Born: 1848 Rutherford or Decatur Co., TN
No Death Date
Our TAYLOR line begins with great grandmother, Amanda A. TAYLOR, who was born in 1848, in either Rutherford or Decatur County, TN. No birth record has been found.
The first documentation we have on Amanda is the 1850 TN, Rutherford County census in the Versailles District where numerous other TAYLOR families lived. She is two years old and on this census her middle initial looks like a "T" or "G" rather than an "A".
On the 1860 TN, Decatur Co., District 6 census she is shown as the initials A. C. Taylor, age 11, female. The letter "A" appears to be written over making it look like an "F" and it has mistakenly been transcribed as an "F".
During the course of our RIGGS research it was noted that on the Death Certificate of our grandfather, Melvin Claud RIGGS, son of Isaah RIGGS, the mother's name is Tolitha TAYLOR. It was thought that perhaps Isaah had married a second TAYLOR woman in addition to Amanda. No evidence of a second TAYLOR wife for Isaah has been found. The first documented clue to the identity of Tolitha could be the 1870 TN, Decatur Co., District 7, census where Amanda, age 21, is shown in the household of her father, Thomas S. TAYLOR. Her sister, Susan C. TAYLOR, age 27 is also in this household. On this census Amanda is shown as "Tillitha" A. TAYLOR! It would appear that she used both the name Amanda and Tillitha.
Although we know little of Amanda's life, we do know that on December 14, 1870, at age 22, she married Isaah Calvin RIGGS in Decatur County, TN. On the marriage license her name is Amanda A. TAYLOR. Marriage bond of $1,250 was posted by Isaah RIGGS and W. H. GRAHAM. A study of census data indicates that this was a second marriage for Isaah C. RIGGS. Both the 1870 and 1880 censuses state that neither Isaah or Amanda could read or write.
On the 1880 Decatur Co., TN Census, District 6, Isaah and Amanda are shown with 6 children. Unfortunately, the enumerator of this census used only initials for each person. Amanda is shown as M.T. She is 32 years old with a daughter, M.A., 16; daughter M.C, 8; son S.W., 7, who would have been Sam W.; son S.M., 3, who would have been Silas M.; daugher E.J., 2, who would have been Emma Jane; infant son, 1 month, who would have been Melvin Claude RIGGS, our grandfather. (Credit for determining the names of these children is due solely to RIGGS researcher, Wanda RIGGS KETELHUT, who has tirelessly devoted many years to searching for family records.)
Our final record of great grandmother Amanda (TAYLOR) RIGGS is the 1900 TN, Weakley County, 12-Dist., census. She is 51, living in the household of Ples C. BLANKENSHIP and his wife Amanda C., b. Oct. 1872, who would have been daughter M.C. RIGGS, age 8, on the 1880 census. Emma J. RIGGS, 22, b. Feb. 1878, daughter of great grandmother Amanda and Isah Calvin RIGGS, and sister to Amanda C. RIGGS, also lived in this household. Great grandmother Amanda is designated as a widow who had 6 births, 5 surviving. She could not have been a widow of Isaah Calvin RIGGS since he is shown on the 1900, and 1910 censuses.
No record of her death has been found.
Rebecca C. POWERS, b. 1811, SC; d. bef. 1870 Decatur Co., Parsons, TN
Smith K. TAYLOR, b. 1832, NC
Analiza TAYLOR, b. 1834
Andrew Jackson TAYLOR, b. Dec. 8, 1835, Wake Co., NC; d. Aug. 22, 1917, Parsons, Decatur Co., TN
Eli E. TAYLOR, b. 1837
Elizabeth TAYLOR, b. 1839
Thomas J. TAYLOR, b. 1840
Susan E. TAYLOR, b. 1843
James K.P. TAYLOR, b. 1847
Amanda A. TAYLOR, b. 1848, Rutherford Co. or Decatur Co., TN
F.C. TAYLOR, b. 1849
W.F.P. TAYLOR, b. 1852
Thomas J. TAYLOR, b. 1853
