Samuel Taft

Infobox Military Person
name=Samuel Taft
lived=September 23, 1735—August 2, 1816


caption=
nickname=
placeofbirth=Upton, Massachusetts flagicon|Massachusetts
placeofdeath=Uxbridge, Massachusetts flagicon|Massachusetts
allegiance=United States flagicon|United States
branch=
Massachusetts Militia
serviceyears=1775-1780
rank=Private
unit=Worcester 9th Company, Capt. Thaddeus Read's co.,

Col. Nathan Tyler's regt
commands=
battles=Battles of Lexington and Concord, American Revolution
awards=
relations=
laterwork=tavern proprietor and farmer, hosted President George Washington on innaugural tour

father of 22

Samuel Taft was born 23 September 1735 at Upton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, and died in 1816 at Uxbridge Worcester County, Massachusetts, in his 80th year. cite book|last=Mass.|first=Uxbridge|authorlink=|title="Vital Records of Uxbridge, Massachusetts to the Year 1850|pages= p.409,|date=1851|publisher=Thomas Williams Baldwin|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=6lj7wmu0U2IC&dq=Samuel+Taft+of+Uxbridge&pg=PA235&ots=kbl8tM2at5&sig=MW5Zl5YQwXgYUawOVq1iwYpt-bU&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3DSamuel%2BTaft%2Bof%2BUxbridge&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=2&cad=legacy#PPA321,M1|accessdate=2007-10-27] .

Early life

Samuel was the son of Israel Taft, and Mercy Aldrich, both of whom were from Mendon. Samuel's father, Israel Taft, was the grandson of the first American Taft, Robert Taft, Sr of Mendon

Taft was an American Revolutionary War soldier from Uxbridge, Massachusetts. The vital records of Uxbridge, records that Samuel Taft had intentions to marry Mary Murdock on Dec. 16, 1758..cite book|last=Mass.|first=Uxbridge|authorlink=|title="Vital Records of Uxbridge, Massachusetts to the Year 1850|pages= p.321|date=1851|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=6lj7wmu0U2IC&dq=Samuel+Taft+of+Uxbridge&pg=PA235&ots=kbl8tM2at5&sig=MW5Zl5YQwXgYUawOVq1iwYpt-bU&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3DSamuel%2BTaft%2Bof%2BUxbridge&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=2&cad=legacy#PPA321,M1|accessdate=2007-10-27] The vital records of Uxbridge, record that a number of his children, including Frederick, Marcy, Merret, Otice, Perley, Sibbel and George S. were born to Samuel and Mary Taft. His wife Mary died after 28 years of marriage in the year 1785. Samuel married Experience Humes 9 Jan 1786 at Uxbridge, Ma; died 2 Aug 1816 at Uxbridge, Ma, at age 80. The children from both marriages and their subsequent marriages are listed on the external link. [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~taft/Taftdes5.htm#id4997]

:"513 i. Frederic5 Taft; born 19 Jun 1759; married Abigail Wood 20 Jun 1782 at Upton, Ma; died 10 Feb 1846 atUxbridge, Ma, at age 86. :514 ii. Sibyl Taft; born 19 Aug 1760; died 28 Sep 1761 at Uxbridge, Ma, at age 1. :+ 515 iii. Lyman Taft, born 14 Mar 1762; married Deborah Wood. :516 iv. Sibyl Taft; born 13 Nov 1763; married Edward Ruggles 14 Feb 1786 at Uxbridge, Ma; died 10 Apr 1809 at age 45. :517 v. Marcy Taft; born 23 Apr 1765; died 25 Apr 1768 at Uxbridge, Ma, at age 3. :518 vi. Willard Taft; born 30 Oct 1766; married Lovisa Preston 22 Jan 1789 at Northbridge, Ma; married Jerusha Fletcher 22 Jan 1807 at ?Putney, VT; died 14 Sep 1845 at Putney, VT, at age 78. :519 vii. Parla Taft; born 20 Jan 1768; died 13 Apr 1768 at Uxbridge, Ma. :520 viii. Merritt Taft; born 26 Jan 1769; died Dec 1832 at Washington, NY, at age 63. :521 ix. Otis Taft; born 29 Oct 1771; married Mary Ann Holyrod 15 Oct 1818; died 18 Jun 1835 at age 63. :522 x. Marcy Taft; born 26 Jan 1773; died 1855. :523 xi. Parla Taft; born 24 Mar 1774; married Cornelius Wells 16 Jul 1799. :524 xii. Washington Taft; born 15 Sep 1775; died 29 Apr 1779 at Uxbridge, Ma, at age 3. :525 xiii. Phila (Philena) Taft; born 11 Mar 1781; married Timothy Craggin 6 Jun 1799; died before 1814 at New York, NY. :526 xiv. George Washington Taft; born 1 May 1783; married Nancy Hills 17 Jul 1803; died 30 Nov 1824 at ?Cincinnati, OH, at age 41. Children of Samuel4 Taft and Experience Humes all born at Uxbridge, Ma, were as follows: :527 i. Dandridge5 Taft; born 1 Aug 1787; died 10 Aug 1832 at Uxbridge, Ma, at age 45. :528 ii. Warner Taft; born 15 Sep 1789; married Mary Taft, daughter of Elisha Taft and Mary Sadler, 21 Jan 1821 at ?Upton, Ma; died 3 Apr 1837 at Uxbridge, Ma, at age 47. :529 iii. Experience Taft; born 10 Dec 1791; marriedElijah Holman 25 Oct 1820; died 30 Nov 1863 at age 71. :530 iv. Mary Polly Taft; born 18 Mar 1794; marriedJoseph Hartshorne Perry 16 Feb 1820 atUxbridge, Ma; died 16 Feb 1885 at Webster, Ma, at age 90.""

