The Hunt, King, Taylor,
Fawks, Lancaster, Mitchell
and Harris Connection.


John Taylor
of Nansemond Co., Virginia
and Chowan, Granville
Bute (Warren), And Franklin
By the late Bill Royce Linder
Page Copyright © 2000, Frederick Smoot. All Rights Reserved.

John Taylor lived the latter part of his life in Franklin County, North Carolina, where he left a will in June 1785.

He was born about 1718. John Taylor bought 77 acres in Chowan County, North Carolina, in 1742, and when he sold it in 1747 he was “of Nansemond County in Virginia Planter. ” He was still “of Nansemond County, Virginia” when he bought 357 acres in Granville County, North Carolina, from Thomas Hunt in 1763. His 1785 will in Franklin County named his wife Mary. He was deceased by June 1788 when his will was proved in Franklin County.

By combining the direct and circumstantial evidence, the children of John and Mary Taylor of Franklin County, North Carolina, have been determined:

1. Ann Taylor, b. 2 Feb 1745 Nansemond Co., VA, d. 1821-24 TN, md. 31 Jan 1766 Bute Co., NC, Henry Hunt (b. 28 Nov 1744, d. 16 June 1825 Sumner or Wilson Co., TN. Rev. War, NC). Henry Hunt was likely a brother of the above Hardy Hunt who married Sarah Taylor, and a son of Thomas Hunt whose 1790 will in Franklin Co., NC, includes sons Hardy and Henry Hunt. Both Henry and Hardy Hunt are enumerated in 1800 in Franklin Co., NC, p. 463. Children (at least): Eunice (Unicy) Hunt, b. 21 Nov 1766 Granville Co., NC, md. ______ Adams, and d. aft. Aug 1825; Benjamin Hunt, b. 29 Jan 1769 Bute Co., NC, md. Susannah Moore, and d. c. 1833 Wilson Co., TN; Jesse Hunt, b. 8 May 1771 Bute Co., NC, d. c. 1865 Wilson Co., TN; Tabitha Hunt, b. 19 Apr 1777, md. Josiah Thomas, and d. 6 Mar 1858; Hardy Hunt, b. 18 Jan 1783 Franklin Co., NC, md. 5 Jan 1803 Franklin Co., NC, Nancy Gay, and d. 1 Sep 1860 Gibson Co., TN.

2. Sarah (“Sally”) Taylor, b. c. 1746 Nansemond Co., VA, md. Hardy Hunt (b. c. 1746, d. 19 Mar 1829 Sumner Co., TN, will rec. May 1829). Hardy Hunt was a son of Thomas Hunt whose 1790 will in Franklin Co., NC, includes sons Hardy and Henry Hunt. Hardy Hunt moved to Smith Co., TN, abt 1800 and later owned land in Smith, Sumner, and Wilson Cos., TN. He was enumerated in 1840 in Wilson Co., TN, p. 288. Children: Sion Hunt, b. 15 Mar 1769 Bute Co., NC, md. bef. 1792 Franklin Co., NC, Sarah ______, and d. May 1845 Christian Co., KY; Mary (“Polly”) Hunt, md. ____ Allen; Patsey Hunt, md. ______ Linsey; Sarah (“Sally”) Hunt, md. 20 Oct 1802 Samuel Taylor; Alsa Hunt, md. (1) John Seawell, md. (2) 3 Nov 1808 Sumner Co., TN, Rhodan Rawlings, and d. bef. 1812 Sumner Co., TN; Chloe Hunt, md. 21 Dec 1804 Sumner Co., TN, David Hobbs; Lucretia Hunt, md. 22 Aug 1820 Sumner Co., TN, Dixon Stroud; Penelope Hunt, md. 2 July 1810 Sumner Co., TN, Fielding Grimsley, and d. c. 1828; Sabrina Hunt, md. 30 Nov 1810 Sumner Co., TN, Charles White; Hardy Hunt, Jr., b. 1777, d. 1859, lived Sumner Co., TN; Thomas Hunt, b. c. 1778 Bute Co., NC, md. Mary White, and d. c. 1831 Sumner Co., TN; Elizabeth Hunt, md. William Mitchell; and John Hunt.

