Thursday, August 30, 2007

Related to President Zachary Taylor or Not?

There are a lot of family legends that have been handed down over the years through many of our lines. When I was growing up, I'd always heard that we were related to President Zachary Taylor through my great grandmother Laura Lucy Taylor Lantz. I must confess that when I first began to try to research the family history that I didn't quite know what I did now so my methodology was quite poor. "I knew" we were related to the President because I'd always heard it was so. [There was no concrete evidence--just the family tradition. I never for a moment doubted that we were related.] I was absolutely delighted to discover that Zachary's genealogy had been done so I began looking at the various compiled genealogies of the president. I never could figure out how Laura could possibly fit in. I decided someone must have left off a line on the tree or something. I filed it away to explore some other day.

I had developed more genealogy prowess and discrimination by the time I revisited this line. My first break on the line came through a query I placed online. I don't remember at this point if I had already discovered that Laura's father was Stephen Taylor of McLean County, Illinois at that point or not, but the gentleman who answered my query was able to tell me about Stephen and his brothers. As I began to explore Laura's immediate family, I discovered that one of Laura's brothers was named Zachary Taylor. So - we were related to Zachary Taylor, but it wasn't President Zachary Taylor.

Now . . . there is also a mystery regarding Stephen Taylor's father Stephen Taylor. This southeastern Ohio resident is said to have died in Detroit in 1814 during the War of 1812. I've found nothing to support this claim YET. (I haven't even found him on a list of troups.) There is a letter that was written by a lady in a historical society in that area to a relative from an earlier generation who was researching this. She claims that there was also a creek named after him in southeastern Ohio. I really need to take the time to work on that part of the legend because I'd certainly love to locate the creek. It's just been lower priority for me. I need to do further research on this line, but I need to make a trip to a repository with better southeastern Ohio records to do so. The counties of Washington, Athens, and Morgan are the ones that seem to bear the most significance for the family. They were in Ohio County, Virginia (now West Virginia) prior to this.

18 comments:

Unknown said...

As a direct decendent of Zachary Taylor I have done some very rough family tree searching based on information my family supplied and then other information on the net. Here's a link to a tree that although not clean might help you make some connections for your research. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/f/a/r/Timothy-J-Farmer/tree1.html

TJ

mrakos2 said...

My great Grandmother was Anna Mae Taylor born 09/29/1874 who's father was James Conrad Taylor moved to Illinois from Ohio after the Civil war (he fought in).

haywago said...

my great great great great uncle is Zachary Taylor how fought who was are 12th president and spent 40years military and died of an illness in Washington D.C

Illinois Lady said...

Well let's try this again now that I've been Googled. I too was always told I was related to Zachary Taylor. He was related to my cousin or was a cousin, don't remember which it was. My GGGGrandmother was Mariah Taylor daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Cross Taylor. Isaac was the son of Jacob Taylor who was the son of Samuel. Wasn't Zachary's father Richard? I don't find where I found that or even if it was true. If you have any info or if any of these names match up to you, please contact me @ illady45@hotmail.com Thanks

Anonymous said...

I too have an inkling that our family related to Zachary. In a cemetary here, there are 2 William Zachary Taylors buried in early 1800...not that that proves anything except that someone named their kids after the President haha. Anyway my mother researched something like 128 years back and decided that we came down from one of his brothers....Now I can't put it together with her notes. BUT she said "they" started a sawmill in Bellfast??? I believe it was near Sheridan Arkansas thus our connection. pat72209@yahoo.com

Sallie Hood said...

My great great grandfather was Toliver Taylor. His father was George Elijah Taylor which was said to be Zachary's cousin -- No ancestors says over and over that they were brothers. That was the George that supposedly died young. He lived from 1779-1827. He did stay I think on the plantations in Virgina and was said to run several in N. Carolina and Virginia. But I think there is a story about why he was said to have died young or my family covered up the relationship. I know that they lost all the plantations after the civil war and don't know if that is it or what. Would love to find a picture of either George or Elijah or one of the family.

Unknown said...

