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.



TAYLOR Estate

Edna OTWELL > Edwin OTWELL > Maurice OTWELL > Mary TAYLOR-OTWELL > Stark TAYLOR

 

Items listed on estate appraisals give us an idea of what life was like for our ancestors.  Stark TAYLOR specified "My wife Elizabeth Taylor is to have that portion of the estate to which she would be entitled if I had died intestate, to be held by her in the same manner as she would if I had made no will."  All of the household and farm items, crops, animals and slaves were owned by Stark and Elizabeth had to buy them back at auction.  The estate was then divided into 12 portions and inherited by their living children or the heirs of their dead children (some of the children died before producing heirs).

 

Items bought by his wife Elizabeth

Stove, all of the furniture in 7 rooms of home, silver ware, cupboard ware, watch, kitchen ware, 21 barrels of salt, 4 cows, 3 rows of apples, brown mare colt, 2 year old brown filly, 1 yoke of oxen, bay buggy mare, 3 hay stacks, 2 oat stacks, 35 acres corn, old buggy, ox cart, 2 horse wagons, box of bees

 

Household Items

Mills, cider, 21 barrels salt, sausage grinder, brooms, kettles, large tub, pots

 

Farm 

Scales, hemp hook, augers, cross cut and hand saw, corn knives, tools, sheep shears, cutter, buckles, rope, irons, drawing knife, side saddle, grind stone, barrels, scrapers, scythes, axes, cradles, nails, box glass, grease, cutting box, rope jack, thrasher, grain sheet, wheat fan, hemp break, 8 plows. 3 small plows, shingles, plank, ox tongs, barrow, forks, cultivator, maul & wedges, hay rake & crow bar, spade & digger, 4 doubletrees, 4 log chains, ox bows, boards, corn sheller, wagon, wagon bed, posts, yokes, bell

 

Crops

Hemp, shelled oats, oats in sheaf, wheat old corn, stack of hay, 27 acres corn, hemp seed, potatoes, 315 bushels of wheat, onions, 13 oats stacks, 6 hemp stacks, 43 stacks of hay, 6 rows of apples

 

Animals

Lambs, 6 hogs, 35 pigs, 6 heifers, 9 cows, 20 calves, bull, 45 sheep, 12 fat cattle, 12 cattle, 9 horses, a mule, 3 yearling steers, mule colt

 

Other

8 shares in Lexington Newtown Pike

 

Slaves

 

Those retained by Elizabeth TAYLOR: Rachel (34), David (33), Peter (36), Bill (17), Cynthia (24) & her child, Elizabeth (6).

 

Others that were sold: Henry (25), Aleck (35), Jack (30), Moses (10), Carrie (29), Aaron an old man, Celia (18), Belle (16), Hilda (16), Coraline (18) & her child, Jenni (26) & her child, Maria (8), Esther (4)

Louisville Daily Journal page 3, 10 October1859
Found on Fulton Postcards

Stark TAYLOR (1786-1859)

Pleasant Retreat, Fayette County, KY
From Kentucky Digital Library
Photo by Carolyn Murray-WOOLEY, 1975

Edna OTWELL- SIM > Edwin OTWELL > Maurice OTWELL > Mary TAYLOR-OTWELL > Stark TAYLOR

Stark TAYLOR was born 9 September 1786 in Virginia. His unique first name ties him to the GUILLIAM family and it is believed that his parents were William TAYLOR and Hannah GUILLIAM though no birth record exists.

Kentucky became a state in 1792.  Prior, it was considered to be an extension of Virginia.  Since there are no birth records, to say he was born in Virginia means he was born somewhere now known as Virginia or Kentucky.

On 22 January 1810, 24 year old Stark married 21 year old Elizabeth MCCLANE (1789-1867) in Fayette Co., Kentucky.

Stark and Elizabeth had at least 16 children: 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. There may have been child #17 named William.

The earliest record we have is the 1810 census in Fayette County. The 1820 census was found in Mercer County, KY under the name Starky TAYLOR. 1830, 1840 and 1850 censuses were also found for Stark Taylor. The 1850 slave schedule showed that they owned 28 slaves ranging from age 2 to 52.

In 1813, they built a home called Pleasant Retreat (see photo) at the cross roads of streets now named Newton Pike & Iron Works Road in Lexington, Fayette Co., KY. What a beautiful home in which our ancestor Mary OTWELL grew up.  This house appears on the list of Kentucky Antebellum era homes.

Stark was a hemp farmer and rope manufacturer. Hemp was a big crop in Kentucky prior to the Civil War – with over 50% of rope manufactured in Kentucky. The large hemp barn located on Pleasant Retreat is a 2 story brick barn measuring 40 feet by 50 ft. Slave quarters were on the 2nd floor and the 1st floor was used for hemp seed storage.   During the civil war, this barn was a cannonball foundry. Melted lead was poured into molds and this is how Iron Works Road got its name.



Barn at Pleasant Retreat From Google Maps - Street View

Stark was a member of the Forks of Elkhorn Church.  According to MCADAMS’ Kentucky Pioneer and Court Records, on 9 April 1828, as a Trustee for the Baptist Church of Jesus Christ, Stark inherited ½ acre of land on the waters of Cane Run on behalf of the church from Lydia FORD of Fayette Co.

In 1838-39 Landowners list, he also owned a 320 acre farm on Henry’s Mill Road in Lexington.



21 November 1839, Kentucky Gazette

In 1839, Stark was appointed as a Delegate to the State Convention during a meeting of the Democratic Party in Lexington. Thus, he attended the Democratic Convention at Frankfort on 8 January 1840 to nominate candidates for the upcoming elections.

In March 1840, he was appointed to the Committee of Vigilance for Fayette Co. At the meeting, this committee unanimously resolved to regard General HARRISON an abolitionist and unworthy of the presidential nomination. (HARRISON was elected president in 1841, holding the position for 32 days before dying of pneumonia.)

In 1847, Stark was named one of the Justices of the Peace in Fayette Co.

In the book History of Kentucky, by Lewis and Richard H. COLLINS (page 57), Stark appears as an owner of a captured runaway slave on 5 August 1848.

Stark died of old age on 24 April 1859 at his home; age 73.  Transcriptions of his will (dated 20 Jan 1858) and estate appraisal and auction were found.  Executors of the will were wife Elizabeth and sons Richardson and Frank.  The estate was divided into 12 equal shares (for each of the living children or their heirs). "Mary OTWELL, wife of John OTWELL" received one share.

Stark was buried at Lexington Cemetery.

Pleasant Retreat was sold at auction on 8 October 1859.

Visit his on-line memorial:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=409999&GRid=98424358&

_________________________

Stark's father was William TAYLOR (1769-1819).  We found an 1810 census from Lexington, KY.  Online sources say he was born in Kentucky or Virginia.  He died in Lexington.

Stark's mother was Hannah GUILLIAM (1773-?) (or GILLIAM).  She was the daughter of William GUILLIAM (1753-?) and Elizabeth BOWLER (1753-?) and was born in Kentucky or Virginia.

We recently found a reference in a book stating that Stark's parents were one of the first settlers of Kentucky.  But, we have found little documentation on this family and have decided not to have a separate blog post for them at this time.

This ends the TAYLOR, GUILLIAM and BOWLER research.