LVA Titled Files: Survey Report, The Taylor cemetery:
                  1937 Dec. 28
                  Research made by Pattie B. Seay

Cemetery Location:  Southeast of Kenbridge, Virginia, 9.6 miles.  Go 6.9 miles
                    southeast on Route #637, to the junction of Route #637 and
                    #698, thence .1 of a mile southeast on Route #698, to the
                    junction of Route #698 and #613, thence 1.1 of a mile east
                    on Route #613, to the junction of Routes #613 and #612,
                    thence .7 of a mile south on Route #612, thence about .5 of
                    a mile south on a private road, thence through a field about
                    .3 of a mile south of the private road.
                    Lunenburg County, Virginia


DATE:

About 1800.

OWNERS:

William Taylor bought 200 acres of land from William Williams, being a part of
that tract of land granted the said William Williams by Settler’s patent bearing
date, the sixteenth day of August 1736, consideration thirteen pounds, lawful
money of Virginia. Deed Book 6, page 94., and in 1760 he bought 200 acres for
twenty pounds, from Williams, which was granted to William Williams by patent
under the Colony Seal, bearing date, the sixteenth day of August 1756. Deed Book
6, page 257.

William Taylor bought four hundred and twenty-seven acres of land from Jonathan
Patterson of New Kent County, Virginia, being the land Jonathan Patterson
purchased of Turner Hunt Christian, for four hundred and fifty pounds, current
Virginia money. Deed Book 9, page 264.

Martha Waller Taylor, 1820, two hundred and eight-eight acres and dwelling
house.  Will Book 8, page 171.

Edmund Francis Taylor, 1828, two hundred and eight-eight acres and dwelling
house. Will Book 8, page 171.

Everard W. Gee, sold the property to David S. Garland in 1850, two hundred and
eight-five acres, for one thousand dollars.  Deed Book 35, page 114.

Henry Jones, Martha Rice and John Rice, the present owners, who is a daughter of
Henry Jones. (1937)

DESCRIPTION:

This cemetery is about fifteen feet square and is enclosed by a stone wall about
three feet high.  Within the enclosure are several wild locusts and trees of
paradise.  Four of the graves are marked.  It is separated from the Gee cemetery
by a stone wall.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:

The inscriptions are as follows:


William Taylor
Died 11th of Sept. 1820
Aged 82 years


Mrs. Martha Taylor
Died 11th of March, 1828
Aged 81 years


Gen. Waller Taylor
Died August 1826
Aged 50 years


Robert Taylor
Died Decr. 1800
Aged 18 years


In a codicil to his will written in 1814, William Taylor requested that the
executors “keep the pailings which enclose the graveyard in good repair, or that
they have it walled in with brick.”  A few years later, Mrs. Taylor wrote in her
memoranda (recorded in Will Book 9, page 290) “and I particularly request my
dear sons, that four Grave Stones be purchased at Petersburg for your father,
myself and your Brothers.”.

William Taylor, who with members of his family, was buried in this cemetery, was
a son of Reverend Daniel Taylor, of St. John’s Parish, King William County,
Virginia, and his wife Alice Littlepage.  He was also a kinsman of President
Zachary Taylor.  In 1767, he married Martha Waller, daughter of Benjamin Waller,
of Williamsburg, Virginia, a descendent of the Norman Knight Alured de Valler,
who came to England with William the Conqueror and settled in Kent County,
England.  It is thought that William Taylor came to Lunenburg County, Virginia,
about 1760, as in that year, he bought three adjoining tracts of land,
aggregating eight hundred and twenty-seven acres.  The first land, which he
bought, was described in the deed as having upon it houses, orchards and garden.
It may be said that William Taylor was one of the founders of the Republic.  He
was a member of the House of Burgesses from 1765 to 1768, and in 1765, when
Patrick Henry offered his famous resolutions, he was one of the members who
supported the resolutions.

While a very distinguished man, yet he is probably better remembered in this
county for his long, faithful and efficient service as County Clerk, which
office he held for fifty-one years, 1763 to 1814.  It is said that while County
Clerk, he often kept the “Order Books” in his home, taking them to the Court
House when necessary.  The road which he traveled to and from the Court House
was known a “Office Road”.  The home was destroyed by fire many years ago.  It
was on this plantation that Captain David R. Stokes’ Company was organized as
Company C, and camped in 1861, preparatory to entering the War Between the
States, and was of the Twentieth Regiment of Virginia Volunteer Army of the
Confederate States of America.  Many members enlisted May 20, 1861 at St. John’s
Church, a short distance from the plantation.

William Taylor was succeeded as County Clerk, by his son, William Henry  Taylor,
who held the office for the next thirty-two years from 1814 to 1846.

General Waller Taylor, was an illustrious son of William and Martha Waller
Taylor.  He represented Lunenburg County in the Legislature during the sessions
of 1800 and 1801, and 1801 to 1802.  In 1805, he removed to Vincennes, Indiana,
where many honors were bestowed upon him.  In 1806, he became Judge.  He served
under General William Henry Harrison, in the War of 1812, was Adjutant General
of Indiana in 1814, and was a United States Senator from Indiana from 1816 to
1825.  He died in 1826, while on a visit to relatives in Lunenburg County.

Robert Taylor, was a son of William and Martha Waller Taylor, who died before
reaching manhood.


SOURCES OF INFORMATION:

Informant:  Mrs. Henry Fore, descendant of William Taylor, Fort Mitchell,
            Virginia

Court Records:  Lunenburg, Virginia

Tombstone Inscriptions

“The Old Free State”, Volume I, page 587 and Volume II, pages 266, 367 and 368

Visit by worker.

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