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THE ALABAMA TAYLOR'S  

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INTRO FOR ALABAMA

Written by Robert Taylor, Sr. of Selma from research by a number of people including

his son, Robert, Jr., who has compiled extensive information on the Alabama family.

 

 

The history of the Taylor's in Covington County Alabama is written from

information gathered from the following persons and or sources. The Taylor

Book December 20, 1939 compiled by Marion Doby Taylor and kept by Vernon

Taylor of Prattville, Alabama; Early History of Covington County Alabama

1821-1871 & The Folks From Pea Ridge by Wyley Donald Ward and personal

conversation with the same; Betty Salas, Colorado; Idalyn McGil Stinson,

Florida; Martha Marble, Washington DC; Carl Evans US Air Force; and my son

Robert Hugh Taylor Jr.

 

The Taylor's came from Lenoir County North Carolina by way of South Carolina

and Georgia following The Three Notch Trail into Southern Alabama where

they would eventually settle in the area of the head waters of the Conecuh

River. This area became known as Searight Alabama. William Taylor born

January 6, 1745/46 married a Catherne Davis born 1750 of North Carolina in

1772. She was the daughter of James Davis and Catherine Windal and they had

8 children; three boys and 5 girls:

James 1774

Windal 1781-1845 married Rebecca Arnett in 1804

Edwin 1785 married Penelope Smith (Family tradition)

Mary 1782

Elizabeth 1780

Nancy 1795 married Thomas Walls

Matha unk married Wright Walls

Winnieferd 1780 married Bartholomew Cauley

 

Of these children, James 1774 and Windal 1781-1845 would migrate to Alabama

as this territory open up for settlement along with their sisters. Edwin

stayed in North Carolina where his descendants can still be found today.

 

James Taylor 1774 arrived in Alabama in about 1818 and being one of the

first whites to come to Alabama he went to the Cotton Bluff settlement north

of Fort Crawford in Conecuh County. After the Indian hostility settled down,

James moved into the area now known as Searight where he settled on 40 acres

of land to farm. He would later purchase this land in 1835. He had 5

children; 3 boys and 2 girls:

Jacob Taylor 1801 married Elizabeth

Alfred Taylor 1805

William Taylor 1826

Martha Taylor 1822

Caroline Taylor 1840

 

His brother Windal Taylor 1781-1845 then joined him before 1820 with his

wife Rebecca Arnett 1785 and family of 8 children; 5 boys and 3 girls:

 

John Arnett Taylor 1806-1872 married Rebecca Carter in 1828

Council Davis Taylor 1812-1885 married Eliza Bozemon

James E. Taylor 1823-1874 married Mary E. Merrill

Windal Taylor 1825 married a Jane

Isaac Taylor 1823-1904 married Charlotte Holly 1832-1904

Elizabeth Taylor 1808-1866 married Daniel Dozier who became known as The

Elder Dozier, minister of the Goodhope Primitive Baptist Church, Searight

and for which the town of Dozier is named.

Mary Taylor 1810-1900 married Leroy Marion Straughn in 1815

Winneyford Taylor 1818-1905 married Andrew J. Feagin 1816-1884.

 

Windal Taylor 1781-1845 settled on 160 acres in the Searight area to farm

which he would later purchase as a land grant. He was a farmer, a miller and

served as Justice of the Peace 1828-1830. The Taylor Cemetery Plot is on

these acres in Searight. The only standing marker is Elizabeth Taylor Dozier

1808-1866, however, there are between 20 and 30 indentations which indicates

more graves.

