Notes |
- Bill Pritchett's letters in January 2001 state:
Elizabeth Taylor (c1863-1892) was one of 8 children; her oldest sibling was brother Jacob Taylor
George Wiseman married Elizabeth Taylor, and his sister Mary married Elizabeth's brother Jacob
Elizabeth's parents were:
Robert Taylor bc 1824 BH, died 21 Jan 1900 Boot Harbour
Robert's parents were Jacob Taylor and Mary
Jacob's parents were William Taylor and Elizabeth Ash Alice Fowler b 1834 Brigus, bur. 4 Dec 1878 BH
Elizabeth's siblings were:
Jacob b 10 Jul 1853 BH m. Mary Wiseman 24 Oct 1881
William b 1856 BH m. Suzanna Mary Boone 14 Dec 1879
James b 1859 BH m. Emily Boone 24 Nov 1883
Caroline b 1865 BH m. Joseph Tilley 8 Dec 1884
Mary b Mar 1869 BH m. Henry Charles Anstey 25 Apr 1889
Benjamin Morgan b 1872 BH died Oct 1876 BH
Johanna b 1874 BH m. Eliol Butt 1 Mar 1894
Caroline, Mary, Jacob, & Johanna all moved to LBI or vicinity; William and James stayed at BH or vicinity
All bapt, births, marriages come from parish records at the Provincial Archives
Were Bill Pritchett's statements that George Wiseman married Elizabeth Taylor, that his sister Mary married Elizabeth's brother Jacob, and that Elizabeth Taylor's parents were Robert Taylor and Alice Fowler based solely on his parish records research at PANL? Or, did Bill's wife Margaret Taylor, who is the granddaughter of James Taylor, son of Jacob Taylor and Mary Wiseman, have oral family history or other sources of information about these relationships? If Bill Pritchett's wife Margaret Taylor had oral family history or other sources of information, why didn't Bill Pritchett mention this when he wrote about his sources that "All bapt, births, marriages come from parish records at the Provincial Archives"?
So, I believe Bill Pritchett's research, including his conclusion Elizabeth Taylor's parents were Robert Taylor and Alice Fowler, was based solely on his parish records research at PANL. If so, I should be able to research the same parish records and reach the same conclusions.
The results of my research using parish records and other sources, and my conclusions follow.
Elizabeth (Taylor) Wiseman's Civil Death Registration records her death on May 20 1892 at age 29 (implying a year of birth about 1862 to 1863), and her place of birth as Cupids. The known candidates for Elizabeth Taylor, wife of George Wiseman, include:
1. Elizabeth baptized June 25 1863 in Burnt Head, daughter of Robert and Patience Taylor of Burnt Head. She is the only Elizabeth Taylor baptized at Burnt Head Church of England between 1840 and 1870. (Source: Parish Records Collection - Burnt Head Church of England Baptisms 1840-1895)
2. Elizabeth born August 10 1863, baptized September 19 1863, daughter of Nathaniel and Patience Taylor of Burnt Head (Source: Parish Records Collection - Brigus Methodist Baptisms 1837-1869)
These are the only Elizabeth Taylor baptisms in the 1860's recorded in the available church records for Cupids, Burnt Head, and Brigus. Of course, there may be other, unknown candidates whose baptisms were not recorded in these church records, including an Elizabeth Taylor who is the daughter of Robert Taylor and Alice Fowler.
There is a gravestone for Patience Taylor who died January 13 1892 in Burnt Head Cemetery. On this gravestone is the following inscription: Erected by Elizabeth Brooks in Loving Memory of Her Mother. The Elizabeth (Taylor) Brooks who erected this gravestone can be eliminated as a candidate as Elizabeth Taylor, wife of George Wiseman, was never married to a Brooks. Furthermore, there is a joint gravestone for Robert and Patience Taylor in the Burnt Head Cemetery. Thus, the Patience Taylor who died January 13 1892 was most likely married to Nathaniel Taylor.
There is an Elizabeth Brooks in the 1921 Census for Lushes Bight, Long Island who is recorded as born August 1864 in Cupids. She is married to John Brooks who was born in September 1865 in Lushes Bight. This is the only Elizabeth Brooks I found in the 1921 Census.
One small inconsistency is that Elizabeth Brooks gives her year of birth as 1864 in the 1921 Census. It is reasonable to assume that Elizabeth Brooks lowered her age by one year by stating she was born in 1864 (rather than 1863) in the 1921 Census. Her husband John states his age as a year younger than Elizabeth claims.
I conclude Elizabeth (Taylor) Brooks is the daughter of Patience (Newell) Taylor and Nathaniel Taylor, and is not the wife of George Wiseman.