I JUST FOUND OUT MY GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS Z TAYLORS SON AND I'M AFRICAN AMERICAN.

Unknown said...

My ggg grandfather was Benjamin Leach who was married to Belinda Taylor. Belinda's father was Daniel Taylor, I am still searching for Daniel's wife. Daniel's father was Stephen Taylor. As the line goes on, I am the first cousin of Pres Zachary Taylor 6 times removed. I am also a cousin of FDR and Robert E. Lee, as the Taylors married into the Lee family along the way. Also I am a direct decendent of Brewster and Allerton families that were on the Mayflower. If any of this sounds familiar to you, please email me at susan.barlow@yahoo.com.

Unknown said...

i've heard that about me too

Linda said...

My great grandfather, Lewis Taylor, son of Zachariah Taylor, who was the son of William Taylor, the President's brother. That's what my research and my cousin's shows if that helps anyone.

Linda

Eaglescout414 said...

My maternal grandmother (who's maiden name is Taylor) had said she was under a direct line and that Zachary Taylor had sent a letter of some sort to someone in the family. She is the only one in my whole entire genealogy line that I can't get past my great great grandparents though. I know that her father was Gladwin Addison Taylor and Sarah Eleanor Taylor (Rose). I can't find them on google or anything, and I don't know their birthdates or days that they passed, which makes it harder.

IL Lady said...

this is for Eaglescout414
I went onto Ancestery and put in the search area - Gladwin Addison Taylor - it popped up the following:
Ohio Obituary Index, 1830s-2009, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center about Gladwin A Taylor
Name: Gladwin A Taylor
Nickname: Tim
Birth Date: 1 Mar 1903
Death Date: 21 Feb 1972
Age at Death: 68
Death Place: Jerry City, Ohio
Spouse: Sarah Rose
Marriage Date: 27 Aug 1925
Parents: Addison and Bertha
Newspaper: Fostoria Review Times, Fostoria, Ohio
Newspaper Date: 22 Feb 1972
Newspaper Page: p. 8, col. 1
Years Indexed: Aug. 1943- current
Newspaper Repository: Kaubisch Memorial Library - Fostoria, Oh; Kaubisch Memorial Library - Fostoria, Oh
I hope this helps you

Unknown said...

My ggg mother was president taylor's sister. I don't recall her name, but do have her picturein a broach.

nana523 said...

This comment is for Susan whose ggg grandfather was Benj. Leach m to Belinda Taylor. I am the 5th gr grandaughter of Daniel Taylor, Sr who was an aide to Gen. Geo. Washington. Daniel Taylor, Sr, was married three times,Margaret Thatcher(1) and had 11 children none named Belinda.His #2 wife, Sarah Lane had 5 children none named Belinda. Wife #3 was Miss Nesbitt, no children of that marriage. Daniel Sr's son, Daniel Jr. was married once to Martha Ann Rodgers and had one child that I am aware of named Sarah Elizabeth Taylor my gr gr gr grandmother.
Nana523

Unknown said...

I have just gone thru an old handwritten family tree of my fathers and have found that I'm related to the Taylor family as my grandmother was Mary Estelle Stout and my grandfather was Alton Bracken and my father was one of their sons named Cornieluis Sylvester Bracken born in 1920 and the Tree goes back to Taylor's side with Toliver Taylor and George Taylor being his father and Zack being his brother and their father was Richard Taylor! Could anyone tell me how to find more information on my family tree

Lori Thornton said...

Carol --
You might try this video that gives an overview of Beginning Genealogy: https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/lesson/beginning-genealogy/228

You will also find great information at Cyndi's list: http://www.cyndislist.com/beginners/beginners-guides-hints-and-tips/

Mike said...

My GGGGG Grandmother is Mary Anne Jane Taylor (b 1809). I have a document saying she is the niece of Zachary Taylor, but cannot make a family connection. Her Father's name could possibly have been William or Clarke. Does anybody know how she could be related?

Lori Thornton said...

Y-DNA tests proved that our line is not related to President Zachary Taylor.