Taylor in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States

Article Covers
Surnames
Bearse
Burgess
Cobb
Crocker
Davis
Eldredge
Matthews
Merchant
Rice
Taylor
Ward
Whelden
Williamson
Places
Yarmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States
Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States
Year range
1645 - 1755

Contents

The Early TAYLORs of Yarmouth, Plymouth Colony

Two of the earliest TAYLORs to reside in Yarmouth were:

  1. Richard Taylor, known as the tailor
  2. Richard Taylor, known as the Rock

That they were distinct from each other (as opposed to being the same person) is supported by the following (add source details):

  • Richard Taylor, the tailor, had an estate inventoried in early 1674, in which he is described as deceased. Some of his children (alive at his death) are named in his will. The others attributed to him are so attributed due to their absence from the 1677 list of Richard Taylor, the Rock's children.
  • Richard Taylor, the Rock, had a will initially dated 1693, codiciled in 1699, then proven in 1703. His children as listed in a 1677 Yarmouth town records (get details) match up with those listed in his will.
  • Richard, the Rock's 1693 will and 1699 codicil were "signed" with a mark, not his signature, indicating the likelihood he may have been illiterate, and therefore distinguishable from a Richard Taylor who held several town positions, including grandjuryman.
  • (list more proofs)

The Wives of the Yarmouth Richard Taylors

Many histories claim that both Richards were married to women named Ruth:

  1. Richard Taylor, tailor, was -- according to many published genealogies -- married to Ruth, daughter of Gabriel Whelden; they were married shortly after her father granted his permission 28 October 1646. Ruth Whelden Taylor is also supposed to be the drowned body identified as "wife of Richard Taylor" discovered in a boat near Duxbury 4 December 1673. See Richard Taylor, tailor, and some of his descendants, which further cites 5 Plym. Col. Recs. 123: 'The jury of inquest appointed "to view a corpes found in a boate now racked, and being supposed to be the wife of Richard Taylor, sometimes of Yarmouth, and to make diligent serch how the said woman came by her death, doe judge, that the boate being cast away, the woman was drowned in the boate."' Note that her name is NOT provided.
  2. Richard Taylor, the Rock, was supposedly married to Ruth. This is apparently based solely on the 1693 Yarmouth death record of one Ruth, wife of Richard Taylor, in (check month) 1693. Some researchers claim her maiden name was "Burgess" but no proof of this has been found. She could just as easily be Ruth, daughter of Gabriel Whelden.

NOTE: There is currently no documentation that both of these Richard's were married to Ruths. Only one of the wives is named, and that's "Ruth, wife of Richard Taylor" who dies in 1693. The woman found drowned off Duxbury is not named.

Distinguishing The Two Contemporaneous Richard-Hannah Taylor Couples

Many researchers claim that Richard Taylor (1652-1733) (son of Richard Taylor, Rock) is the same man who married Hannah Rice (daughter of Henry Rice, widow of Eleazar Ward) in Sudbury in 1677. Supporting this theory is a lack of marriage record for the Yarmouth Richard Taylor, who also married a Hannah of approximately the same birth year. Also, the Yarmouth couple is found buried in the old Yarmouth cemetery, Richard dying 1732, Hannah dying 1733. Other researchers have claimed that the Sudbury Richard and Hannah died in 1694 and 1707, respectively. Richard of Sudbury's 1694 death has been found in Middlesex County Probate records; proof of Hannah's 1707 death has not yet been found. So if Sudbury Richard died in 1693, he would not have been named in his father's 1693 will then 1699 codicil. In addition, comparison of their children's names and birth dates demonstrates an overlap making it unlikely if not impossible that they were one and the same couple/family.

Richard and Hannah Taylor of YarmouthRichard Taylor and Hannah Rice Ward of Sudbury
Marriage record not foundMarried 1677 (Source: Sudbury marriages as recorded in Middlesex County (get complete title)
Children:Children:
 1. Richard Taylor, b. 1678 (Source: Middlesex County births: Sudbury)
 2. John Taylor, b. 1680 (Source: Middlesex County births: Sudbury)
 3. Elizabeth Taylor, b. 1682 (Source: Middlesex County births: Sudbury)
1. Isaac Taylor, b. abt. 1684; d. 21 July 1755 in his 72nd year. 1755 will names brother Jasher.4. Anna Taylor, b. 1684 (Source: Middlesex County births: Sudbury)
2. Joshua/Jasher Taylor, b. abt. 1685; d. 31 Oct 1752; m. Experience Cobb 18 Feb 1713? A captain.5. Lydia Taylor, b. 1686 (Source: Middlesex County births: Sudbury)
3. Nathan Taylor, b. abt. 1687; m. 30 Jun 1715 Mehitable Cobb.6. Caleb Taylor, b. abt. 1690 (not in Sudbury/Middlesex Records)
4. Ebenezer Taylor, b. May 1689; m. abt 1721 Mary Lothrop; d. 10 Oct 1770, in 82nd year. 
5. Mary Taylor, b. Abt. 1688; m. bef 1708 Jonathan Whelden. 
6. Another daughter (Hannah?) per Savage. 

Yet to be added to this page

  • Link to text of each of the wills.
  • Link to each of the individual pages for each person (as available)
  • Other source information that I have

Contributors

Jillaine 12:03, 7 July 2007 (MDT) Smith, Washington DC