SALUTATIONS
The new information this group of Taliaferros has brought together in six months is nothing short of stunning. Our effort is a validation of the value of a group-focussed effort to revisit their family's heritage and rewrite it. Everyone has contributed magnificently, everyone has exhibited enthusiasm for finding this new heritage, everyone makes this a first-rate distribution.
Someday our descendants will discover the words we wrote, the records we found, the lineages we published and be very proud that we cared enough to give them a heritage. This is truly a remarkable achievement which reflects with such a positive light on Taliaferro descendants particular as they pioneer in making effective use of new methodology and resources.
WAY TO GO, TALIAFERROS, TOLIVERS, TOLLIVERS, TELIFEROS, et al.
NEW MEMBERS
BILL FOSTER (TEHG75A@prodigy.com) ****Following is what I have on the Foster-Taliaferro family:
Anthony Foster b Bef 1699 Essex Co., VA d Feb 4, 1763 Spotsylvania
Co., VA married ca 1720 in Essex Co., VA, Martha (Taliaferro?) Parents:
Robert and Elizabeth (Garnett?) Foster of Gloucester and Essex Co., VA.
Children: Edmund Foster b ca 1721 Essex Co., VA d ca 1748 Spotsylvania
Co., VA m ca 1740 Tabitha Collins Spotsylvania Co., VA
Thomas Foster b ca 1725 Essex Co., VA d ca 1764 Spotsylvania Co., VA
m Dorothy Gatewood ca 1746 Spotsylvania Co., VA
Elizabeth Foster b ca 1729 Sptosylvania Co., VA d 1791 Spotsylvania
Co., VA m James Frazier
ca 1752 Spotsylvania Co., VA
Mary Foster b ca 1731 Spotsylvania Co., VA d 1790 Jefferson Co., KY
m Thomas Bartlett ca 1759 Spotsylvania Co., VA
Martha Foster b 1734 Spotsylvania Co., VA d ?? m Thomas Crutcher, III
ca 1758 Spotsylvania
Co., VA
John Foster b ca 1738 Spotsylvania Co., VA d ca 1773 Spotsylvania Co.,
VA m Elizabeth Elley ca 1760 Spotsylvania Co., VA
Anthony Foster, Jr. b Mar 13 1740 Spotsylvania Co., VA d Nov 3 1816
Logan Co., KY m
Virginia Rose Coleman Jan 29, 1760 Fairfax, Culpeper Co., VA
I have additional information on the above families we ever confirm the Taliaferro connections.
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SOMERS MILLER (CSMILLR@VM.SC.EDU) Here is a brief "bio" about myself and my wife, a Taliaferro descendant, and a query.
My wife, Alice, is a descendant of the Taliaferros through Roger Madison's wife who married Henry Cox, R.S., who migrated from the Lunenburg Co., VA, to the wilds of east Tennessee in the late 1780's, settling in the foothills of the Smokies in Blount County. We had long suspected a VA connection because of the repeated use through the generations up to the present generation of the given names "Tolliver" and "Madison" Cox. I have acquired from Mrs. Margaret Amundson a good deal of information re the Taliaferros, Catletts, and Frenches, and will be willing to share what I have through these pages, if there is enough interest. We are very interested to know more about Roger Madison and his progenitors inasmuch as the materials we have consist mainly of deeds and court records.
Do any of you know more than legal transactions of the Madisons?
Would also be interested to learn more about Henry Cox. His first wife was a Curd. Our initial investigations suggest that he may have descended or be related to the Cox family of Henrico Co.
Because I teach US history and southern history at a campus of the University
of South Carolina, I'll be happy to share "the latest" in what I know of
recent research of Virginia social and political history.
QUERIES
PAUL PHIPPS (PaulPhipps@aol.com) Thanks so much to Paul for telling
us about his recent visit to Shady Valley. He was a little reluctant,
but I twisted his arm. I don't think this Toliver family has been
presented to TT readers before today.
*****Had a great time in Shady Valley, TN, 4-18 May. It was strictly
social; visited kin living and dead. The dead were in cemeteries.
Took 6 rolls of film, 216 pictures, and only one picture wasn't good.
It isn't the photographer, but the camera. From the time I left home,
until I got back, not one thing went wrong.
While in Shady Valley, TN, I saw my 4th cousin Edna (Sluder) Blevins a spry girl of 88 years. Her daughter Betty Plummer owns one of the 2 stores in Shady. Betty has a daughter Kimberly Toliver. In talking with Kimberly, who lives in Shady, I found she teaches handicapped children, specfically those with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, FAS. It just happens that my daughter Pam, manages that program at the University of Washington. I now have those 2 communicating with each other. Small world!
