As we celebrate Independence Day with family and friends, perhaps we can also devote a few moments to remember what it is all about, and some of the special contributions of members of the ancestors.

*****On July 5, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, John Nixon, member of the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety, stood on the steps of Constitution Hall and read aloud the sense of the Continental Congress to a sometimes somber, sometimes jubilant throng. . . .

“When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature, and of Nature’s Good entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness  -- that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness . . .

“. . . We, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in General Assembly assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name and by authority of the good people of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, and Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”  [Grievances Omitted]
- - - - - - - -
*****The siege at Yorktown lasted less than two weeks.  After eleven days of shelling by Continental and French artillery, Cornwallis sent out an officer carrying a white flag . . . .

. . . . Moore House, Yorktown, Virginia, October 19, 1781 . . . . At two o’clock on the afternoon of October 19, the British soldiers slowly marched out of their positions to lay down their muskets before the American and French troops.  That evening, an American officer wrote, “This is to us a most glorious day, but to the English, one of bitter disappointment”  As the British surrendered, a band played a popular tune called “The World Turned Upside Down.”  In a way, the world had turned upside down at Yorktown.  For almost the first time in history, a colonial people had fought for their freedom against great odds -- and won.  The American Revolution did not end at Yorktown; however, it was the last major battle of the war.  [A Sourcebook on Colonial America:  The Revolutionary War.  The Library of Congress. 1991.]
- - - - - - -
*****On 12 March 1783, a vessel arrived in Philadelphia, bringing the official text of a preliminary treaty that had been signed in Paris. . . . On 15 April the treaty was ratified by Congress.  On the eighteenth the commander-in-chief ordered a cessation of hostilities. . . . .

. . . . . To Tench Tilgham, his former aide who had returned to civilian life, Washington wrote:

“No Man, indeed, can relish the approaching Peace with more heartfelt, and grateful satisfaction than myself.  A Mind always upon the stretch, and tortured with a diversity of perplexing circumstances, needed a respite, and I anticipate the pleasure of a little repose and retirement.” [Source:  George Washington:  Citizen-Soldier.  Charles Cecil Wall. University Press of Virginia.  1980]
 
RESPONSES

FRANCES ANN DORNBUSCH (FAD33@aol.com)
*****George, Taliaferro Stribling was the son of Thomas Stribling, Sr (b. about 1690 in England, immigrated about 1715, served as an ensign in the Br. navy, d. 1755 Prince William Co., VA, will recorded Mar. 25 1755.)  He m. Elizabeth Taliaferro about 1715 in Prince William Co.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Francis Taliaferro and Elizabeth Catlett.

Taliaferro Stribling was b. 1723 in Stafford Co., VA, d. 5 Oct 1774 at "Hopewell", Frederick Co., VA.  He m. Elizabeth Wright.

Hope this helps you.  Taliaferro was the brother of my Thomas Stribling, Jr., who married Nancy Ann Kincheloe.  You can verify this info in the McPherson book on the Kincheloe family.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
ANNE HAMLIN ( AHamlin777@aol.com)
*****In a message dated 97-06-25 12:24:03 EDT, BOBBY (BobbyS8@aol.com)  wrote: I connect to the Taliaferro family through the WILLIAMSON family. The below Elizabeth WILLIAMSON is a sister to my ancestor. I know their parents but am stumped past that. Would appreciate any help on solving this puzzle.

I don't have any Taliaferro/ Williamson connections in my file, but I hope this unscientific little tidbit may offer you some clue on the Williamson family.  One of my mother's uncles was James Francis Williamson, b. c. 1900 Belmont area WV across from Marietta OH on the Ohio River. My aunt tells me that there were many Gypsies living in that area, and that Williamson was a common Gypsy name... He was dark complected & she feels that he was probably of Gypsy descent.  He married Clarice Cooke, my grandmother's sister.  Good Luck,
 
 TALIAFERROS OF EUROPE

The information below is from information the Editor collected when visiting St. Olave’s Hart Street in London.

*****St. Olave Hart Street  -  Short Notes.

This Church takes its name from Norway’s Patron Saint, OLAF KING AND MARTYR. He died in 1025 and it is probable that the first church on this site was built in 1056.  There is documentary evidence that a parish church existed in 1109.  In the twelfth century the timber building was replaced by a stone one and was extended westwards to cover the well.  The crypt is a survival of this church and the well, although now dry, remains.  Olaf was a militant Saint and his battle cry is inscribed on the Altar of the Crypt.

The present church was built in 1450.  It survived the Great Fire of London but was badly damaged by fire and blast during air-raids in 1941, the falling roof destroying the clerestory and most of the walls.  The restoration under the architect, Ernest Glanfield, has brilliantly preserved the character of the 1450 church and much of its material.  They Restoration stone was laid by King Haakon of Norway who worshipped here when he left Norway after the Nazi invasion in 1940 to carry on the war from this country.  A small piece of stone from St. Olave’s tomb in the cathedral in Trondheim is let into this stone.