Elizabeth (Taylor) Wiseman's place of birth is recorded as Cupids, not Burnt Head, in her Death Registration. But, a number of those in the family of Robert Taylor and Alice Fowler (who moved from Burnt Head to Boot Harbour) were recorded as born in Cupids rather than Burnt Head, as follows:
1) Jacob Taylor's Death Registration records his place of birth as Cupids
2) Mary Taylor, wife of Henry Charles Anstey, is recorded in the 1921 Census as born in Cupids
3) Joanna Taylor, wife of Eliol Butt, is recorded in the 1921 Census as born in Cupids
4) Robert Taylor's Tombstone records him as "A Native of Burnt Head / Cupids"
Robert Taylor and Jacob Taylor both died before the 1921 Census. I have not found Death Registrations for Mary (Taylor) Anstey or Joanna (Taylor) Butt. I have found neither a 1921 Census entry nor a Death Registration for Caroline Taylor, wife of Joseph Tilley.
So, it's not unusual for someone residing near Little Bay Islands who was born in Burnt Head to be recorded in a Census or a Death Registration as born in Cupids.
George Wiseman and Elizabeth Taylor, both residents of Notre Dame Bay, were married on May 14 1883 at George Street Methodist Church in St. John's. The witnesses to their marriage were William John Taylor, Dorcas Wiseman, and Alfred Wiseman. Dorcas Wiseman and Alfred Wiseman are most likely George Wiseman's sister and brother. George Wiseman signed his name, and Elizabeth Taylor made her mark (indicating she could not write).
William John Taylor seems likely to be a resident of Boot Harbour. William John Taylor's first wife Patience Ann died in Boot Harbour on December 23 1882, and his first child Sabina with his second wife Rebecca Hill was born May 25 1884 in Boot Harbour. There is only one William John Taylor whose baptism is recorded in the Burnt Head Church of England between 1840 and 1877, and he is the son of Esau Taylor and Virtue Day of Burnt Head. It is not clear why William John Taylor is a witness; there is no baptism for a daughter Elizabeth of Esau Taylor and Virtue Day of Burnt Head.
Jacob Taylor and Mary Wiseman (George Wiseman's sister) are also residents of Boot Harbour. Their first child Georgina Alice was born November 23 1882 in Boot Harbour.
It's reasonable to believe Elizabeth Taylor, wife of George Wiseman, was connected in some way to the Taylor's residing in Boot Harbour in the early 1880's who moved there from Burnt Head. It's possible George Wiseman and Elizabeth Taylor met through George Wiseman's sister Mary who married Jacob Taylor. The marriage record for George Wiseman and Elizabeth Taylor records both of them as residing in "Notre Dame Bay"; so Elizabeth Taylor did not reside in Burnt Head at the time of her marriage to George Wiseman. Furthermore, it seems likely Elizabeth Taylor was originally from Burnt Head because of her connection to these Taylor's of Boot Harbour.
The children of Robert Taylor and Alice Fowler who moved to Boot Harbour were all married in the vicinity of Notre Dame Bay - Twillingate (Jacob), Little Bay Islands (Caroline and Mary), and Springdale (Joanna). So, it is unusual and inconsistent Elizabeth Taylor, wife of George Wiseman, married in St. John's if she was also the daughter of Robert Taylor and Alice Fowler. Possibly, their marriage was in St. John's so that her family, who were still residing in Burnt Head, could attend.
To summarize:
1. It seems reasonable to believe Elizabeth Taylor, wife of George Wiseman, was born in Burnt Head even though her Death Registration records her place of birth as Cupid's.
2. There are only two Elizabeth Taylor's whose baptisms indicate they were born in Burnt Head in the 1860's in the available baptisms for churches in Cupids, Burnt Head, and Brigus. They are daughters of Robert and Patience Taylor of Burnt Head, and of Nathaniel and Patience Taylor of Burnt Head.
3. There is evidence that eliminates Elizabeth, daughter of Nathaniel and Patience Taylor, as the wife of George Wiseman.
It is possible Elizabeth is an unknown (i.e. no baptism record has been found) sister of Jacob Taylor, William John Taylor, or another Taylor of Boot Harbour (such as Esau Taylor). It is possible Elizabeth is the daughter of Robert Taylor and Alice Fowler as per Bill Pritchett.
I am unable to determine beyond a reasonable doubt the parents of Elizabeth Taylor, wife of George Wiseman, without additional information or without making new connections from the available information. For now, I have recorded Elizabeth Taylor as the daughter of Robert Taylor and Patience Taylor; recognizing this relationship may not be correct.
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