James Taylor

  General Notes:

His parents were Irish immigrants.

James Taylor was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania in 1745. His parents were Irish immigrants, but I do not yet know their names or when they arrived in America, I assume likely not long before James' birth. Very likely his parents were part of the massive Scots-Irish migration from Ireland in the early-mid 1700's.

James married Martha Steel, born in New Jersey, on 10 Feb 1773 in Chester County. I've located a "US Census Reconstructed Record" for 1770 showing a James Taylor living in Goshen (town) in Chester County. It shows he owned no land, animals, or servants.

It appears James and Martha moved shortly after they were married to York County which is two counties west on the Maryland border (Lancaster County in-between). The earliest record I believe to be for James in York County, PA is the Pennsylvania Septennial Census for 1786 (census taken every 7 years). I found the same record for James in the next such census in 1793. Both only show him as a resident of Chanceford Township in the SE portion of York County.

James and Martha had 11 children according to the 1882 book referenced above.

James bought land in York County. He farmed as did the vast majority of men in these early days of America.

The 1800 Census shows the following:

--- James: in category "Males 45 & over"; this would be correct as he would be 55 years old per his birth date
--- Martha: in category "Females 45 & over".
--- Jemima: in the category "Females 10 thru 15" as this would make her birth year between 1785 and 1790.
--- There are 8 other children in this Census besides Jemima. Since 11 is the total number of their children, it's obvious 2 have left home. Mary, who has already married James Douglass in York County. The other children are listed as:
--- 1 son age 16 - 25
--- 2 sons ages 10 thru 15
--- 3 sons less than 10 years of age
--- 2 daughters less than 10 years of age

From the Clinton County history book: they left Pennsylvania in 1801 with the family of James Douglass whose wife is their eldest daughter, Mary. This move was to Wellsville, Virginia (now West Virginia) on the Ohio River. Then in 1802 the 2 families moved again to Columbiana County, Ohio which is basically across the Ohio River and a bit north.

The 1882 book does not say what prompted the move, but Columbiana County as well as the State of Ohio were formed in 1803. James Douglass may have been looking for opportunity, perhaps especially land, by getting into what would become Ohio shortly.

James and Martha with their children thus settled in Columbiana County, Ohio in 1802. James and Martha stayed in Columbiana County while daughter Mary with husband James Douglass moved further west into Ohio in 1815. James is found in several Tax Lists during the first decade of their Ohio residency, and are found in the 1820 and 1830 Census.

By 1820, James and Martha have only 3 sons living with them, all between the ages of 16 and 25 per that Census. Their Township is called Petersburgh. The 1830 Census names their Township Springfield, unsure if this means the family moved physically.

In 1830, there are 3 members of James' household. James is in the age category "80 - 89" and 85 should be his age. The older female is in the age 60 - 69 category which translates to born 1761 - 1770. Since James and Martha married in early 1773, it would seem this is not Martha. Also, the 1882 book states Martha died at age 79, which if she was born in 1755 would mean she died in 1834 but this is also not true as, based on James' Will, she had already died as of late 1831. However, I suspect this IS Martha and the explanation is that she was reporting herself as "having grown younger" to the enumerator which I've found many times in Censuses until the advent of Birth Records/ Certificates (early 1900's usually)

Still regarding the 1830 Census, the 3rd person reported is a female in the age category "15 - 19", maybe a granddaughter.

James' death is reported in the 1882 book as being at age 86 which translates to the year 1831. Since he wrote his Will on 3 Aug 1831, he died sometime later that year. His Will went thru probate in Columbiana County in the March Term 1832 with no specific date indicated.

In the will daughter Jemima, who married Patrick Douglass was left only $1 as her inheritance. Daughter Mary was left the same amount, but additional text indicates James had already left her "her share". All of James' sons inherited land except James S (Steel) who is noted as being left $200 per an "article of agreement" that had been executed previously. Children unnamed in James' Will were deceased while 5 names with small legacies (bequests) in the estate accounting record must be Grandchildren.

Source: Vicki Edwards, 31 March 2018
4X Great Granddaughter of James Taylor
Los Angeles

James married Martha Steel on 10 Feb 1773 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. (Martha Steel was born circa 1755 in Newark, Essex, NJ and died in 1830 in Springfield township, Mahoning, OH.)