 | A history of Caroline county, Virginia |  |
THE TAYLOR FAMILY
The Taylor family is one of historic interest and dignity and
has been closely associated with the development of this country
from its earliest colonial struggles. Among the English gentry
who established homes in Tidewater Virginia was James Taylor,
called "James the First," who was born in 1635 in Carlisle,
England and in 1665 settled in that part of Virginia which became
Caroline county in 1727. He m. 1st, Frances — and, 2d,
Mary Gregory and had issue: Ann, Mary, Edmund, Elizabeth,
James and John. John Taylor, the last named of the issue of
James, m. Catherine Pendleton and was the father of the eminent
John Taylor, of Caroline whose biography appears elsewhere in
this volume.
James Taylor, II, m. Martha Thompson (or Tompkins)
about the year 1800 and became the progenitor of the Taylors
of Orange and of the Valley of Virginia. He was one of the
first Surveyors of Virginia and established the lines between
Hanover, Spotsylvania and Orange counties. In August, 1736,
the House of Burgesses ordered these counties to pay to Martha
Taylor, his widow, sixteen thousand pounds of tobacco for his
services in establishing these lines. Of the nine children of
James Taylor and Martha Thompson two became grandparents
of Presidents of the United States, namely, Frances Taylor, who
m. Ambrose Madison, and Zachary Taylor, who m. Elizabeth
Lee. Martha Taylor, daughter of James Taylor, II, m. Thos.
Chew, of Spotsylvania and James Taylor, III, m. Alice Thornton
Catlett, of Caroline. James Taylor, I, was a large land owner
and prominent in the colony. A seal ring which belonged to
him and which bore the crest and motto of the Taylor Arms, has
been handed down to the present generation, and with this seal
ring has also descended a legend to the effect that on a certain
occasion the King of England was enjoying a chase in one of the
royal forests when a wild boar, hard driven, turned upon the
royal huntsman, whereupon there sprang to his defense one of
his knights who slew the boar. The king out of gratitude gave this
knight a crest, the distinguishing mark of which was an uplifted
arm with lance in hand, accompanied by the motto: "Consequitur
quod cunque petit."
| A history of Caroline county, Virginia | |