, United States

Address 2215 Wyoming Ave., N.W.

Gender Male

Age 72y 5m 22d

Marital Status Married

Occupation Ret. Chief Justice USSC

Birth Date 15 Sep 1857

Birth Year 1857

Birthplace Cincinnati, Ohio

Burial Date 11 Mar 1930

Burial Place Arlington Nat.

Father's Name Alfonso Taft

Father's Birthplace West Townsend, Vt.

Mother's Name Louisa Maria Torrey

Mother's Birthplace Boston, Mass.

Citing this Record

NOTE: Even though this record does not reflect "President of the United States" in the Occupation line.......I believe everything else matches.

Children of Alphonso and Fanny

• Charles Phelps Taft (December 21, 1843 – December 31, 1929)
• Peter Rawson Taft II (May 10, 1846 – June 3, 1889)

—3 of their children died in infancy:

• Mary Taft (November 24, 1848 – November 29, 1848).
• Alphonso Taft (May 12, 1850 – March 2, 1851).
• Alphonso Taft (December 22, 1851 – June 22, 1852

Children of Alphonso and Louisa

• Samuel Davenport TAFT, b. February 1855; d. April 1856 (named in honor of Louisa's father)
• WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT, 27th PRESIDENT OF THE U.S., b. September 15, 1857, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio; d. March 08, 1930, Washington D. C.
• Henry Waters TAFT, b. May 27, 1859, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio; d. August 11, 1945
• Horace Dutton TAFT, b. December 28, 1861, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, d. January 28, 1943; m. Winifred Shepard Thompson, June 29, 1892, Niagara Falls, NY; b. June 08, 1860, Niagara Falls, NY; d. December 16, 1909
• Frances Louise "Fanny" TAFT, b. July 18, 1865, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, d. January 05, 1950; m. William A. EDWARDS, 1890, San Diego, California; b. c 1861, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio^[3]

Death of 2nd wife

"Massachusetts Deaths 1841-1915,"

Name Louisa M Taft

Event Date 08 Dec 1907

Event Place Millbury,,Massachusetts

Gender Female

Age 80

Marital Status Widowed

Birth Date 1827

Birthplace Boston, Massachusetts

Birth Year (Estimated) 1827

Father's Name Samuel D Torrey

Mother's Name Susan H Waters

Spouse's Name Alphonso Taft

Citing this Record

"Massachusetts Deaths, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NWRK-GRT : 10 December 2014), Alphonso Taft in entry for Louisa M Taft, 08 Dec 1907; citing Millbury,,Massachusetts, 80, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,217,234.

Sources

1. List of United States Attorneys General wikipedia.com
2. List of United States Secretary of War wikipedia.com
3. "District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1961," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7TK-ZLC : accessed 24 December 2017), Alfonso Taft in entry for William Howard Taft, 08 Mar 1930, District of Columbia, United States; citing reference ID 326465, District Records Center, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2,116,108.

1. ↑ Chapin, Gilbert Warren, "The Chapin Book of Genealogical Data," vol. 1, p.1170 [1]
2. ↑ James H. Phelps, Collections Relating to the History and Inhabitants of the Town of Townshend, Vermont (Brattleboro, Selleck & Davis, 1877), pp. 182-185
3. ↑ http://www.genealogy.com/users/t/a/f/Katie-A-Taft/GENE1-0033.html

Alphonso Taft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphonso_Taft : accessed 30 Aug 2014)

The 15 Most Powerful Members Of 'Skull And Bones' (http://www.businessinsider.com/skull-and-bones-alumni-2011-2?op=1 : accessed 30 Aug 2014)

• TAFT GENEALOGY OF VERMONT