Capt. Othniel Taylor1

#2056, (16 April 1719 - 27 December 1788)
Relationship4th great-grandfather of William David Lewis
Father*Samuel Taylor1 (1688 - 1734)
Mother*Mary Hitchcock1 (1699 - 1781)

Family

Martha Arms b. 1728/29, d. 1802
Children 1.Samuel Taylor+13 (1744 - 1837)
 2.Mary Taylor13 (1746 - 1824)
 3.Lemuel Taylor+13 (1749 - 1834)
 4.Enos Taylor+13 (1751 - 1831)
 5.Othniel Taylor Jr+13 (1753 - 1819)
 6.Tertius Taylor13 (1754 - 1822)
 7.Martha Taylor+14 (1756 - 1825)
 8.William Taylor+13 (1758 - )
 9.Lydia Taylor13 (1760 - )
 10.Rufus Taylor+13 (1763 - 1834)
 11.Lucinda Taylor13 (1765 - )
 12.Tirzah Taylor13 (1769 - 1853)
 13.Dolly Taylor13 (1772 - 1837)
"Othniel Taylor (1719-1788) was one of the earliest settlers in Charlemont, Massachusetts. He was a captain of a company in the Continental Army [compiler note: this would be during the Revolutionary War; no source for this has been found] and served in the French and Indian War at Fort Taylor in Charlemont. He married his step-sister Martha Arms in 1743. They had 13 children, including Samuel, Othniel and Tertius. Othniel’s papers include 8 military communications sent to him at Fort Taylor in the 1750s, a deed for land purchased in Charlemont, a tax document, and an agreement with two other men over a fur trade business."2 
"Othniel, s. of Samuel, b. 1719; cleared land in C'harl. 1743, and was one of the earliest settlers; in 1746 was in company with David Field and Joseph Barnard, trading furs and deer leather, fr. N. E. to Albany; was a manufacturer of snow shoes; in the last French war his house with that of his brother Jonathan was enclosed with palisades and he was sergt. in command of a garrison furnished by the colony, [see ante p. 631]. In 1759 he was licensed innholder, "there being no tavern between Deerfield and York government;" he was an active Whig and was Capt. of a co. in the Continental army; tradition says he was near Boston Apr. 19, 1775, and rode homeward 100 miles giving the alarm, without getting off his horse; he d. Dec. 27, 1788. He m. June 27, 1743, his step-sister Martha, dau. Daniel Anns; she had then attained the mature age of 14 yrs., 4 mos. and 26 days; she m. (2) Abner(?) Barnard of Dfd; she d. in Charl., May 5, 1802, a. 73."3 
He was a trader in furs and deer leather from New England to Albany, N.Y; made snow shoes in quantities.4 
Birth*16 April 1719He was born on 16 April 1719 at Deerfield, Hampshire Co., MassachusettsG.1,5 
circa 1742He removed to Charlemont, Franklin Co., MassachusettsG, circa 1742.6 
1 November 1742He acquired 1000 acres of land, Nov. 1, 1742 from Phineas Stevens "at the east end of Charleymount" included about five hundred acres within the present town of Buckland, on 1 November 1742.4 
Marriage*27 June 1743He married Martha Arms, daughter of Daniel Arms and Esther Smead, on 27 June 1743 at Deerfield, Massachusetts.7
21 December 1765He was issued a warrant to call and warn all eligible voters to the first Town Meeting of the new Town of Charlemont on 21 December 1765 at Charlemont, Hampshire (now Franklin) Co., MassachusettsG.8
1769He was a mill operator. With the help of Asaph White, he built and operated three sawmills on Clesson's River, the first of which was completed. in 1769.9 
Death*27 December 1788He died on 27 December 1788 at Franklin Co., MassachusettsG, at age 69.10,11 
Burial*circa 29 December 1788He was buried circa 29 December 1788 at Old Cemetery, Charlemont, Franklin Co., MassachusettsG.11 
Probate1 April 1789His estate was probated on 1 April 1789.12 
ChartsAncestors of William D. Lewis