 

John Arnett Taylor 1806-1872, the oldest son of Windal Taylor 1781-1845,

moved south across the Conecuh River into the area known as Rose Hill. There

he became a large landowner (over 2800 acres). He bought and settled land on

the first dirt road to the north, south of Rose Hill on The Three Notch Road

Covington County, Alabama. He built a bridge across the river from Searight

to Rose Hill and installed a grain mill on a creek near the bridge on the

Rose Hill side. He was a Farmer, Miller, Blacksmith, County Commissioner and

a member and the treasurer of The Goodhope Primitive Baptist Church

Searight, Alabama. He was an Ensign in the 46th Regiment Covington and Dale

Counties, 11th Brigade 4th Division, Alabama Militia from 1828 till 1832. He

married Rebecca Carter 1808-1884 daughter of Silas Carter in 1828 at

Searight, Alabama. They had 6 children; 4 boys and 2 girls.

Windal William Taylor 1840-1925 married Matilda Ann Jones

William Billy Taylor 1831-1862 married E. M. ?

Washington Taylor 1843-1864 served 42nd Al Inf CSA died Vicksburg

John Jeptha Taylor 1847-1925 married Almira Emily Carter

Mary Taylor 1838-1925 married Allen Driskell

Elizabeth Taylor 1828-1866 married Samuel Rodgers

 

Windal William Taylor 1840-1925, a Farmer and a Miller, was born in

Searight, Alabama in 1840. He moved across the Conecuh River with his father

John Arnett Taylor to Rose Hill. He always worked hard, was kind hearted,

liberal and generous and never accumulated much of this world's goods. He

was conservative and reserved regarding public matters, and was a member of

the Pilgrim Rest Primitive Baptist Church Dozier, Alabama. In the civil war

he served as a private in Company B 18th Alabama Infantry Regiment which he

joined at Auburn, Alabama. He spent the first few months on the coast at

Mobile and fought with Gen. Hood all the way down to Atlanta in front of

Sherman, and back to Tennessee, and on the retreat to Mississippi, and at

Fort Blakely and at Spanish Fort, where General Hood surrendered, in the

spring of 1865. He was not wounded nor captured until the final surrender,

and saw nearly four years of hard service. After the war, he resumed

farming and milling and purchased the grain mill from his father. He owned

over 400 acres of land. He served as a county commissioner for 10 years

(1887?1888). He was founder of "Taylor School House" near Rose Hill,

Alabama. He was named for his grandfather Windal of North Carolina. Windal's

house, a large log house still stands today on Taylor Road in Rose Hill,

Alabama. The house is owned by a Mrs. Ellen Hearn of Andalusia, Alabama. He

married Matilda Ann Jones 1840-1889 in 1861, daughter of John Wright Jones

and Eliza C. Dauphin. They had 11 children; 6 boys and 6 girls:

 

John Washington Taylor 1866-1936 married Lola Montez White

William Windel Taylor 1872-1926 married Nine McLondon

James Marion Taylor 1874-1946 married Claudia Mabel Mahoney

Samuel T. Taylor 1876-1881

Alonzo Thomas Taylor 1881-1947 married Nina Mae Henderson

High Claud Taylor 1883-1936 married Mamie Virginia Rainer

Florance Eliza Taylor 1867-1950 married William David Caton

Mary Elizabeth Taylor 1869 married Joel T. Hardage

Sarah Rebecca Taylor 1871 married James Dunn

Augusta Eliza Taylor 1878-1955 married Atticus Kindred Flournoy

Matilida Alis Taylor 1886 married John S. Rosier

 

After Matilda Ann Jones Taylor's death, Windel William Taylor 1840-1925

married Nancy Wiggins 1852-1922 in 1890 and they had two children; both

girls.

 

Vinne Lee Taylor 1890-1918 married Aubrey Ashley Harris in 1910

Lala Izabell Taylor 1892- married Wade H. Jones

 

From Windal William Taylor 1840-1918 children, James Marion went into the

automobile business which would go on to become the Taylor Parts and Supply

Company in Andalusia. Hugh would sale and repair automobiles in Florala and

Andalusia. William Windal became a jeweler in Florala. John Washington

became a photographer and then an optometrist in Gaston. Alonzo moved to

Gaston and became a jeweler.

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