ervice in Revolutionary War

He served in the American Revolutionary War as a private with a company from Worcester County.cite web|title="Tafts of Massachusetts, Revolutionary War"|url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~taft/TaftMassRev.html|publisher=rootsweb|accessdate=2007-10-27] . He served in Capt. Thaddeus Read's co., Col. Nathan Tyler's regt.

A famous visitor

In 1789, Samuel Taft was the proprietor of a tavern in Uxbridge. This tavern is now known as Samuel Taft House. Newly elected President of the United States, George Washington, stayed one evening with Mr. Taft and his family. The President wrote a letter to Mr. Taft, from his next stop, on Nov. 8th at Hartford, thanking him for his service and giving some gifts to Samuel's daughters.

* A new president visits: President Washington stayed at the "Samuel Taft Tavern" in November 1789, during his innaugural trip through New England.cite book |last= Chapin |first= Judge Henry |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Address Delivered at the Unitarian Church in Uxbridge; 1864 |publisher= Charles Hamilton Press (Harvard Library; from Google Books) |date= 1881 |location= Worcester, Mass. |pages= |url= |doi= |id= |isbn= ]

November 8, 1789.

:

Sir:

::

Being informed that you have given my name to one of your sons, and called another after Mrs. Washington's family, and being moreover very much pleased with the modest and innocent looks of your two daughters, Patty and Polly, I do for these reasons send each of these girls a piece of chintz; and to Patty, who bears the name of Mrs. Washington, and who waited more upon us than Polly did, I send five guineas, with which she may buy herself any little ornament she may want, or she may dispose of them in any other manner more agreeable to herself. As I do not give these things with a view to having it talked of, or even to its being known, the less there is said about the matter the better you will please me; but, that I may be sure the chintz and money have got safe to hand, let Patty, who I dare say is equal to it, write me a line informing me thereof, directed to 'The President of the United States at New York.' I wish you and your family well, and am,

:

etc. Yours,

:

George Washington

::

– Letter to Mr. Samuel Taft, written from Hartford on November 8,1789

It is possible that President George Washington referts to Perley in his letter as "Polly" and one of the other girls as "Patty". These could have been their nicknames and not their given names.

amuel Taft House

Samuel Taft House is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and an external link below tells the story of the house and has a picture. [http://www.blackstonerivervalley.com/navigator/towns/uxbridgearticle.php] . President William Howard Taft, also stayed here in 1910.

A famous family

The famous Taft family from Uxbridge and Mendon, has produced a line of politicians throughout the USA, including another President, William Howard Taft, whose grandfather, Peter Rawson Taft I was born in Uxbridge in 1785.

Death

The town of Uxbridge vital records recorded Samuel Taft, Revolutionary soldier's death, on Aug. 2, 1816, in his 80th year.

External links

* [http://www.blackstonerivervalley.com/navigator/towns/uxbridgearticle.php Photo and story of Samuel Taft home]

Notes