Elizabeth MCCLANE-TAYLOR (1789-1867)



Back of Pleasant Retreat, Fayette County, KY
(Note 4 chimneys, all brick home)
From Kentucky Digital Library
Photo by Carolyn Murray-WOOLEY, 1975

Edna OTWELL- SIM > Edwin OTWELL > Maurice OTWELL > Mary TAYLOR-OTWELL > Elizabeth MCCLANE-TAYLOR

Elizabeth MCCLANE was born 2 May 1789 and was the daughter of James MCCLANE according to her marriage record.  We have found no additional documents for Elizabeth prior to their marriage.

• The MCCLANE surname was in the transcription of the marriage record listed in Kentucky Marriage Records Volume II 1810-1814.  That lists Wm MCCLANE and Wm GUILLIAM as bondsmen and James MCCLANE as father to the bride.  GUILLIAM is the maiden name of Stark's mother and Wm was likely a relation.  Bondsmen were usually uncles.
• Many on-line sources state that an alternative spelling is MCCLAIN.
• There was a James MCCLAIN who was killed by Indians at Dudley's Defeat.  We have found no documents to link to this line - more research is needed. 

On 22 January 1810, 21 year old Elizabeth MCCLANE married 24 year old farmer Stark TAYLOR in Fayette Co., Kentucky.  In 1813, they built their home named Pleasant Retreat (see photo).

Imagine Elizabeth rearing 16 children there!: Sarah Ann MCMURTRY, James, Richardson, Harrison, Eliza J. SATTERWHITE, Julia DIXON, Mary H. OTWELL (our ancestor), Andrew, Benjamin, Martha R. WHEELER, Anna, Catherine SMITH, Susan FITZGERALD, Berlin, Frank and Frances MCCLELLAND. 

Names of family members were not listed in censuses prior to 1850.  We do have 1810 through 1840 censuses for Stark.  1850 is the first census in which Elizabeth is listed.

Louisville Evening Bulletin, page 2, 29 April 1857
Found on Fulton Postcards

Stark died in 1859.  Executors of the will were Elizabeth and sons Richardson and Frank. Pleasant Retreat was sold at auction that year.

From The Millennial Harbinger by Alexander CAMPBELL, Wm. Kimbrough PENDLETON, Charles LOUIS, pg. 354 (from Correspondence dated 28 Apr 1859, Louisville, Kentucky to Bro. CAMPBELL)

“…On Tuesday, in the forenoon, I preached the funeral of old Brother Stark TAYLOR, of Fayette county, one of my old neighbors. He died the Lord’s day previous. My companion and former associate, Bro. Wm. CONN went with me from Georgetown to the funeral. I truly sympathized with his aged companion, Sister TAYLOR, and her sorrowing children, and gave them all the comfort I could from the word of God. After addressing a large audience, we then followed his body to the grave, and saw it placed in its long home....Affectionately your Brother, T.M. ALLEN”

Elizabeth appears as head of household in the 1860 census still in Fayette Co.  She is listed as a 72 year old farmer with real estate valued at $24,000 and a personal property of $13,000.  Several of her children and their spouses lived in her household.

From the following article, we learn that Elizabeth leased out her slaves which was a common practice in Kentucky.

Lexington Observer and Reporter, 26 March 1862

Elizabeth died 6 March 1867 and was buried next to Stark in Lexington Cemetery.

Visit her on-line memorial:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=172786632

This ends the MCCLANE research.