Now really down to business. Kimberly is married to Steven Toliver, son of Raymond, son of Martin, all of whom lives or lived in Shady. I contacted Wayne Rogers, in FL, who is gathering data on the Tolivers of NC. Wayne had no information on these Tolivers in TN.
Therefore, my Query.
Seeking the parents of Martin Toliver b. 1891 in VA. His wife is Dora (?) b. 1888 in NC. Martin and Dora were in the 1920 Census of Johnson Co., TN along with 2 of their older children, Hazel & Calvin.
[Paul answered his own Query with additional information. So now
we have a different quest.]
****Forget the Query I sent to you yesterday. I found the answer
I needed. Martin Toliver was the son of Calvin Toliver & his 2nd wife
Nancy Brown. Calvin is part of the NC Tolivers.
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ISABEL SEAVEY (IsabelCV@aol.com)
*****Thanks to wonderful people like you and Anne Royal, I am now "connected"
to the Virginia Taliaferros. However, I would love to hear from anyone
who is related to, or has any knowledge of, my line of Taliaferros, Hickmans
and Mortons, of Kentucky, printed below.
FIRST GENERATION
1. Hay Taliaferro was born in Caroline Co. VA. He immigrated from Caroline County, VA to Clarke County, KY. He was married to Elizabeth TUTT.Children of Hay Taliaferro and Elizabeth Tutt were: +2 i. John Taliaferro.
SECOND GENERATION
2. John Taliaferro He was born in Winchester, KY. He was married to Lucy Hickman on 9 Jun 1842. Lucy Hickman was born on 5 May 1821. She died on 19 Mar 1856. Children of John Taliaferro and Lucy Hickman were:
3 i. Elizabeth Ann Taliaferro. Married Judge William Beckner,
a prominent lawyer in Winchester, KY.
4 ii. Lucy Aylette Taliaferro. Married I. H. McKinley,
a well known physician in Winchester, KY.
+5 iii. Sarah TTaliaferro.
THIRD GENERATION
5. Sarah Taliaferro was born on 20 Apr 1845. She died on 23 Mar 1914 in Shreveport, LA. Birth, Marriage and Death - Morton Family Bible - in possession of submitter. She was married to Joseph Venable Morton on 13 Nov 1861 in Shelby Co., KY. Joseph Venable Morton was born on 23 Aug 1836 in Winchester, KY. He died in 1894. Birth, Marriage and Death of all members of the Morton family and their descendents are from the Morton Family Bible - in possession of the submitter. Children of Sarah Taliaferro and Joseph Venable Morton were:
6 i. John Taliaferro Morton was born on 11 Mar 1863 in Shelby
Co., KY.
+7 ii. William Hickman Morton.
8 iii. Joseph Venable Morton was born on 6 Sep 1866 in Shelbyville,
KY. He died on 24 Feb 1871.
9 iv. Fannie McRoberts Morton was born on 19 Jun 1868 in Winchester,
KY.
10 v. Thompson McPheeters Morton was born on 24 May 1871 in Mulberry,
Shelby Co., KY.
11 vi. Charles Hay Morton was born on 14 Sep 1876 in Winchester,
KY.
FOURTH GENERATION
7. William Hickman Morton was born on 29 Jul 1864 in Winchester, KY. He died on 18 Feb 1950 in Winston-Salem, NC. He was buried in Winston-Salem, NC. Dr. William H. Morton was a professor of physics and astronomy at Converse College, in Spartanburg, SC. He was a native of Kentucky. He received his B.S. in 1883 from Center College in Kentucky. He did graduate work at Columbia and Chicago Universities and received an honorary degree of Sc. D. (?) from Presbyterian College. He began teaching at Converse in September 1903 and retired in 1938. Before that he was president of Teachers College at Asheville, NC. [Information taken from Dr. Morton's obituary - Spartanburg Herald, Fe. 19, 1950.]
He was married to Susan Graham Van Lear on 21 Jun 1888. Susan Graham Van Lear was born on 5 Mar 1865. She died on 3 May 1935 in Spartanburg, SC. She was buried in Winston-Salem, NC. Children of William Hickman Morton and Susan Graham Van Lear were:
+12 i. Isabella Atkinson Morton
+13 ii. Josephine Venable Morton
FIFTH GENERATION
12. Isabella Atkinson Morton was born on 6 Apr 1889 in Winchester, KY. She died in Sep 1954 in Raleigh, NC. She was married to Guy Schlosser Scott on 7 Sep 1908 in Spartanburg, SC. Guy Schlosser Scott was born on 14 Feb 1886 in Orange County, VA. He died in Aug 1966 in Raleigh, NC. Children of Isabella Atkinson Morton and Guy Schlosser Scott were:
14 i. William Morton Scott was born on 31 Jul 1909 in Spartanburg,
SC. He died in Raleigh, NC. He was buried in Raleigh, NC.
