Blog

A few months ago, when searching for some information I found a reference to one of my ancestors on a site called Royal Blood. Royal Blood is a site that claims to list people who can trace their ancestry to European Royalty, in particular Charlemagne the Great - Holy Roman Emperor (742-814).

The ancestor I was searching for information about was “William Dawtrey” who was my 12th great grandfather.

In researching my Nurse ancestors in the Chew Magna area of North Somerset, I came across the following entry in the Chew Stoke parish register.

“5 Jan 1695 – Robert Nurse was buried 
Rebecca Nurse of Chew Stoke hath made affidavit before Robert Payne ___, of Norton Malreward in the presence of Mary Lassey and Jone Walker for burying in woolen. – January 12 1695”

While I don’t remember being taught this at school, both my Mum and Dad insisted they had learnt the Kings and Queens of England using this mnemonic verse (or a variant thereof).

In many ways Henry Taylor is a pivotal player in my Family Tree research. In my article on the life of Francis Fane Taylor I mentioned that he was born in Farley, nr Salisbury and his father was Henry Taylor. I have also shown in my article on John Taylor - the landscape painter - that Henry Taylor was the youngest child of John and Rebecca Taylor. But how do we know that this was the same Henry Taylor. After all Henry and Taylor are both common names today and were also common names in early 19th century England.

Ann Jane Taylor was the eldest daughter of Francis Fane Taylor of Winsley in Wiltshire. In this article I will describe the life of Francis Fane Taylor, who was a farmer nr Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. Francis was my 3rd Great Grandfather.

Ann Jane Taylor, Robert Nurse’s wife, and my great great grandmother was a descendent of John Taylor, the Landscape Painter, so he was my 5th great grandfather. John was the only son of Abraham Taylor and Philadelphia Gordon - the daughter of Major General Patrick Gordon2, Deputy Governor and effective head of the Province of Pennsylvania from 1726 until his death in 1736.

Robert Francis Nurse my great grandfather was the eldest son of Robert and Ann Nurse. He was well educated, having finished his education at Dr. Nunn's School, a private boarding school in Portland Square, near the center of Bristol, with his younger brother, William Richmond

Abraham Taylor was a prosperous Philadelphia merchant and friend of Benjamin Franklin, before the American Revolution. He was my 6th great grandfather