Citations

  1. [S762] Thomas W. Baldwin, compiler, Vital Records of Deerfield Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Company, 1920), Deerfield Births, p 127: "Othniel, s. of Sam[ue]ll and Mary, Apr. 16, 1719."
  2. [S1205] Taylor Family Papers, 1722-1854, summary of holdings. Online www.historic-deerfield.org.
  3. [S289] George Sheldon, History of Deerfield, Massachusetts, Volume 2 (Deerfield: E.A. Hall and Co., 1896), p. 338.
  4. [S595] Fannie Smith Shaw Kendrick, Mary Lyon and Lucy Jane Cutler Kellogg, compilers, The History of Buckland 1779–1935 (Buckland, Mass.: The Tuttle Publishing Co., printer, 1937), As cited at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/TAYLOR/…
  5. [S1026] Massachusetts Town and Vital Records: Charlemont 1765–1899, Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook), compiler, Provo, UT and Oxford, MA, Town Records (script), p. 9, img. 8/285. Capt. Oth. Taylor was born April 27th 1717; Martha wife to Capt. Oth. Taylor was born Feb. 3 172_. Children:
    Samuel, b. 22 Sep 1744; Mary, b. 23 Jun ____; Lem., b. 11 Feb 1749; Enos, b. 3 Feb 1751; Othniel, b. 10 Jan 1753; Tertius, b. 25 Jul 1754; Martha, b. 21 dec 1756; William, b. 27 Jan 1758; Lydia, b. 16 Mar 1760; Rufus, b. 3 Apr 1763; Lucinda, b. 26 Nov 176_; Tirzah, b. 2 jann 1769; Dolly, b. 7 dec 1779.
  6. [S595] Fannie Smith Shaw Kendrick, Mary Lyon and Lucy Jane Cutler Kellogg, History of Buckland, p. 642. "Cleared land in Charlemont, 1742, and was one of the earliest settlers"; a trader in furs and deer leather from New England to Albany, N.Y.; made snow shoes in quantities. In the last French war, his house with that of his brother Jonathan, was enclosed with palisades, and he was sergeant in command of a garrison. In 1759 he was a licensed inn holder, "there being no tavern between Deerfield and York Government." He was an active Whig and Captain of a company in the Continental army...' As cited at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/TAYLOR/…
  7. [S1049] Massachusetts Town Marriage Records, 1620–1850, online Ancestry.com, Deerfield Marriages, p. 153: "Arms, Martha and Othniel Taylor, June 27, 1743."
  8. [S1026] Mass. Town and Vital Records: Charlemont: first page of the Town records of Charlemont. Warrant issued by Thos. Williams to Othniel Taylor to call all elible voters to the first Town Meeting. Img. 57/285..
  9. [S595] Fannie Smith Shaw Kendrick, Mary Lyon and Lucy Jane Cutler Kellogg, History of Buckland, "With the help of Asaph White, he built and operated three sawmills on Clesson's River, the first of which was completed in 1769. Lumber from the original mill was used to build what may be the first house in Buckland, constructed in 1770, which was occupied by Taylor's son, Samuel, and Samuel's wife Esther (White). The house was located on a farm given to Samuel Taylor by his father in what is now Buckland center." As cited at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/TAYLOR/…
  10. [S733] History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts (Two Volumes) (Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1879), II:709, "Capt. Othniel Taylor died in 1788, and his wife (Martha Arms) in 1802."
  11. [S1628] FindAGrave.com, online findagrave.com, very old partly buried grave marker "Capt Othnilel Taylor," larger standing marker "In memory of Capt Othniel Taylor of Charlemont who died Dec 27 1788." Bur. Old Cemetery, Charlemont, Franklin Co., MA. Memorial# 58684575, created by Kevin Avery, photo added by DeeB.
  12. [S1710] Othniel Taylor probate record, Box 77470, Probate Court (District of Bennington), State Archives, Montpelier, Vermont, Hampshire Co., 22 Apr 1789. Personally appeared Martha Taylor, Samuel Taylor, Mary Taylor, Lemuel Taylor, Othniel Taylor, Tertius Taylor, William Taylor, Rufus Taylor, Martha Johnson, Josiah Johnson, Lydia Taylor, Zeeb Taylor, Tirzah Holbrook, Dolly Hastings, Jonathan Hastings, and on the 23 Apr 1789, appeared Enos Taylor and Silas Holbrook, all subscribers to the foregoing covenant and agreement. Before me Eleazar Porter, Judge of Probate.
    Bennington Co., 24 May 1789. Personally appeared Lucinda Hawley and Joseph Holley and each of them acknowledged the foregoing covenant and agreement.
  13. [S267] Massachusetts Town Birth Records, 1620–1850, online Ancestry.com, Charlemont Births, pp 75- 76.
  14. [S267] Mass. Town Birth Records, 1620–1850, online Ancestry.com, Deerfield Births, p 127: "Martha, d. of Othniel and Martha, bp. Mar. 10, 1757 C.R.I." [church record, First Congregational Church]