Martha Steel

Notes:

Much of this content is based on a biographical sketch in an 1882 book, "History of Clinton County, Ohio", page 1094. Without this sketch of Thompson Douglass, connected to Martha thru a Douglass-Taylor marriage in 1795 in York County, Pennsylvania, I doubt I would even know Martha's name, much less anything about her life.

Martha Steel Taylor was born in Newark, New Jersey "of American parentage" per the 1882 book noted above. This evidently means her parents were born in America and not foreign-born as was the case of her husband whose parents were Irish immigrants. No birth date was given for Martha, but it appears she was born around 1755 based on Census records.

Martha was married to James Taylor in Chester, Pennsylvania 10 Feb 1773 and then moved to York County which is 2 counties west of Chester (Lancaster County in between).

As was the usual experience for married women of this era, Martha bore many children: 11 per the 1882 book. Her first child, in fact, was born about 9 1/2 months after her wedding day! While the 1882 book provided Mary's birth date, it gave no others.

Martha and James' children, per the Thompson Douglass bio sketch, are listed here:

--- 1. Mary Taylor: 28 Nov 1773, York County, Pennsylvania- 2 Nov 1855, Clinton County, Ohio. Married James Douglass 27 October 1795 in York County, PA.
--- 2. David Taylor: born ~ 1775, York County, Pennsylvania
--- 3. Jane Taylor: born ~ 1777, York County, Pennsylvania
--- 4. Elizabeth Taylor: born ~1780, York County, Pennsylvania
--- 5. James Steel Taylor: born ~1782, York County, Pennsylvania
--- 6. Reuben Taylor: born ~1785, York County, Pennsylvania. Co-Executor of his father's Will.
--- 7. Jemima Taylor: born ~1788, York County, Pennsylvania, died ~ 1865, Caldwell County, Missouri. Married Patrick Douglass (nephew of sister Mary's husband, James) ~ 1809, Columbiana County, Ohio.
--- 8. Deborah Taylor: born ~ 1790, York County, Pennsylvania
--- 9. Enoch Taylor: born ~ 1792, York County, Pennsylvania, died 19 Aug 1841 (or 1844 per FAG Memorial), Columbiana County, Ohio. [Note: The part of Columbiana County Enoch was likely born in became part of Mahoning County, Ohio in 1846.] Married Barbara, date unknown. Co-Executor of his father's Will.
---10. Elijah Taylor: born ~1794, York County, Pennsylvania
---11. John Taylor: born Nov 1797, York County, Pennsylvania, died 27 April 1852, Mahoning County, Ohio. Buried in Old Brunstetter Cemetery. Married Elizabeth ~1825, likely in Columbiana County, Ohio. Had at least 7 children with Elizabeth.

Martha died prior to the date her husband wrote his Will: 3 Aug 1831. Since it seems she was included in the 1830 Census, it would seem she died sometime between the date of the 1830 Census and August 1831.

I am very happy to know this much about Martha Steel Taylor, my 4X Great Grandmother, and am honored to compile here what I know of her life.

Source: Vicki Edwards, 31 March 2018
4X Great Granddaughter of Martha Steel Taylor

Martha married James Taylor on 10 Feb 1773 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. James was born in 1745 in Chester County, Pennsylvania; died in 1831 in Springfield township, Mahoning, OH. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Children:

Mary Ann Taylor Callahan, 1822– 1884

Levi D. Taylor, 1823– 1905

Andrew J Taylor, 1824– 1893

Susannah Taylor Wise, 1826– 1906

Elizabeth Taylor, 1829– 1830

Hiram Taylor, 1830– 1908

Jehu Taylor, 1835– 1836

Alfred P Taylor, 1837– 1899

Caroline Taylor Orr, 1841– 1908

Milo E. Taylor, 1842– 1873

Enoch married Barbara Kekerise on 18 Jun 1821 in Columbiana County, Ohio, USA. Barbara was born in 1801 in PA, USA; died on 7 Jul 1870 in Palmyra, Portage, OH; was buried in Old Brunstetter cemetery, Austintown, Mahoning, OH. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

1860-census: Austintown, Mahoning, Ohio
1863 draft registration, Wells, Indiana
1870-census: Ossian, Jefferson, Wells, Indiana
Second wife, Elizabeth, married 1885, she was born Nov 1834 in Ohio.

Levi married Keziah Callahan in 1847 in Ohio. Keziah (daughter of William Callahan and Elizabeth Perry) was born on 9 Mar 1822 in Washingtonville, Mahoning, Ohio; died on 26 Jul 1883 in Ossian, Wells, IN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Levi married Elizabeth Cunningham on 23 Sep 1884 in Trumbull County, Ohio. Elizabeth was born in Nov 1834 in Lordstown, Trumbull County, Ohio; died in Jan 1912 in Trumbull County, Ohio; was buried in Lordstown, Trumbull County, Ohio. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Mary E. is living as the "widow" of William with sons in Fort Wayne in 1896. And as Mary E Baughman, divorced in 1900, with Ellsworth. Her grave marker has her last name as McAfee Egley. She is a landlady on 1715 Calhoun in 1906-07 and 1910, in 1913 also 1713 Calhoun, no mr. Egly on the records. The marriage license is recorded in the Fort Wayne Weekly Sentinel on Wed. Nov 5, 1902. 1917 she is on 1933 Spy Run Ave. 1919 she bought lot 49 Charles W. Scherer's add. of East Wayne Heights for 500 dollars. Fort Wayne Journal Gazette and Fort Wayne New and Sentinel has several real estate dealings in her name.

Mary married William James McAfee on 27 Sep 1867 in Wells Co., IN. William (son of James McAfee and Rachel Dinsmore) was born on 3 Oct 1841 in Wooster, Wayne, Ohio, USA; died on 2 Dec 1918 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA; was buried in Bluffton, Wells, Indiana, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married Newton J. Baughman on 30 Oct 1895 in Allen county, Indiana, USA. Newton was born in 1831 in Ohio; died on 14 Mar 1901 in Bloomington, McLean, Illinois. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married Frederick Egly on 3 Nov 1902 in Allen county, Indiana, USA. Frederick was born on 7 Jul 1858 in Bern, Switzerland; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married Rachael Hoover in 1881, and second Harriett Belle Quackenbush (1859 – 1943), in 1889. They had the daughter Bertha Mae Taylor (1896 – 1969) - Hatfield.