SALUTATIONS
Editor's Note No. 1: Beginning next week, TT will be mailed to
you as a 'blind copy.' You will see only your address following the
letters 'bcc:' Don't panic, you didn't suddenly become a solitary subscriber
with blinders on. This is a means, I've been told, of preventing
a long, useless address list appearing on every issue of TT. I hope
this will make it easier for you to get to the opening lines. I think
everyone will be pleased with the improvement.
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Editor's Note No. 2: I would be very grateful if someone can
help me out with another study. I could sure use information about
the first 4 generations of Meriwethers in America, plus Wales data from
some of our Meriwether descendants. I will be using it
for a Moore/Dalton research project.
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Editor's Note No. 3: Here's a good reality check for Rooters.
I didn't know it was so easy to be born a Virginian. This information
comes to us from a non-TT correspondent. It's followed by a bit of
Virginia doggerel that is so insufferably smug, it's amusing:
"Born in Virginia? (from THE SEARCHER, Feb 1986 -- which could be a
Swedish- American reference book). Any reference to a person born in Virginia
as early as 1728 or as late as 1863, could mean that he/she was actually
born in --
NC - from 1728 to 1803
MO - from 1775 to 1792
PA - from 1752 to 1786
OH - from 1778 to 1818
TN - from 1760 to 1803
IL - from 1781 to 1818
WV - from 1769 to 1863
IN - from 1787 to 1816
KY - from 1775 to 1792
"Kentucky did not become a state officially until 1792; therefore, it is important to refer to Virginia county records for early research (See "Ancestors and Their Families", Vol 2, pg 7).
"Fayette County, Kentucky, is one of the three original counties in
Kentucky having been formed in 1780 from Kentucky County, Virginia. It
subsequently bore the daughter counties Bourbon (1785), Clark (1792), and
Jessamine (1798)."
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VA Doggerel: To be a Virginian either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption,
or even on one's Mother's side, is an Introduction to any State in the
Union, a Passport to any Foreign Country, and a Benediction from Above.........Anonymous
QUERIES
KATHRYN GAVEN ( GENEOLGY6) Let's hope someone knows the answer to this unusual Query and will share it with all of us. Thank you for sending it to us, Kathryn. *****To Ancestors of Mary M. Gilmer (Taliaferro), dau of Thomas Meriwether Gilmer and Elizabeth Lewis Gilmer:
In the Alabama Archives is a sampler made in 1814 by Lucy Ann Sophia Gilmer who married Judge Benijan Smith Bibb and is the dau. of Thomam Meriwether Gilmer and Elizabeth Lewis Gilmer. On the sampler is cross stitched the names of her parents and her sisters,one of which is Mary M. Gilmer (Tailfero) who married a Mr. Tailafero(spelling exactly the same as on the sampler) done by the 13 year old Lucy Ann Sophia Gilmer. Does anyone know who this Mr. Tailafero was and if so they might be interested to see the sampler? I have photos of the sampler and am in the process of having it reproduced for my family.. Lucy Ann Sophia Gilmer Bibb is my husband's 3 great grandmother. My husband's 7th great grandmother is Mary Taliaferro, dau of Col. John Taliaferro and Sarah Smith, dau. of Lawrence Smith and wife of Francis Thornton, son of Francis Thornton and Alice Savage, so we have a double interest in who this Mr. Tailfero was.
Any one with any information or interest in the sampler, please email me and I will be happy to share with you what I know about it.
RESPONSES
JOHN WOOD (harlen@erols.com) responds to TERRI BOYKIN (taboykin@unity.ncsu.edu)
*****Hi Terri. I saw your post in the Taliaferro Times. I am
descended from your Stephen Alan Tolliver's brother, Jesse. Jesse's
daughter, Malinda, was my great grandmother. She married William Wood and
had Jesse, Elizabeth, and Fred Wood. Fred Married Effie Blevins and
had nine kids including my father, Robert Lloyd Wood. Glad to provide any
details you might want.
Questions: Have you nailed down which Taliaferros are the ancestors
of Jesse's father Hiram/Hyrum? Also, my mother tells me that Malinda's
people were called the "Fightin' Tollivers" and were involved in feuds
around Wyoming and Mercer Counties, WVA. Have you heard any of these tales?