The lower stages of the Tower date from 1450 but the upper part is eighteenth century brickwork.

The Clergy Vestry was rebuilt in 1662.  It was undamaged by the bombing and was refurbished in 1981.  It contains a beautiful plaster ceiling with an angel in relief framed by a wreath moulding with winged cherubs’ heads.

Charles Dickens loved the Churchyard and christened its interesting entrance “The Gateway of St. Ghastly Grim.”  It is dated 1658 - before the Great Plague.  Many victims of the Plague were buried in the Churchyard and there was also a plague pit.  From the Churchyard can be seen the blocked up entrance to the Navy Office pew which Samuel Pepys had set aside in the gallery. The South Porch is the War Memorial of the Wine and Spirit Trade of the British Isles.  This is their Parish Church and they hold their Vintage Festival here every year.

The North Aisle or Lady Chapel is a reminder that three parishes were combined into one.  The left light of the window shows Queen Elizabeth I with the bells of All Hallows Staining at her feet.  When she was released from imprisonment in the Tower the loyal parishioners of All Hallows Staining caused their bells to be rung.  The right light shows St. Katherine Coleman. Above are depicted four modern types of Christian womanhood.

The South Aisle is the chapel of Trinity House - Note: The Patrol Saint St. Clement, the lights, the lighthouses supporting the Altar rails, the lightship and the dolphins.  A window in this chapel contains the coat of arms of the Clothworkers’ Company, described most aptly as ‘generous benefactors.”

Most of the furnishings date from the restoration in 1653/54.  Exceptions are:  The pulpit (reputedly from the workshop of Grinling Gibbons) which originally was in St. Benet’s, Gracechurch Street (demolished in 1867) and was presented to St. Olave’s by Trinity House; the Altar rails which are Jacobean:  The Altar which new and which was presented b the Wine and spirit Trade to replace the Chippendale table from St. Chatherine Coleman, stolen in 1981 from St. Olave’s; the Lectern 17/18th century from Jerez in Spain; and the four sword rests, the two outer ones coming from All Hallows Staining (demolished in 1870 except for the Tower, which still stands alongside the Parish Hall in Mark Lane).

The Monuments.  Worthy of special note is that to the Bayning family on the north side of thee Sanctuary and the bust of Elizabeth Pepys (a contemporary likeness) above it.  ON the south side is a kneeling figure representing Lady Ann Radcliffe (1585) while above it is the effigy of Sir John Radcliffe (1658), moved from a formerly recumbent position.

In the Sanctuary of the north Chapel is the effigy of Peter Capponi (1582), a Florentine merchant, and in the aisle, is a statue of Sir Andrew Ricard (1672) who presented the advowson to the Parish, and who was Chairman of the East India and Turkey Companies.

Above the Vestry door is a Jacobean monument to Sir James Deane, his three wives and his children.  He made a great fortune as a merchant adventurer and eventually settled in Basingstoke which benefited much from his charity. Near this monument and in the east wall is a plaque (difficult to read) commemorating Dr. William Turner, the first scientific English botanist.

In the south aisle is Sir Arthur Blomfield’s monument to Samuel Pepys.  It covers the blocked doorway to the gallery which contained the Navy Office pew.  The tradition is maintained by the  Admiralty Anchor carved on the end of the front pew on the south side of the Nave.

Above the south arcade are two monuments of interest.  One to Elizabeth Gore (1698) and the remains of the monument to John Watts (1798) President of the Council of New York before the War of Independence.

In the north is a monument to Sir William Ogborne, Master Carpenter to the Office of Ordinance for 35 years.

The Registers date from 1563.  Those for the Parishes of St. Katharine Coleman and All Hallows Staining are also preserved.  Most of the Registers are now in the Guildhall Library.

There is some interesting plate kept in safe deposit but used on special occasions.  It includes a pair of late Elizabethan silver gilt chalices presented by the Muscovy Company.  Two very similar cups are in the collection of English silver in the Kremlin.

Most of the windows are post-war by A. E. Buss.  The exceptions are the heraldic glass (removed during the war) which dates from 1890 and the window in the south aisle by John Hayward.  This is a memorial to Viscount Monsell, an Elder Brother of Trinity House.

The organ in the west gallery is the last pipe organ made by John Compton.

The eight bells, destroyed in the blitz in 1941, were recast from the original metal by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, where they had first been made.  The tenor bell weighs 11-1/2 cwt. The bells are rung by the University of London Society of Change-ringers.

