Notes |
- Bill Pritchett's letters in January 2001 state the following relationships and other information:
1. 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.
2. Elizabeth Taylor's parents were Robert Taylor bc 1824 Burnt Head (BH) died 21 Jan 1900 Boot Harbour, and Alice Fowler b 1834 Brigus, buried 4 Dec 1878 BH.
3. Robert Taylor's parents were Jacob Taylor and Mary.
4. Jacob Taylor's parents were William Taylor and Elizabeth Ash.
5. Elizabeth's Taylor's siblings were:
a. Jacob b 10 Jul 1853 BH m. Mary Wiseman 24 Oct 1881
b. William b 1856 BH m. Suzanna Mary Boone 14 Dec 1879
c. James b 1859 BH m. Emily Boone 24 Nov 1883
d. Caroline b 1865 BH m. Joseph Tilley 8 Dec 1884
e. Mary b Mar 1869 BH m. Henry Charles Anstey 25 Apr 1889
f. Benjamin Morgan b 1872 BH died Oct 1876 BH
g. Johanna b 1874 BH m. Eliol Butt 1 Mar 1894
6. Elizabeth's Taylor's siblings Caroline, Mary, Jacob, & Johanna all moved to Little Bay Islands or vicinity; William and James stayed at Burnt Head or vicinity.
Bill Pritchett's letters in January 2001 also stated "All bapt, births, marriages come from parish records at the Provincial Archives”.
Were Bill Pritchett's statements that George Wiseman married Elizabeth Taylor, that George Wiseman's sister Mary married Elizabeth Taylor's brother Jacob, and that Elizabeth Taylor's parents were Robert Taylor and Alice Fowler based solely on his parish records research at the Rooms Provincial Archives? 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, wouldn’t Bill Pritchett mention this when he wrote about his sources that "All bapt, births, marriages come from parish records at the Provincial Archives"?
If Bill Pritchett's research, especially his conclusion Elizabeth Taylor's parents were Robert Taylor and Alice Fowler, is based solely on The Rooms Parish Records Collection, I should be able to research the same parish records and reach the same conclusions.
The results of my Rooms Provincial Archives research in the Burnt Head parish records and other sources, and my conclusions are as follows.
Elizabeth (Taylor) Wiseman's Civil Death Registration records her death on May 20 1892 in Little Bay Islands 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 at Burnt Head Church of England, 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 at Brigus Methodist. (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, perhaps including an Elizabeth Taylor who is the daughter of Robert Taylor and Alice Fowler.
The Burnt Head Church of England Cemetery has a tombstone for Patience Taylor who died January 13 1892. On this tombstone is the following inscription: Erected by Elizabeth Brooks in Loving Memory of Her Mother. Elizabeth (Taylor) Brooks who erected this gravestone is not a candidate to be Elizabeth Taylor, wife of George Wiseman, who was only married to George Wiseman.
There is an Elizabeth Brooks in the 1921 Census for Lushes Bight, Long Island, District of Twillingate who is recorded as born August 1864 in Cupids. She is married to John Brooks born September 1865 in Lushes Bight. She is the only Elizabeth Brooks born 1860-1870 in the 1921 Census of Newfoundland. Her date and place of birth are consistent with Elizabeth, daughter of Nathaniel and Patience Taylor of Burnt Head. Lushes Bight, Long Island is about 5 km southeast of Little Bay Islands.
FamilySearch's Canada, Newfoundland Vital Statistics, 1753-1893 records the marriage of Elizabeth Taylor Spinster of Burnt Head and Richard Mercer Widower of Bay Roberts on March 21 1890 at Bay Roberts Church of England. No ages are recorded and there is no Taylor as a witness.
FamilySearch's Canada, Newfoundland Vital Records, 1840-1949 records the marriage of Elizabeth Mercer age 32 Widow and John Brooks age 35 Widower, both of Lush's Bight, on November 16 1898 at Lush's Bight, District of Twillingate. There is no Taylor as a witness.
It is reasonable to conclude Elizabeth Brooks who erected the tombstone for Patience Taylor in the Burnt Head Church of England Cemetery is the daughter of Nathaniel and Patience Taylor of Burnt Head, and this is the tombstone for Patience Newell, wife of Nathaniel Taylor (who married December 4 1856 at Burnt Head Church of England).
The Death Registration for Elizabeth Taylor, wife of George Wiseman, records her place of birth as Cupids, not Burnt Head. 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 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). All witnesses signed.
Witness William John Taylor may be a resident of Boot Harbour (although the marriage was in St. John’s). 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 Daw 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 Daw 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 is 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 is 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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