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BILLY TOLIVER ( Wct1000@aol.com)
*****Jesse Toliver of Ashe Co., NC has been mentioned in several issues
lately. As noted in at least one of their articles, Jesse wife is
Frances(Frankie) Stamper. I thought an article in the Wilkes County
Heritage, Vol. 1, may be of interest as Jonathan Stamper is Frances' Father.
The following information is taken from article 1014 "Descendent of Jonathan
Stamper." The article was submitted by Samuel E. Sebastian.
"Jonathan Stamper , of English descent, was born in Middlesex County, Va on April 24, 1719, died in Wilkes County in 1799. He was the son of Powell and Mary Brooks Stamper. He was named for his grandfather Jonathan Brooks."
The article also lists children of Jonathan and Rachel Stamper:
1. James married Sara Moore
2. Joshua married Jane Woodward
3. Joel married Nancy Cannaday
4. Jonathan, Jr. married Mary Davis
5. Jacob married Susan
6. Frances married Jesse Toliver
7. Jesse married Barbara
8. Susannah married John P. Burton.
Children of Jesse and Frances Toliver are listed as Jane, Susan, John, Martha, Jacob, Allen, Solomon, Starling, and Hirum.
The article goes on to list Joel, Jacob and Joshua Stamper as well as Jesse Toliver and John P. Burton as serving in the Revolutionary War.
This is the only article in two volumes that I have found any information on a Toliver, with the exception that a Moses Toliver is also listed as a Revolutionary War Soldier from Wilkes Co.
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THE PHANTOM (VLTP@aol.com)
*****More for Paul Phipps- -
Starling Toliver s/o Jessie & Martha Frances (Stamper), 3/13/1806 d aft 1870 m 12/3/1829 Mildred "Milly" Spurlin b1812 d/o Jerry -All Ashe/Alleghany, NC Children: Jacob Toliver 2/17/1831-7/22/1887 m 1. Matilda Higgins 2. 1883 Carolyn (Cheek) Higgins, widow of Daniel Frances Toliver 1834 - m William Spurlin Calvin Eugene Toliver 1836- m 1.10/6/1859 TN Mary J. Cress 21878TN Nancy E. Brown; Andrew Toliver 1840----m .........Lewis Soloman Toliver ,Jr. 1842------ Mary Toliver "Polly" 5/27/1846-7/2/1914 m 3/1/1866 Henry Allen Duncan s/o Franklin and Senna (Wolfe) John Toliver 7/12/1849-10/14/1921 m 3/24/1870 Caroline Roberts 1852-1930 d/o Fountain & Delilah Roberts Margaret Toliver 12/7/1851-3/6/1909 m 12/2/1869 Clark Swift Roberts s/o Fountain Rosa Ann Toliver 3/9/1853-12/28/1938 m 1.10/28/1869 John Wesley Duncan 2. 5/15/1885 David R. Duncan both s/o Franklin & Senna Duncan
"John Toliver, born 1848, married Caroline Roberts on 3/24/1870. He lived many years near his brother Calvin, in Washington County, VA; sold and bought land in Shenandoah Valley; sold and moved to Blue Ridge County and bought in Shady Cove, Tenn, where he died." [Ref;American Newspaper,. Statesville, NC]. Above correct except for birthday.
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GEORGE TELLIFERO (GTellifero@aol.com) So, we might wonder:
Has anything changed in all these 200 years? The language tells us
that this artical was written some years ago; and as you will note,
some things have changed. Others remain the same.
***** The George Wythe murder is recounted on pages 389-391, in a book
titled "TOMAS JEFFERSON An Intimate History," written by Fawn M Brodie.
The newspaper article describes one of the victims as a man servant.
The author states: "On June 4, 1806, he (Jefferson) received a letter
from William Duval in Richmond saying that Wythe was dying of poisoning,
that his free mulatto boy named Michael Brown was already dead,..."
The author continues, "...We had no idea that Sweney had poisoned the whole
family. The 'whole family' consisted of Wythe, a widower since the
death of his second wife in 1787, a mulatto housekeeper named Lydia Broadnax,
and her son Michael Brown. ...Sweney's trial was the sensation of Richmond.
