RICHARD TAYLOR and SARAH (BARKER) TAYLOR - England and Virginia - 1600's
rin 529 & 530 File I.D. 7794 & 7795
Compiled by LaVere Peters
January 24, 1996
It has been claimed by Henry T. Bradford in "THE BRADFORDS OF CHARLES CITY CO., VA", that Richard was the son of the Richard Taylor who came to Virginia in 1608 and was there as late as 1638. This is not recognized by other researchers; it is also denied in a letter (in my file) from the Jamestowne Society. While it might be fun to be a descendant of an "Ancient Planter",
I suggest using the claim only when talking with alleged Mayflower descendants.
It is also claimed by Virginia L. H. Davis in "TIDEWATER VIRGINIA FAMILIES" that Richard was married first to Mary Perkins, the widow of Nicholas Perkins and that Richard II was the son of the first marriage. A search of the Charles City County Court Orders, 1655-1658, pages 62 & 68, indicate that the widow Mary Perkins married Richard Parker, who was also the guardian of her two children (Elizabeth and Nicholas). Until it is proven otherwise, I'll list Richard II as the son of Richard and Sarah.
Data in LDS Ancestral File (AFN HZF4-KB) may be for a different Richard Taylor, who was born abt 1619 in England, married to Sarah in Middlesex England, and died 1684 in Charles City Co., VA. I don't know when Richard was born, and I consider it likely that Sarah and her family were in Virginia before Richard was. Court records show that Richard died about 1672/73.
The same record for Richard's wife, Sarah BARKER (AFN HZF4-LH), shows her as having been born at 1623 in England and died 1694 in Charles City. Those dates and places appear to be correct.
Richard may have been the one named as a headright of Captain John West, who patented land in York County 6 May 1651 (VA Patent Book 2, page 313). His arrival may very well have been earlier than the patent date.
An earlier patent, 9 April 1650 (Book 2, page 207) names two headrights -- Elizabeth BARKER and Mary TAYLOR. Elizabeth was the sister of Sarah, and it seems possible that the person listed as Mary was actually Sarah. The father of Elizabeth and Sarah was William BARKER, Mariner, who made frequent trips to Virginia as early as 1625; he had land in Charles City County in 1634, was a member of the House of Burgesses in 1645, and died before 1655.
Richard apparently married in England before 1650, either to Sarah BARKER or Mary PERKINS.
Richard was identified as a "fabricator of wood", which probably means a carpenter or a building contractor. He also operated a mill on Powell's Creek, called Taylor's Mill, and later known as Hardiman's Lower Mill.
Richard's first known land purchase was 13 March 1661/62 (CCCCOB 1661-1664, page 327), which he bought from Richard and Mary Pace for 300 pounds sterling.
The land was on Powell's Creek in Charles City County. This land later went to William HAMLIN, son of his daughter Elizabeth.
In July 1672, Richard patented 1000 acres of land in Charles City County, on the south side of the James River. It lay on the Blackwater River, behind Merchant's Hope, at a place called "Saw Tree". This property was willed to his son, Richard TAYLOR II, who patented it again in his own name on 3 November 1673 (Patent Book 6, page 488).
Sarah BARKER Birth Date estimated
TIDEWATER VIRGINIA FAMILIES, V.L.H. Davis, pp 566-570:
After Richard TAYLOR,s death Sarah married Robert LUCY before 1673. He died
before 1688. Before Oct 1690 she married Capt. James BISSE.
Sarah died before 4 Feb 1694, when her son John TAYLOR petitioned the court
for administration of the estate of the late Robert LUCY. He petitioned the
court by reason that Sarah, the relict and administrator of the estate had died and that he was the greatest creditor and next of kin to Sarah BISSE.
VIRGINIA HISTORICAL GENEALOGIES, J. B. Boddie
p 151 -In 1673 Sarah & Robert LUCY received the upper part of Flowerdieu
containing the residence. In a later division between her sons, Richard & John TAYLOR, the site of the present house was included in John's portion.