+15 ii. Emily Crittenden Scott.
+16 iii. Susan Graham Scott.
13. Josephine Venable Morton was born in 1893. She died in 1976.
Children of Josephine Venable Morton and Thomas Lanier Wood were:
+17 i. Anne Taliaferro WOOD.
SOURCE: Lucien Beckner, in article by W. B. McGroarty. A letter from Lucien Backner, grandson of Major John Taliaferro in an article by W. B. McGroarty found in Genealogies of Virginia Families, from VA Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. V: Randolph-Zouch. Vol. V.
RESPONSES
THE PHANTOM (VLTP@aol.com) responds again! ****John M. Tolliver 3/3/1831-4/13/1917,
NC Confederate Soldier, s/o Charles & Patience (Jones) , m 4/3/1856
Matilda Edwards 7/8/1836-6/13/1907 d/o Allen & Margaret (Fender) Edwards
Issue:
Felix Tolliver 1859-6/29/1881 m 1. Mary Ann Walker 1861-1954 2. Marie------
Irene (Rina) 1860------m Andrew (Andy) Hamm Madison 1862------ Granville
1863------ Fielden 1864------ Sarah 10/11/1865-7/13/1955 m 1891 Joseph
McGrady 1867-1907 Sarah Emaline 1868---- died young John ---- Jesse McMillan
11/16/1876-3/30/1951 m 1909 Nancy Caroline Andrews 1889-1955
Irene, Granville, and Fielden relocated to Oregon.Rest supposedly stayed NC- Reference -"Hoppers, Moxley, Tolliver, and Related Families" by Lorene Sturgill pg 484.
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ELREETA WEATHERS (rrw@htcomp.net) It is good to find someone else who is a STRIBLING descendant. You have the good fortune that your ancestor, Francis Stribling, was named in the will of his uncle, Robert Taliaferro (older brother of Elizabeth Taliaferro Stribling), proved June 21, 1726, in Essex Co., VA. My 5th great grandfather, Thomas Stribling/II, younger brother of your Francis was not born until after Robert Taliaferro's death.
According to my estimation--we should be 7th cousins. While I have not done research on your 5th great grandfather, I have collected work done by others. I do not know about its accuracy or validity, but would be happy to mutually share data about our Striblings.
Mrs. Moursund wrote that your Talliaferro Stribling married first Margaret McDowell in 1793. Ms. Reeves wrote that this same Taliaferro was b. in 1781 in Wilkes Co., GA. Either his birthdate or first marriage has to be wrong.
I do have several MARGARET STRIBLING"s in my database. You wrote that you "believed" Margaret to be the daughter of Taliaferro and Lettice Stribling. Are you searching for proof? We have several Margret's in our database, but noting to indicate any of them were born in Wilkes Co., GA and none with Taliaferro as her father.
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THE PHANTOM (VLTP@aol.com) responds again, commenting on a conversation
that began 23 April about the Taliaferro/Mathews family. *****Weldon Rogers
thinks Martha Taliaferro may have belonged to a prior wife of Robert Taliaferro,
and only Mary and Elizabeth Taliaferro are children of his marriage to
Elizabeth Mathews. Since in Cavaliers and Pioneers Vol 5, they are
the only ones mentioned as Robert's orphans in connection with Elizabeth
& Moseley, he may be right. Mary Taliaferro married Maximillion
Berryman and Elizabeth Taliaferro married 2/1746 Samuel Hilldrup.
Moseley took the land patented to them as his own because it was not seated,
he humbly petitioned the court. Well, I guess two little girls couldn't
seat land -probably didn't even know they had land. Wonder where
their guardian
disappeared?
So that tells you how graven in stone any of our records are!!
G. S. King the historian was sure all three girls were full sisters. We shall see what happens now.
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TERRI BOYKIN (taboykin@unity.ncsu.edu) ****VLTP@aol.com wrote:
Allen Toliver b7/7/1832 s/o Hiram Toliver and first wife Nancy
Jones (First born child) married October 6, 1853 Nancy Hill. MARSHALL
TYLER (Mtyler4838) says he has a solid line back, but no one I know has
ever figured out who Jesse Tolivers' parents were. If you have the answer
please make it known to the rest of us.