For a white man to leave a house and grounds to his mulatto housekeeper,
and bank stock to her son, and to ask none other than the President
of the United States to be responsible for the boy's education seemed such
an obvious advertisement of the boy's paternity that it left many of the
citizens of Richmond aghast." Brodie continues by saying that a black
was forbidden by law to testify against a white, therefore, Sweeny was
aquitted of the murder of Wythe and the murder of Michael Brown never came
to trial. Sweeny was found "guilty of forging checks in his uncle's
name, but even this charge was dropped on appeal." Brodie closes
the episode with, "The exoneration of George Wythe Sweney was also a public
warning to Thomas Jefferson. Nothing could have furnished more dramatic
evidence of the hatred of Virginia whites for the man who conveyed by public
or legal gesture his acceptance of a yellow child. If Jefferson periodically
cherished fantasies that in time there might be some kind of equality for
Sally Hemings' children if they were to have a free and even decent life,
they must be somehow schooled and permitted to pass in white society."
The story is not changed but Brodie fills in the blanks and his
is a more dramatic telling.
TALIAFERROS OF EUROPE
TT has been presenting information about the Bernard/Corderoy/Lanier and other families with whom we discovered the London Taliaferro/Gray family associated. Below is the lineage of the Ironmonger family, another link in this London-to- Gloucesger family. I apologize, this was sent to me as an 'attached file' and I saved it as such. Unfortunately, the contributor's name was lost. Thank you, my friend, whoever you were. We are all benefiting from learning more about these early Taliaferro relationships.
1. JAMES IRONMONGER
---------------------------------------------
Birth Date: 1500
Birth Place: RUDGE, STAFFORDSHIRE, England
Death Date: 1560
Spouse: KATHERINE ORPWOOD
Birth Place: SHREWSBURY, England
Children: WILLIAM
1.1a WILLIAM IRONMONGER
---------------------------------------------
Birth Date: 1540
Birth Place: MAIDENHEAD, BERKSHIRE, England
Death Date: 1600
Spouse: ALICE DAVIS
Birth Place: MAIDENHEAD, BERKSHIRE, England
Children: SAMUEL
Other spouses: JULIANN BUTLER
1.1a.1 SAMUEL IRONMONGER
---------------------------------------------
Birth Date: About 1585
Birth Place: GOLDINGFIELD, England
Death Date: 1626
Spouse: ANNA LAWSON
Birth Date: 1558
Birth Place: LONDON, England
Death Date: 1625
Marriage Date: About 1605
Marriage Place: England
Children: SAMUEL
THOMAS
1.1a.1.1 SAMUEL IRONMONGER
---------------------------------------------
Birth Date: 23 Jul 1607
Birth Place: BERKSHIRE, England
Death Date: 1650
Death Place: VA He left a will, Somerset House, London
Spouse: BRIDGETT CORDRAY
Birth Date: 1604
Birth Place: CHUTE, HAMPSHIRE, England
Death Date: 1650
Death Place: DENNINGTON, SUFFOLK, England One reference
gives death date as 1656.
Marriage Date: 23 Jul 1628
Marriage Place: SALISBURY, England
Children: WILLIAM
BRIDGETT
FRANCIS
ANNE
ELIZABETH
MARTHA
ELEANOR
MARGARET
CORDEROY
JANE
1.1a.1.1.1 WILLIAM IRONMONGER
---------------------------------------------
Birth Date: 23 Apr 1629
Birth Place: BERKSHIRE, England
Death Date: 1695
Death Place: GLOUCHESTER, VA
He came to VA in 1652. See Order Book
1666/67, p 21, Northumberland
Co.
It is stated that Robert Jones and William
Ironmonger are brothers-in- law.
Spouse: ELIZABETH JONES
Birth Place: NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, England
Death Date: Before 1695
Death Place: GLOUCESTER CO, VA
Marriage Date: 15 Jan 1647
Marriage Place: England
Children: MARY
FRANCES
1.1a.1.1.1.1 MARY IRONMONGER
---------------------------------------------
Birth Date: About 1648
Birth Place: BERKSHIRE CO, England
Death Date: About 1674
Death Place: CULPEPER CO, VA
Married at age 13.
Spouse: ABRAHAM FIELD
Birth Date: 6 Jan 1636
Birth Place: CULPEPER CO, VA
Death Date: 26 Aug 1674
Death Place: CULPEPER CO, VA
COLONIAL TALIAFERROS
LORETTE CHOQUETTE-ZALE (TwoZales@aol.com) Lorette has treated
us with something I've been hoping for a long time we could obtain.
