Francis Taliaferro

  General Notes:

Francis TALIAFERRO, the son of Bartholomew TALIAFERRO and wife Joane LANE was baptied at the age of eight days on January 25, 1589/90 at St. Olave's, Hart Street, London. He married Bennett HAIE by license February 3, 1613/14 at St. Savior's, Southwark, County Surrey. After the death of his first wife, sometime between late 1626 and 1647, he married secondly a woman whose given name was Miriam. He and his wife died within a week of each other; he was buried August 19, 1647, at Stepney, County Middlesex, where she had been buried on August 16. By his first wife Bennett HAIE, Francis had two children mentioned in his will. The daughter was Anne who was not married at his death. In an unusual move, in that he had a living son Robert, he named his daughter the executrix of his will. It is possible that this move may be explained by his son's having already emigrated to the colony of Virginia. [from Barbara Breedlove Rollins' Family Files]

  Research Notes:

The following is from "Barbara Breedlove Rollins' Family Files":
The justification for naming this as the family line of Robert TALIAFERRO, The Immigrant, is set out by WAGNER and ANDRUS as follows:
Speculation on the origin of Robert TALAFERO or TOLLIVER who settled in Virginia by 1647 has ranged from Scotland where the forms TAILLEFER, TALFER, TELFER, and others are found from the thirteenth century onwards, through England where the forms include TOLVER and TULLIVER, through France to Italy where TALIAFERRA and TALIAFERRO are not uncommon. This meant that the surname in itself, being so widespread was of little use as a clue, and it was, therefore, with relief and gratitude for our good furtune that we found in the London area, the likeliest immediate place of origin for an early Virginia settler, references to members of a family of the name which appeared to fit the Virginia data perfectly.

From these, as will be seen, the conclusion has now been reached that Robert the settler was the grandson of Bartholomew TALIAFERRO, a subject of the Duke of Venice, who settled in London and was made denizen in March 1562.

Important points in favour of the identification were that this particular family of TALIAFERRO was the only one found mentioned in the probate records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and of London, and that after 1647 the name entirely disappeared from these probate records. Furthermore, letters of administration of the estate of Francis TALAFERO were granted on the 20th of August 1647 to his daughter Anne, not to his son Robert, as we might have expected had he been in England at the time. Robert was then aged twenty years and nine months.

Finally, the emigrant called one of his sons Francis.

  Notes and Events:

• Occupation: "Yeoman." Records indicate Francis was a Yeoman in England. Though some genealogist have interpreted this record as meaning farmer (or one calling him a sailor), an old map of London leads me to conclude his vocation may have been one of two more probable definitions. His residency was known as Stepney, County of Middlesex, which is adjacent to Westminster. Additionally, he was Baptized/Christened 4 blocks from the Tower of London. Thus, one logical possibility is the yeoman definition: "an attendant or manservant in a royal or noble household / Officer in the (ceremonial) bodyguard of the British monarch". There are, and have been, many Royals living within the Tower of London, the surrounding neighborhoods, and the adjacent Westminster. Within this definition is the possibilty he was actually a Yeoman warder. Yeoman Warders (often called 'Beefeaters') have been at the Tower of London since the 14th century. Today they combine their traditional ceremonial role with that of tourist guide. Their role as interpreters of the Tower's history to the public has grown beyond their famous tours. They have also been keepers of the Royal Crown Jewels for centuries.

From "Looking at Family History research using Heraldic Visitations to trace back families to the medieval period" (6th edition, January 2002), comes the second possible definition: "...a yeoman or a minor-gentleman (designated in the records as 'Mr') in the 17th Century. It is more than likely that he would have owned some land, unlike most of the husbandman class."

I doubt the 'farmer or landworker' theories for two reasons: 1) A County Middlesex geologist article stating "...besides the Thames, the air is healthy; but the soil, in general being a lean gravel, is not suitable for the planting of crops or pastures. It does, however, provide a firm base for structures." 2) The area of Stepney, has been mostly urban for the past 800 years.

Remember, these are my own conjectures and thus open for debate. In the meantime, we will keep searching for hard evidence. [Erle Gordon Bush, direct descendant]

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Francis married Bennett Haie on 3 Feb 1613-1614 in St. Savior's, Southwark, County Surrey, England. (Bennett Haie died on 14 Nov 1626.)

  Marriage Notes and Events:

• Marriage Note. The information I have about Francis' first wife, Bennett Haie, comes from a source who tells me somebody else told her. I'm tendering it to you as information you may verify on your own, as a starting place rather than something held out as true. She was baptised in the old St. Margaret, Moses Parish Church, a church destroyed in the London fire of 1666. Its baptismal records from 1558 to 1812 are in the Guild Library in London. The date of baptism is given as October 18, 1587, her father listed as John Haie. She died November 14, 1626, but I don't have parish or other indication of the records for this date. However, assuming she was the mother of Robert Taliaferro, since he was baptized November 19, 1626, at Stepney, County Middlesex, England, it would appear she died in childbirth and the records should be in that church. [from Barbara Breedlove Rollins' Family Files]

Francis next married Miriam.