First, Allen's mother: I have her listed as Nancy Ellen HILL. My great aunt is quite positive that she was named after this woman, and assures me this was her name. Do you have any documents for her name as Jones (since I don't for Hill)?
Ancestral File 1995 listed Jesse's parents as Charles Taliaferro and Ann Kemp. Of course, it also lists Charles as b. 1690 and Ann b. 1649. They were doing well to have Jesse in 1756, eh?
A large printout from Kathi Hill of all the Tollivers she had also listed Charles as Jesse's father. However, she submitted most of the info to Ancestral File, so this makes sense.
As I said before, I have a "fairly" strong line. This link is, of course, a major weakness in that line; but the repeating names in Jesse's generation that echo Charles' family make me think they are closely related. Most of my current research has centered on the living Tollivers, as the youngest of the "sisters" (7 girls, 3 boys) just turned 80.
This doesn't answer all of Marshall Tyler's query but is all I have. As for Hiram going to W. VA , I think it obvious, the land was the lure. Also there were relatives there.
Which relatives were there? I haven't been able to research that area as much as I'd like yet, and I don't know if the Tollivers there were descendents of Hiram or otherwise related. Besides, why not go to Indiana with his brothers?
COLONIAL TALLIAFERROS
JOHN TOLIVER ( tolyfoly@flash.net) ****I came across an article reprinted in memorance of the centenial of 1976 by the Indianapolis News, IN. Wednesday,April, 7, 1976. By Franklin Winters (Special Correspondent).
HOUSE HOLDS STORY OF TRAGEDY
Still standing in Williamsburg,VA, is the house that, early in June
1806, was the scene of a tragedt that is all but forgotten today. This
dwelling with its built-in end chimneys and hip roof, was designed
by Richard Taaliaferro, one of the nation's most celebrated pioneer
architects. By the beginning of the 19th century, this residence had become
the home of George Wythe, signer of the Decoration of Independance, chancellor
of Verginia, and holder of the first law professorship of any college in
the USA. At the College of William and Mary where he occupied this chair,
his most famous pupil unquesttionably had been Thomas Jefferson.
The talk around Williamsburg was that Wythe, was possessed of a considerable
estate, and that his heir-to-be, his great nephew,George Wythe Sweeney,
knew all of the provisions of of his kinsman's will. Another clause in
that document stipulated that a favorite black-servant was to get
a certain sum, but if this servant died before the nephew,Sweeney would
get this too.It appeared that the public was pretty well acquainted with
the nephew's wild, extravaagant habits, The report was, too, that he was
being hounded by his creditors, and that he was very short of funds.
It is certain that nobody could have anticipated the action to which Sweeney
would resort to hasten his inheritance. When he carried out his desperate
measures to escape a reckoning with those to whom he owed money, the scenes
that resulted in that aristocratic dwelling had actual Grand Guignol aspects.
In one room,writhing in mortal agony and soon to expire lay the black servant
who had been named in the will to recieve that special legacy. in another
room, lay the master of the house himself, suffering intense torture in
the same manner, also doomed to die. Friends of the chancellor who
were summoned to give what futile aid they could recognized at once that
both men had been poisoned. A paper picked up by the Negro cook on the
floor of the kitchen furnished the tell-tale-clue. It had contained arsenic
and the servant himself had witnessed Sweeney pour its contents into the
coffee urn from which Wythe and his servant had drawn cups that morning.
The servant was soon gone. But Wythe himself, as if sustained by a vitality
that enabled him to carry out a purpose he had in mind, lived long enough
to summon one of his notaries and then he proceeded to disinherit his murderer
and to appoint his old pupil Jefferson, his executor. This done he could
die in peace-and the end came about, on June 6, 1806. After Wythe's
passing, an impressive company attended his obsequies at old St. John's
Church in Richmond. This group included the most distinguished representatives
of the law in the Old Dominion. There tributes were sincere. None knew
better than when a solon of learning was needed to revise the laws of
Virginia, and to change over a royal colony into a republican state, George
Wythe had served perfectly in that capacity, Virginia had been successfully
transformed into a democratic commonwealth.The signor had no more
been laid to rest than the wheels of the law ground to their climax in
an effort to punish his murderer. Because the testimony of the Negro cook,
a slave, was inadmissable as evidence under the laws of Virginia,
George Wythe Sweeney was acquited.
