Dear Noel,
I have completed my research for your emigrant, Richard TAYLOR of 1635. I have far spent my 4-plus
purchased hours, continuing my studies which I'd initially begun back in July of 2010.
First, let me explain some premises and points in my studies and pedigree analysis, so that there will be a
clearer understanding (and fewer misunderstandings) of my final Hypothesis.
The following several factors in the genealogical strategy should be understood--as they pertain to your
Richard Taylor Family research in particular. They are as follows:
1) There are but few 17th century North American records that ever provide a researcher with direct
evidence that an immigrant ancestor is, i.e. 'the son of ____________ Taylor'.
2) There are but few 17th century North American records that ever provide a researcher with direct
evidence that an immigrant ancestor was, i.e. 'born in _____________ [name of a specific place in
England]'.
3) A fair-sized percentage of Virginia-based England immigrants had origins in London, England.
4) The International Genealogical Index has approximately over 70 percent of all the parish registers data
online, for the baptisms and marriages for most of the City of London (proper) parishes. The missing
30%? A: Earlier years, i.e. pre-1700.
5) Passenger lists (especially) seldom, if ever provide the place of birth or prior residence in a country,
such as England, and, they are fractional--in that there are gaping holes in the historical record for these;
in other words, some but not all, survive.
6) My research is based STRICTLY and solely on the Richard TAYLOR’s baseline mentioned in your
Genealogist Magazine advertisement—that of "age 16" in the year "1635" and with no known county of
England origins. But from this, I/we can deduce that Richard was born in the year 1619 in England.
7) Based on the “letter” of “John HARDING” of “Newgate Street”, ‘London’, who was a “butcher”, we have
a critically helpful intersecting clue: that both the HARDING and TAYLOR immigrants likely have a ‘London’ England connection.
8) Women in England usually bore all their children by the age of 45-48.
9) “Susannah", the “sister” to Richard TAYLOR, would have to have been born no later than by about
1645, but likely earlier.
10) The few known clues for this early 17th
century immigration problem actually allow us to narrow
down to just a few ‘Richard Taylors’! For example, we may now rule out the rest of England’s vast
landscape of “Taylors”, as we may consign the research to just the Greater London region, based on
some of the content of the above-mentioned “letter”. Secondly, we have a baseline (year) of Richard’s
approximate birth. Together these two factors eliminate numerous possible “Richard Taylor” entries as
possible candidates for being the correct “Richard” .
[Note: I would suggest that the time-frame scenario of (the supposition that) "Susannah" and John
HARDING who were having their children from the years ‘1667 to1700’, is a bit faulty; it would have
made her MUCH too old to be bearing children; she would be aged about 47 when she started having her
children; the time frame just doesn’t equate properly at all with her brother Richard—unless Richard and
Susannah’s father remarried and had additional children—one of whom was also named ‘Susannah’
sometime well after 1620—in order to fit this pattern accurately and properly.]
The Results of my Greater London Search for “Richard Taylor”
Now, based on all of the above ‘equation’, I began my research in the Greater London area. My research was based on the original parish registers available online at Ancestry.co.uk for the City of London owing to the fact that the IGI is not yet complete for all years and did not provide me with all of the data on Richard Taylor’s probably/possible family.
See my findings [below] for that research time I spent.
I began my research looking instead for a “Susannah TAYLOR” believing that that given name would be much less common, much more unique, thus helping me to more quickly ‘drill down’ to the right Taylor Family in the most populous region of all of England! I was not disappointed, as there were only two or three “Susannah”s found for the right time period. Then, commencing from these three christenings/baptisms, to search for in-common parents, or in other words, I attempted to find out of these three entries whether or not one of them had the same set of parents. In this I was thrilled to find that indeed—one of them had the same parents of “John and Jane/Joane Taylor”! Of especial note is that a “Richard Taylor” was found in, the year 1619, as follows:
Richard Taylor chr 4 Aug 1619 St Lawrence Pountney, London, Fath: John; moth. Jane, occuptn: baker
Note that I next found in the very same parish and born to the very same set off parents, a “Susannah Taylor” as follows:
*Susanna T. 16 Nov 1617 St Lawrence Pountney, London; Fath. John/Mother: Joane; baker
In addition to these two key possible ancestors, I next found some siblings—also born in the same parish and to the same parents:
John & Roberto Taylor, twins of John Taylor and Joane [sic] his wife, [a] Baker, christened 14 Dec 1623 at
St Lawrence Pountney, London
Here is one more sibling that was found:
Mary the daughter of John Taylor, Baker, [and] _________ his wife christened 11 Feb 1620 at St
Lawrence Pountney, London
I next commenced a search for the possible christenings for a “John Harding” in the City of London. To my thrill and surprise, I found two—both of whom fit into the above picture—at least by proximity, born about the right time period—based on the possible age of Susannah, Richard’s sister—at about 1620, give or take 10 years. Here are the two located in the City of London:
John Harding chr 12 Dec 1618 son of John at parish of St Mary Aldermary, London
John Harding chr 21 Mar 1619 son of John, at parish of St Martin Vintry, London
Now, here’s a map that shows the London parish boundaries for all parishes involved in my research—
including Richard Taylor’s possible/probable parish of christening. Also note that two of the “John
Harding” christenings found in the City of London—happened to occur in parishes contiguous to each
other and within approximately 600 yards (about a quarter of a mile at most) from the very parish in
which Richard Taylor’s christening occurred ( found at www.maps.familysearch.org; accessed 21 Dec
2010 ).
