A. J. TAYLOR, a physician and farmer, was born January 3, 1831, in Washington County, Tenn., but from his infancy until 1853, he was partly raised in Greene County and partly in Cocke County. He came to his present home in 1853. He studied medicine with his brother, Dr. A. L. TAYLOR, and in 1856 began the practice of medicine where he now lives, and always with splendid success as a physician and financier. His years and susceptibility to exposure have compelled him to strive to withdraw from practice as much as possible. In 1862 he entered the First Tennessee Cavalry (United States army), and was afterward transferred to the Third Tennessee. He served until the summer of 1863, when, on account of ill health, he was forced to withdraw from the army. He was engaged during all his service as contract surgeon.
December 28, 1870, he married Martha J., daughter of John and Anna (THOMAS) BREAKBILL, both of Dutch origin. She was born and reared in Blount County. Their children are Nancy A. (Now Mrs. BOGLE), John S., Ira A., Andrew J., Mary J. and Clifford A. The family are members of the Missionary Baptist Church. The Doctor is a Republican, and cast his first vote for Pierce. He was school commissioner two years, and is a prominent man in his community. He is the youngest of nine children of John W. and Mary (BRITT) TAYLOR, both born on the Nero River, West Virginia, the former of English and the latter of Irish-English origin, and residents of Washington County, Tenn., from a very early age, but moved to Greene County when our subject was an infant. The grandfather’s name was William TAYLOR. Beginning in very limited circumstances, Dr. TAYLOR now owns 316 acres, part of which is highly cultivated, and located eleven miles east of Maryville.
Source: Goodspeed Publishing Co. History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present: Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of from Twenty-Five to Thirty Counties of East Tennessee. Chicago: Goodspeed, 1887.