THE TAYLOR-BRANCH FAMILY
By Alf Poplin Taylor

During the eleventh century in England (1066) the name of the Taylor family was spelled Taillifer. By 1635, the name had been changed to its present form. James Taylor, the first of the family to leave Carlisle, England to immigrate to America, lived four miles northeast of Orange Co. Courthouse in Virginia. He was a large landowner, a surveyor and married Martha Thompson. Nine children were born to them, two of whom became grandparents of two Presidents of the United States: James Madison and Zachary Taylor.

Thomas Taylor from Virginia was a settler in Davidson Co., TN in 1785. His wife's given name was Martha, but her maiden name is not known. In 1795 Thomas Taylor registered a land grant for 320 acres of land on the east waters of the Whites Creek in Davidson Co., TN. This grant was assigned to Thomas Taylor by Benjamin Jones, a private in the Revolutionary Army to whom it had been originally granted for war service. Thomas Taylor and his wife, Martha Taylor, became the parents of ten children:

1 James Taylor, born 11 July 1771, married 1818, Belle McGavock.
2 Susana Taylor, (2 Jan 1775-10 Sept 1822), married 28 Feb 1807, William Shaw.
3 John Taylor, born 2 Jan 1775.
4 Mary Taylor, born 4 March 1777, married 6 Aug 1794, Evans Tracy.
5 Robert Taylor (28 April 1779- ca 1846), married 4 April 1806, Eliza Branch in Davidson Co., TN.
6 Fannie or Hannah Taylor, born 22 April 1784, Marris 6 June 1799, Robert Branch.
7 Sarah Taylor (2 March 1786-10 June 1805).
8 Thomas Taylor II (27 Jan 1790-27 Dec 1852), married 25 May 1812, Martha Branch.
9 Margaret "Peggy" Taylor, born 22 Oct 1794, married 5 Sept 1810, John Branch.
10 Martha "Patsy" Taylor (22 Oct 1794-10 Feb 1816), married 23 Aug 1811, Jonathan Clay.

Another permanent family who moved from Virginia to Tennessee was the family. Benjamin Branch, born about 1740 in Southampton Co., VA married Nancy Neblett in Virginia on 5 Sept 1778. He moved with his family to Montgomery Co., TN about 1796 and about 1800 moved to the upper waters of White Creek, about four miles from Nashville, Davidson Co., TN. Eliza Branch, daughter of Benjamin Branch and Nancy Neblett Branch, married Robert Taylor, son of Thomas and Martha Taylor (see above). About 1840 Robert and Eliza moved to Rutherford Co TN. They bought a farm fifteen miles from Murfreesboro, three miles west of Versailles on which they built a large house and raised a large family. This house still stands today, owned and occupied by a Taylor descendant, te family of Frank Ivan Taylor. The house is colonial, begun in 1827, and similar to four others-- Jackson, 2 Nances, & Ransom.

Robert and Eliza Branch Taylor became the parents of thirteen children:

1 Sally Taylor (5 Jan 1807-18 Dec 1887) married 16 Nov 1825, Christopher Brooks. There were seven Brooks children: Ann, William, Elisha, Molly, Martha, James, Christopher.
2 Benjamin Branch Taylor (4 Dec 1808-11 July 1889), first married 7 Dec 1837 in Williamson Co., Minerva Ann Elam. There were eight children:
a Aridne Taylor, b 7 Nov 1838, died at 18 months.
b Harrison Taylor (7 Nov 1840-1 Dec 1864), was a Confederate soldier killed at Franklin.
c Edward Elam Taylor (20 March 1843-ca 1923), married 15 Oct 1865, Sue Hendrix, went to Knox Co., TX (Confederate Veteran.).
d Eleanora Taylor (5 July 1845--- Dec 1930) married 18 Aug 1870, William E Campbell.
e Benjamin Samuel Taylor (29 July 1847-19 April 1924), Confederate veteran, married Fanny Stulz who died, in Runnels Co., TX, married second, Janny Biles of McKenzie, TN.
f John Theophilus Taylor (1 April 1850-14 Feb 1909), married April 1876, Tennie Poplin. They had 7 children:

(1) Alf Poplin Taylor(27 Jan 1877-1920), twin of Benjamin.
(2) Benjamin B Taylor, b 27 Jan 1877, twin of Alf, married first Annie Lytle Burns on 3 Dec 1900, had one child Elain, who married Will Landers. The Landers had one child, Lytle Landers. Benjamin B. married second Margaret Hartman, 24 Jan 1908. They had three children:
(a) Mary Taylor married Willie Kelly and had 6 children: Billy Kelly who was killed in Korea, Bobby Kelly, Ben Kelly, Margaret Kelly, George Kelly, and Leslie Kelly.
(b) Delle Taylor, the first recipient of the ?Ellen Ransom scholarship, married Wilber Hodge and had two children: Emily Dell Hodge, and Taylor Hodge.
(c) Benjamin B Taylor, Jr died in infancy.
Benjamin B Taylor's third marriage was to Emma Taylor.
(3) William E (Bill) Taylor, married 3 Dec 1904, Minnie Maxwell. They had three children:

(a) Robert Taylor died in his 20's.
(b) Cecil Taylor, married Mary Lee Comer and had two children:William E Taylor married 14 Aug 1956, Jane Foil, Concord, NC; Marie Taylor married 1 Dec 1951; Ben J Powell.
(c) Alf Poplin Taylor, married Altie Blanton and had 7 children:
Bonnie Lou Taylor, Josephine Taylor, Alf Taylor, Jr, jean Taylor, Walter Taylor, Peggy Taylor, Judy Leah Taylor. (4) Robert Taylor, who died young.
(5) Patrick C Taylor, who died ca 1931-32.
(6) John Rushing Taylor, born 1894, married Audrey Jackson. They had one child, J Rush Taylor, Jr, who married Sarah Elrod and had one son, Johnny Taylor.
(7) Frank Ivan Taylor, b 1 April 1898, married Magnus Puckett. They had three children:
(a) Ruth Allen Taylor, b 28 March 1919, married Avery Bell and had 2 children: Rebecca Lou Bell, Nancy Jane Bell
(b) Died in infancy.
(c) Herman Puckett Taylor married Joyce Alexander Lowe, her second. She already had 2 children.
g Minerva Elizabeth Taylor, married Francis Marion (Frank) Carlton, of Rockvale. (See Frank Carlton family.)
h Dixie Oscar Taylor (a son), (3 Aug 1859-21 April 1934) went to Texas early in life where he was twice married and had five children. During his declining years, he returned alone to Rockvale, TN to make his home with his sister Betty Taylor Carlton. Later Oscar barbered in Rockvale, returned to Texas for a short time, and still later lived with his nephew, Alf Taylor and wife until his death.
3 Martha Ann Taylor, b 13 Sept 1810 (no other record).
4 Thomas Taylor, III, b 6 Sept 1812, married Louisa Lamb, moved to Henry Co., TN.
5 Grizzly Taylor, b 6 June 1814, married John Jordan (no other record).
6 Robert Taylor, b 24 March 1816, married Phoebe Cheatham, moved to Weakley Co., TN.
7 Eliza Taylor, b 25 Nov 1817, married William White, lived in Rutherford Co.
8 Julia Wilmoth Taylor, b 16 Feb 1820, married John Sharber, moved to Kentucky.
9 James Morrow Taylor, b 3 Jan 1822, married Jeanette Jackson (no other record).
10 Frances Taylor, b 15 Nov 1823, married Joseph Brooks (no other record).
11 John Joseph Taylor, b 21 Aug 1826 (no other record).
12 Maria Amand Taylor, b 5 Feb 1828, married 3 Sept 1860, married John Nunn, moved to Texas.
13 William Carol Taylor, b 6 Nov 1830, in Rutherford Co, Martha Jane White. They had ten children:

a James Thomas Taylor married 18 April 1895, Susie Lou Davis. They lived first on Bumper Hill-Rover area, then in Eagleville where Freeland Jackson last lived, and beginning in 1909 in Rover. James Thomas and Susie Lou Davis Taylor had eleven children, seven now living. These were Ira H Taylor (deceased); Allie Pearl (deceased); Lizzie Alma Taylor; Jim Wilkie Taylor; and Gene Clyde Taylor. All seven living have families except Ella and Gene. All are well known in the Versailles-Rover-Eagleville area.
b Dora Taylor married Wood Cothran. c Robert Vincent Taylor married Mary R Puckett.
d Jack P Taylor
e Sam Henry Taylor married "Dink" Hudson and is father of Pope and Alene Taylor.
f Matilda Taylor married Wilkie Vaughn.
g Fanny Taylor married Monroe Ralston. h Lizzie Taylor.
i Annie Taylor married ? Bumpas.
j Emma Taylor