Thanks so much, Lorette.
*****Major Lawrence Taliaferro was born February 28, l794 in Whitehall,
King George County, Virginia. He was the fourth son of James Garnett-Taliaferro
and Wilhimena Wishart-Taliaferro. He married Elizabeth Dillon in
l828. They had no issue. Lawrence was one of ten children and brother
to Hay Taliaferro. Hay was my great-great grandmother's father.
My great-great grandmother was Mary Louisa Brooke-Taliaferro, who was born
January 28, l838, King George County, Virginia and who died on August 23,
l899 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She had three siblings: Edmonia
M., Sarah M., and Richard Channing Moore Taliaferro (who was killed in
the Battle of Shiloh in the Civil War). The following is a biographical
sketch of my great-great grandmother's (Mary Louisa's) uncle--Major Lawrence
Taliaferro:
Major Lawrence Taliaferro was an Indian agent at Fort Snelling in Minnesota from 1819 to 1840. Previous to his being appointed to this position, he received a commission in 1813 to serve as ensign in the First Infantry Regiment and rose to the rank of first lieutenant and saw duty on the Niagara frontier in 1814. He had many military assignments to follow. In 1818, he was granted a leave of absence because of ill health. After several months of recuperation near Bedford, Pennsylvania, he resigned from the army. At President James Monroe's urging, he accepted the appointment as an Indian agent to establish an agency among the Sioux (Dakota) and Chippewa (Ojibway) at the junction of the St. Peters (now the Minnesota) and Mississippi rivers. He was reappointed his position at St. Peters six times during four different administrations and resigned his post in 1839. He retired to Bedford, Pennsylvania where he became, for a time, treasurer of Bedford County. In 1857, at the age of 63, he rejoined the army and served in the Quartermaster Corps until 1863. I have taken the following quotes from "The Lawrence Taliaferro Papers" that I obtained from the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul in order to give you a glimpse of his accomplishments while he served as Indian agent:
"...In his relationships with the Indians as well as with the command, Taliaferro revealed himself a proud and patriotic man who demanded respect for himself and his government. Honorable in his dealings with the Indians, he was intolerant of trickery and deceit, and he demonstrated a sensitivity to their self-esteem by meeting them with all the pomp and circumstance he could muster..."
"...Particularly in the 1830s, the journals give evidence of Taliaferro's attempt to promote education and agriculture among the Sioux. He encouraged missionaries to come to the region to teach secular subjects and agriculture as well as religion. As a result, the government and the missionaries cooperated to establish an Indian school and an agricultural colony (both within present-day Minneapolis).
"...Taliaferro seems to have possessed an intuitive understanding of Indian character. The truce he attempted to enforce between traditional enemies, the Sioux and Chippewa, was frequently broken, but the peace he maintained between white men and Indians lasted for the full period of his service..."
And, finally, in 1857 in tribute to Major Lawrence Taliaferro, the translated words of Little Crow, Chief of the Sioux Indians, "...You took my grandfather with you to this great city (Washington) in 1837...he made good treaty, because you stood by him; he told me so, and that I must always mind your talk for it was good and true. No sugar in your mouth, the nation has no better friend. My grandfather repeated the same words to us--in my ears. I loved you from my youth and my nation will never forget you."
Major Lawrence Taliaferro died at Bedford, Pennsylvania on January 22, 1871 at the age of 77 years. He raised my great-great grandmother (Mary Louisa Brooke-Taliaferro) because her mother died when she was very young and her father (Hay) died when she was about ten years old.
When I was a little girl of about eight or ten years old, my grandmother--who was Clara Mohr-Besinger--received an invitation from St. Paul, Minnesota, inviting her to attend a ceremony honoring Major Lawrence Taliaferro. Because she had congestive heart failure, she was not able to attend. I still remember her saying how very much she would have liked to have gone to the ceremony, but it was not to be.
I offer this submission regarding Major Lawrence Taliaferro in loving remembrance of my grandmother Clara and in dedication to Lawrence's contributions to our country.
Note: If you are interested in learning more about Major Taliaferro, the St. Paul Historical Society in St. Paul, Minnesota has a wealth of information regarding him, including his diaries, autobiography, correspondence, and many, many papers.
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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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