William Taylor, b. 1644/45, England, sailed at age 11 on board the "Speedwell" from Gravesend to Boston, arriving on 27 May, 1656.

Many of the Speedwell immigrants settled in a precinct west of Sudbury, Massachusetts, in what was to become the settlement of Marlborough.  Traveling that young, it is likely that William Taylor was bound to one of the adult Speedwell immigrants as an apprentice.  Considering the vocation of many of his descendants, I speculate his occupation was a carpenter.

On April 14, 1666, the Town of Sudbury voted to pay Dr. John Chamber of Roxbury (now Boston), on behalf of Joseph Noyes,  for medical care to William Taylor, who injured his hand.  It is not certain this the same William Taylor, but it is highly likely, as Joseph Noyes appears to have been responsible for his care (i.e. he was perhaps bound to him?).

On November 15, 1671, William married Mary Johnson in Marlborough.  She died giving birth to their first son, Samuel, b. December 11, 1672.  With no one to care for him, however, Samuel too died on January 31, 1673.  At the outbreak of King Philip's War in 1675, we find William Taylor assigned to the garrison house of Deacon Ward.

At the end of the War, on July 16, 1677, William married again to Hannah (Merriam) Axtell, the widow of Henry Axtell, who was killed by Indians on the Marlborough-Sudbury road in April, 1676.  She had 5 children born of her first marriage: Samuel, Hannah, Mary, Thomas, and Daniel.  To this marriage was born Eleazer on April 11, 1678, named after the son of Deacon Ward slain during King Philip's War. Later also came William on January 21, 1680, but the trauma of childbirth took the life of Hannah on the same day.  The infant William succumbed to illness on May 16, 1681.

William took his third wife, Mary Cheevers, on November 28, 1683, in Cambridge, Mass.  To this union were born: Mary (b. December 6, 1684; d. February 4, 1685), Mary (b. June 26, 1686), Elizabeth (b. August 1, 1688), Daniel (b. June 19, 1690), William (b. February 15, 1692), Martha (b. November 14, 1694), and Marcy (b. July 27, 1697).  Mary succumbed to the trauma of childbirth on July 28, 1697.  Marcy died January 20, 1698.

William married again on February 3, 1699 to the widow Sarah (Wheeler) Parker.  To this union were born: Ebenezer (b. January 4, 1701) and Elisha (b. May 17, 1704).

William's life ended in Marlborough on July 28, 1706.  He left no will.  Administration papers were filed by Eleazer Taylor to adopt William, Mary, Elizabeth, and Martha.  Ebenezer was allowed to remain with his mother Sarah.

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The Descendants of Eleazer Taylor
The Descendants of Mary Taylor Heald- Link to Heald Website
The Descendants of Elizabeth Taylor Rice
The Descendants of Daniel Taylor
The Descendants of William Taylor
The Descendants of Martha Taylor Heald- Link to Heald Website
The Descendants of Ebenezer Taylor
The Descendants of Elisha Taylor

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Credits

The Taylor Research Group an online research forum
Generations in the Making more Taylor links
Marlborough, MA History Page includes some vital records and alot of other good info

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