3. ______? Taylor, b. c. 1749 VA or NC, md. Wilson Denson (He md. [2] 22 Sep 1821 Franklin Co., NC, [the widow] Mary Andrews, and d. bef. Sep Ct. 1822 Franklin Co., NC). Children: Sarah (“Sally”) Denson, md. Charles Hines; Nancy Denson, md. Hardy Wood; Eley Denson md. [bond] 15 Apr 1815 Franklin Co., NC, Patsy Ross; Rebecca Denson, md. [bond] 5 Oct 1808 (1818?) Franklin Co., NC, Boykin Taylor (son of Harry Taylor and Sarah Boykin); and Julia Denson.

4. Mary Lucretia Taylor, b. 23 Jan 1758 NC, d. 29 Apr 1842 Franklin Co., NC, md. 23 Mar 1777 Warren Co., NC, Jesse Webb (b. 29 Apr 1756, d. 3 Oct 1837 Franklin Co., NC; in Feb 1838, Leroy Mitchell, exec.). Children: Clarissa Webb, md. Sherwood Evans; Bowen Webb; William Taylor Webb, b. c. 1790, NC, d. c. 1859 Gibson Co., TN, md. 13 Feb 1813 Cumberland Co., NC, Mourning Denby Eley (b. c. 1793 NC, dau. of Josiah Eley and Charity Denby of Franklin Co., NC); Wilson D. (Dawson or Denson) Webb; George Washington Webb; Elizabeth Webb; Martha (Rutha?) Webb, md. ______ Hopkins; and Mary Taylor Webb, md. 17 Sep 1833 Franklin Co., NC, Thomas Stokes. Jesse Webb was a Private, Rev. War, NC.

5. Ruth Taylor, b. c. 1760 NC, md. (1) William Powell (est. 1786, Hardy Hunt adm.). Children: John Powell; Mary Powell. Ruth md. (2) William Babb (b. 1763). Children: Elizabeth Babb, b. 1787, md. Nov 1806 Benjamin Winford of Wilson Co., TN; Martha T. Babb, md. 11 Sep 1817 Mathew Horn; Chloe Babb, md. 17 Jan 1816 John Guthrie, son of Wm. C. Guthrie, bur. nr. Lebanon, TN; Clarissa Babb, md. 10 Oct 1815 Warren Moore; and Bennett Babb, md. (1) 21 Jan 1817 Abegale Guthrie in Wilson Co., TN, md. (2) 20 Jun 1837 Rachel White in Wilson Co., TN.

6. Mourning Taylor, b. 1767 (83-1850) NC, md. (bond) 12 Sep 1789 Franklin Co., NC, John Mitchell [Jr.] (wd 2 Oct 1840, wp Sep 1849 Franklin Co., NC). Children (at least): John T. Mitchell; Mary Mitchell, md. ______ Spikes; Leroy (Lee Roy) Mitchell (executor of his father’s will), b. 17 Nov 1797, d. 4 May 1865, md. (1) 29 Apr 1828, Susan Parker Hines (dau. of Allen Hines and Judith Parker), md. (2) 26 June 1838, Elizabeth Gooden Jones, md. (3) 11 Aug 1846, Mary Eleanor Wiatt Foster; and Nancy Mitchell, b. 1812 NC. A year after the marriage, on 12 Sep 1790, John Green of Franklin Co. sold to John Mitchell of same, for 100 pounds, 30 acres on the east side of Cypress Swamp adj. Denson and Green. Wit: Wilson Denson and Sion Hunt. John Mitchell shows on Franklin Co. censuses. The 1850 census for Davis’ district lists Mourning Mitchell, aged 83, in a household with Nancy, aged 38, adjoining Leroy Mitchell and family.