RESEARCH
FRANK RICHEY (73100.564@CompuServe.COM) ******This is the will of William Wilkins, the last in a series of wills: Richard Taliaferro, the Architect; the second Richard Taliaferro, his son, Rebecca Cocke Taliaferro, his wife, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Hartwell Cocke
William Wilkinson married Sarah Taliaferro, Richard and Rebecca Taliaferro's
daughter.
Copy of will of: William Wilkinson
In the name of God amen, I William Wilkinson of the county of James City do make an ordain this as my last Will and Testament, revoking all others by me made.
I give all the estate which I am entitled to from the Estate of the late Col. Richard Taliaferro, in consequence of my marriage with his daughter, formerly Sally Taliaferro, to my daughter Elizabeth Wilkinson born of this said Sally to her and her heirs, of this property I have now in my possession the following Negroes: King Priscilla and her two children Charles and Jack, Vincy and her son Thomas, & Sam a boy who I had in exchange of William P. Harris & Fanny a woman, but if she should die before she comes of age or marries, then in all this Estate to go to her half brother, my son by my present wife who is within these few days born and yet unchristioned and in case of his demise before he marries or comes of Lawful age, then my Will and desire is that all this Estate shall go to Robert Taliaferro, the brother of my first wife Sally.
I also give to my said daughter Elizabeth one thousand pounds to be paid to her Guardians by my executors hereafter named the interest of which together with the hire of the Negroes, She is to have for her education & support during her infancy. I also give to her as a maid, Betty, the daughter of Lucy, a mare and her colt (the mare called Lucy Edmundson) a dressing table & glass, a courting ring which I have worn for my dec’d sister Elizabeth & two pair of Gold Ear Rings which belonged to her, a bed of Furniture & a Gold Locket which belonged to my late wife, and now in the possession of Mrs. Rebecca Taliaferro.
I give my Dear wife Elizabeth Car Wilkinson my chariot and two fillies, one three and the other two years old, and which came out of my riding mare, to her and her heirs forever and until the said two fillies can be broken and used to the carriage, she is to have the use of the horses called Mark, Anthony and Mary. I lend to my Dear Wife Elizabeth C. Wilkinson all the rest of my Estate, not before mentioned of land, Negroes, stock of all kinds, except such part of the stock as my Executors may find it necessary to dispose of for the benefit of my Estate, or to raise any part of the one thousand pounds given before to my daughter Elizabeth in case there should not enough be collected from the debts due me: The property of this Estate she is to enjoy during her widowhood excepting enough to educate and maintain our son, who I wish to be called Cary, but in the event of her marriage then is she to have one third part during her life, of this land, stock, Negroes, furniture etc. and my Son to be educated & supported from the remaining two thirds. I give all this Estate of land, Negroes, Stock, furniture to my son before called Cary, after his mother s interest determined therein to him & his heirs forever; but in the event of his death before he comes of age or marries, then all this Estate to go to his Sister Elizabeth and if it should so happen that neither of my said children should live to marry or come of age, then is this part of the Estate to go to Cary Wilkinson, son of my Uncle Edward Wilkinson of New Kent ____ , I request that my Executors do provide for Rebecca & Lucy Thornton, Carter Acree and Nanny Green a suit of Morning each.
I appoint my friends John Ambler and William Price Harris Guardians of my children, and I also appoint and constitute them Executors of this my last will and testament and in consideration of former friendship. I hope they will oblige me in these my last requests. In Testimony where of I the said William Wilkinson have affixed my hand and Seal this 30th day of September amo doni: and one thousand Eight Hundred.
Signed Sealed & acknowledged as entertained before the last will and Testament of William Wilkinson by him the said William Wilkinson in presence of us Benjamin Taliaferro, William Coleman, Carter Acree
At a court held for James City County the 8th day of December 1800 This will was proved by the oaths of Benjamin Taliaferro and William Coleman witnesses thereto sworn to by john Ambler and William P. Harris the Executors therein named & ordered to be recorded and certified for obtaining a probate there of in due form and granted the said Executors they having given bonds the said John Ambler with the said William Coleman his security and the said William P. Harris with the said Benjamin Taliaferro his security on the penalty of ten thousand pounds current money conditioned as the law directs.
Teste R. H. Waller Copy - Sam Shield Jr.
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TALIAFERRO TIMES is compiled from email contributions and other sources.
Information distributed by this newsletter is the sole responsibility of
each contributor. Any questions regarding items contained herein
should be sent to the individual submitter. The editor reserves the
right to edit for brevity and clarity.
Distributed by Joyce Browning
cJBrown7169@AOL.com
28 February 1998
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