|
|
TAYLOR, JOHN (1736-?). BORN: on September
24, 1736, in St. John's Parish, Baltimore County;
second son. NATIVE: at least second generation.
RESIDED, on "Clarkson's (Claxon's) Purchase,"
Gunpowder Upper Hundred, Harford (originally
part of Baltimore) County. FAMILY BACKGROUND.
FATHER. John Taylor (?-1745) of Baltimore
County. STEPFATHER: after 1747, Joshua Har-
disty. MOTHER: Keziah, daughter of Charles Sim-
mons (?-1738) of Baltimore County and wife
Hannah. BROTHERS: Charles (1730-?); Thomas
(1739-?). SISTERS: Hannah (1733/34-?); Eliza-
beth. MARRIED on October 18, 1757, Elizabeth,
daughter of Edward Norris (?-1763) of Balti-
more County and wife Hannah. Her brothers were
Joseph; Daniel; Edward; James; John; Thomas;
and Aquila. Her sisters were Sarah, who married
(first name unknown) Treadway; Hannah, who
married (first name unknown) Fulton; Susanna;
and Mary. CHILDREN. SONS, at least one, John, Jr.
(1759-1783). DAUGHTERS: at least one, Susanna
(1758-?), who married in 1785 Daniel Smithson.
PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. SOCIAL
STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., by 1772; Esq., by
1780. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: partner in a mer-
cantile firm with Archibald Buchanan and John
Cowan prior to 1791; also in business with Ed-
ward Taylor (?-ca. 1787); farmer, 1791. PUBLIC
CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House,
Harford County, 1779-1780 (discharged on No-
vember 10, 1779, because he had been serving as
sheriff of Harford County at the time of his elec-
tion; reelected to the 2nd session of the 1779-
1780 Assembly, but again discharged for being
the tax collector of Harford County; subsequently
reelected and seated on April 25, 1780), 1780-
1781, 1781-1782 (Elections 2), 1782-1783, 1783
(elected, but did not attend). LOCAL OFFICE: sher-
iff, Harford County, by 1777-1779. WEALTH DUR-
ING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed Value
£643.16.8, including 7 slaves and 2 oz. plate, 1783;
real and personal property assessed at £1,350.0.0,
1785; owned 1 slave and 1 servant, 1791. ADDI-
TIONAL COMMENT: As sheriff of Harford County,
Taylor found it impossible to collect state taxes
due and was granted relief by the General As-
sembly for the uncollected balance, 1779. By 1785
Taylor owed over £430.0.0 to his creditors and
was forced to mortgage 300 acres of land in Har-
ford County to the Annapolis firm of Wallace,
Johnson & Muir. Wallace, Johnson & Muir fore-
closed on the property in 1790. In 1791 Taylor
was an insolvent debtor, and in order to pay off
a debt owed to Richard Dallam (1743-1820) since
|
1786, he conveyed to a trustee his remaining land
plus 1 slave, 1 servant, and debts due him from
his business partnerships. LAND AT FIRST ELEC-
TION: probably ca. 300 acres in Harford County
(ca. 120 acres inherited from father, remainder
by purchase). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BE-
TWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: In 1783 Tay-
lor was assessed for three tracts in Harford County:
a 20-acre tract, his ca. 300-acre home planta-
tion, and 196 acres, which apparently had not
actually been conveyed to him but which he had
probably agreed to buy and on which he was pay-
ing taxes. Taylor mortgaged his 300-acre home
plantation in 1785, but defaulted on the mortgage
in 1790. The following year he conveyed the rest
of his land, which he described as a 19-acre tract
and a lot and house in Bel Air, Harford County,
to a trustee to be sold under the Act for Insolvent
Debtors to pay his creditors. Under a lease ar-
rangement with Wallace, Johnson & Muir, Taylor
remained as a tenant on his home plantation until
at least 1795, when the owners cited him in court
for illegally cutting timber and "committing waste."
WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: after 1795. LAND: HOne.
TAYLOR, PETER (1680-ca. 1747/48). BORN: in
1680, in Dorchester County; youngest son. NA-
TIVE: third generation. RESIDED: Dorchester
County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Thomas
Taylor (ca. 1643-1696), Gent., who served as
sheriff of Dorchester County in 1669, quorum
justice by 1679, captain, and major, by 1680; son
of Capt. Philip Taylor (ca. 1610-ca. 1649) and
wife Jane (?-ca. 1659), stepson of William Elton-
head (ca. 1616-1655). MOTHER: Frances. BROTH-
ERS: John Taylor (1662-ca. 1705/6); Philip (?-
1706); and Thomas. SISTERS: Frances; Mary; and
Aloyance (Aloysia). MARRIED by 1717 Mary, widow
of Owen Sullivan (Sulivane) (?-1708/9). CHIL-
DREN. SON: Peter (?-1741), who married Sarah.
STEPSONS: Daniel Sulivane (ca. 1708-by 1783);
Owen Sulivane; and John Sulivane. DAUGHTERS:
Mary; and Frances. STEPDAUGHTER: Elizabeth
Sulivane. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant. SOCIAL STA-
TUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., by 1703; almost con-
tinuous representation of Dorchester County for
19 years. In 1739, Taylor was admonished by the
Committee of Aggrievances for "Illegal, Inju-
rious, Cruel and oppressive" behavior while he
was sheriff. Both Taylor and John Mackall, his
under sheriff, were ordered to pay charges arising
from the inquiry and were to be held in custody
of the sergeant at arms until the fines were paid.
805
|
|