Note how that the convergence of the known facts about Richard and his “sister” all seem to be consolidated in 1) London, for the 2) right time period, and with both a “Richard” and a “Susannah” [Taylor] born with the same parents, and in 3) parishes close to each other and/or all in the same parish! It would also support this scenario to learn if your Richard Taylor’s first-born son’s given name happens to be “John”. If it is not, the above case still remains a strong likelihood/possibility.
Summary
In summation then, it’s my firm and sincere belief that we are on the verge—if not—an outright
breakthrough on a very possible and likely birth place for your 17th
century immigrant ancestor, Richard
TAYLOR. The locations of those known pieces of your immigrant’s ‘puzzle’ are congregated very closely
together! I have utilized every available identifying factor (clue) known to you and the family of descendants—and as a result of employing these and ‘plugging them in’, we have come up with the
above scenario.
Recommendations for Future Research
To further strengthen this current hypothesis—which is all that we can truly say that these latest
findings—will require further investigation, such as trying to disprove it via burying off, marrying –off all
other [nearby] possible ‘Richard Taylors’ in the area of London. By doing so reconstructing each one—and
NOT finding any conflicting data, such as an early death of our—the above Richard—which I had not the
time to determine, then it would serve to strengthen this hypothesis into a very possible, if not probable
ancestry for YOUR “Richard Taylor” of Norfolk, Virginia!
As this is a Preliminary Study in order to help you and/or the Family decide and determine whether you
wish to proceed further and continue the trail in earnest, I would suggest that the next step is to move
on to a more full-fledged, and more committed research campaign in order to 1) strengthen the above
findings by ensuring accuracy as and in the way I’ve just outlined—and as much as the historical records
allow us, and then 2) to proceed to extend this lineage back as far as possible. Normally in conducting
big city research (London), it is not worth my time to and not worth my clients’ monies to perform
research in short spurts as done in these sessions, I’ve just completed. I usually require a minimum 10
hours (at least) of research and 2 hours for the final report-writing—which allows us a better chance for
obtaining success. Note: Big city research usually places fact-finding into slow-motion; hence the reason
for greater financial commitment to enhance the chances for success to finding next-generation ancestry.
This now, more than expends the time—and those monies submitted (at no additional cost).
It’s my hope that this is understandable, and proves to be acceptable—at least, towards continuing to
prove a bit further whether it is as ‘tight’ and as accurate as it can possibly become (based on the early
time period, and the few records we have to go by—this is very difficult to do).
Based upon my experience, it feels right, and based on what’s been gleaned thus far, and as found in the
records available to us. I look forward to hearing your feedback on these latest findings.
With sincere wishes for a very Happy and healthy New Year!
Phillip B. Dunn, England AG® & Res. Consultant
See also, Appendix (with those Taylor surnames found while I was researching in London City)
APPENDIX – Research Log
London-based “TAYLORS” also found at Ancestry.co.uk and FamilySearch.org—who were born to a “John Taylor and to a “Joan[e]” (but for various reasons, the little facts to not align or do not ‘stack-up’ as well as the above family entries):
[T. = Taylor]
Richard T. 3 Dec 1620 St Peter Cornhill, London;
Jeane T. 25 Dec 1621 St Peter Cornhill, London; a mercer, at Corbitt Court
Sarah T. 11 APR 1636 St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney
Elliner T. 23 JAN 1623 St Mary Magdalene Old Fish St, London; no occupation listed
Grace T. 15 APR 1625 St Andrew, Holborn, London
John LOOMER (Mother: Joan Loomer/Father: John Taylor) 05 OCT 1621 St Bride Fleet St, London
Mary T. 04 May 1628 St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney
William T. 3 AUG 1631 St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney
John T. 1 DEC 1633 St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney
Sarah T. 31 JAN 1640 St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney
John T. 4 Jul 1623 St Leonard Shoreditch, Church [St?] no occuptn lstd
Mary T. 18 Oct 1618 St Peter Cornhill, London; freeman of the mercers; Corbitt
Hester Harding, d/o Watkins Harding, taylor, dwelling in Leadenhall St [just happened to note this]
Ellice T. 12 Nov 1623, St Leonard's Shoreditch - no occupation listd
Richard T. 25 Sep 1614 St Peter Cornhill, London, mercer, Corbitt Court