St. Olave’s is a Parish Church. Besides a Service on Sunday, baptisms and weddings, there are special services and recitals of music during the week. An excellent amateur choir practises each week.  Various Carol Services are held before Christmas including one with the Norwegian community in London. Other special services include the Samuel Pepys Commemoration Service, the Election Service of the Clothworkers’ Company, the annual Trinity House Service, the Vintage Festival, the Re-dedication Service of the Company of Environmental Cleaners and an annual Sunday Service of Reunion and Thanksgiving for all those who have a special love for, or connection with, this beautiful church.

COLONIAL TALIAFERROS

In our effort to confirm information about the children of the immigrant, Robert Taliaferro and his wife Katherine Debnam, here again is the information published last week about Robert Taliaferro (II).  No one disputed or challenged this information.

*****Robert Taliaferro,
In 1672-3 Robert Taliaferro, Jr., "Son of Robert Taliaferro," had a grant of  land on the Rappahannock River, adjoining the land of Henry Corbin and Mr. Grymes, which was due him, the said "Robert Taliaferro, Jr.," as "the grandson of Mr. Grymes."  On June 1,1687, Robert Taliaferro gave bond for the estate of Robert Taliaferro, deceased.  He married Sarah Catlett, daughter of Col. John Catlett and Elizabeth Underwood.  (Elizabeth Underwood was one of the step-daughters of Capt. John Upton of Isle of Wight County.  She married first Capt. Francis Slaughter of Rappahannock County. A deed in Essex County, dated 1687, shows that Robert Taliaferro and Francis Taliaferro and their wives Sarah and Elizabeth sold 300 acres, part of the land bequeathed to said Sarah and Elizabeth by John Catlett, their father.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
BARRIE RICH ( Gaiusiv@aol.xom) hopes we can fill in the blanks about Charles Taliaferro.  Editor’s question:  Is this the Taliaferro who had the carriage business in Williamsburg?

****Little seems to be known about Robert Taliaferro's sixth offspring, Charles, except that he was living in Essex, VA in 1724.  I have undocumented information that he had a son Charles, Jr. who married ca 1724 Sarah Thornton.  Can anyone please confirm, refute or add to this?  It would very much be appreciated.
 
RESEARCH

JOHN WOOD (harlen@erols.com)
*****What is the prevailing view out there in TT land about the record of our Taliaferros in the Civil War?  Perhaps someone with better knowledge of the Civil War than I (i.e., just about anyone) can put accounts of their performance in context. I browsed references to Brig. Gen. William B. Taliaferro in two books on the early war in the Shenandoah Valley: Robert K. Krick, "Conquering the Valley: Stonewall Jackson at Port Republic" and Robert G. Tanner, "Stonewall in the Valley: Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson's Shenandoah Valley campaign, spring 1862." I was left with the impression that while he was not great he was good as most, and also with the impression that he might not have gotten due credit because of Jackson's intense dislike for him.  These two authors suggest that this dislike not only colored the historical record of what transpired, but also affected adversely Jackson's use of Taliaferro and his brigade (consisting of the 10th, 23d, and 37th Regiments of Virginia Infantry), which was part of Jackson's Army of the Shenandoah Valley.

Jackson's dislike reportedly sprang from his conviction that Taliaferro was a political appointee who continued his politicking behind Jackson's back. Krick, in his conjecture about why Taliaferro was held in reserve at one crucial point, writes:

 "Jackson must have ignored Taliaferro's men because he so loathed Taliaferro himself.  One month earlier Jackson had written to his favorite congressman damning Taliaferro's promotion in terms atypically bitter for such an organization man.  'When will political appointments cease?' Jackson inquired rhetorically.  'The great interests of the country are being sacrificed by appointing incompetent officers ... The times demand that we should for the moment make professional merit the basis of promotion.'  In a remarkably sassy summary Jackson declared: 'I wish that if such appointments are continued, that the President would come in the field and command them, and not throw the responsibility upon me of defending this District when he throws such obstacles in my way.'"

Tanner gives Taliaferro considerable credit, but includes a biographic sketch that ends with faint praise:

"Scion of a prominent Tidewater family, Taliaferro was commissioned an infantry captain during the Mexican War and mustered out a major.  He served afterward in the Virginia legislature, and in the 1850s was president of VMI's Board of Visitors, where no doubt he heard for the first time of  Thomas J. Jackson.  By the time of John Brown's raid he commanded the Virginia militia, and he had entered active service soon after Fort Sumter; still, as Jackson would soon discover, Taliaferro had not lost the habit of bringing political clout to bear on military decisions.  At the same time, Taliaferro's severe leadership style had roused talk among his men that the enemy would be spared the trouble of shooting him.  One Georgian had gotten drunk on the march to Winchester and assaulted Taliaferro, then vanished from the guardhouse the night before his court-martial."

These accounts also note that the 23d Virginia Infantry Regiment, one of  the three units under William Taliaferro's command, was led by his nephew, Col. Alexander Gault Taliaferro.  Alexander was wounded in the shoulder at the battle at Port Republic and Cross Keys (June 1862), the only casualty in his regiment in this battle.