Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Edward Weston Taylor

Edward Weston Taylor
b. 1890 Charleston, South Carolina
d. 1948 Detroit, Michigan 

This handsome young man,Edward was born to John L. Taylor and Cordelia Reeder in 1890 in Charleston, South Carolina. Edward completed his third year of High School. His first recorded job was a Acid Phosphate Mill worker. The Bennett Mill He was a educated young man, and would more than likely have been a trust worthy person, to have held such a position for a young man of color.56. West Point Rice Mill






1900 census record
In 1900, Edward Taylor, was 11 years old and living in Charleston, Sc. on Maverick St. with his father, mother, 3 brothers and 2 sisters.

1910 census record
In 1910, Edward is still living on Maverick St. in Charleston, Sc with his Parents, 3 Brothers and now 5 Sisters.

  • Father~John L. Taylor
  • Mother~Cordelia Reeder
  • John 
  • William
  • Robert
  • Ethel
  • Hermea
  • Cordelia
  • May
  • Earnest
This is a Birdseye view of Charleston abt. 1900's


1914 Charleston, South Carolina. City Directory


Here Edward is recorded along with is wife Hattie. His occupation is recorded as a carpenter, and appears to be living on 8 Jasper St. Give this address a quick Google search, and you'll see the lovely home still standing, a bit over grown, but use your imagination and go back a hundred years earlier, and Wow, what a fine house for that time, and in a colored community.  

United States World War 1 Draft Reg.Card




I really enjoyed this draft card, because it gives so much information, to start of with he was 28 years of age during the draft, clearly gives his date of birth, and fun bit of information his coloring, a natural brown, and even his own signature!!! Please notice a few other facts where he was working at the time and a description of him, even.



1920  record census








In 1920 Edward Taylor was 29 years old living in Charleston, Sc. with his wife Hattie and 2 daughters, Harriett & Alethea. Edward is still living on Maverick street and only three houses down from his parents and two of his siblings, Earnest & May. The 1920 census enumerator has mistakenly put Cordelia as[Delia]. Delia may have been a nickname,though.1930 census record







In This 1930 census you'll notice the young family appears to have moved from Maverick St. Charleston, South Carolina to Jacob St. Hamtramck, Michigan. The move must have been sometime after 1920. I really need to look more into that, and see if I can discover the (why?)for the move. Also this is the first time my Father Ralph Bennett Taylor appears on a census.


There are a few noticeable mistakes, In this census. 1st The enumerator has mistakenly misspelled the name Taylor [tylor] and also put Harriett as a [male].


Can you imagine the risk and worry this 40 year old husband and father must have went through leaving the only area he has ever really known. Adventuring out for an unknown finical future and what appears to be a place that holds some new dreams and possibly family independence.


He appears to be unemployed at this time, but his line of work is (labor) Auto Factory worker. During this time the population of Hamtramck rapidly increased from 3,500 to almost 48,000. By the mid-1920s,the factory workers made up 85% of the Hamtramck's head of households. Of those factory workers, half were not skilled for the job. The newly founded Dodge Main assembly plant created many jobs;however, Edward was having difficulty during that time. At some point I'll explore the reasoning he was unemployed for that period of time.But for now, It seems he was out of his element and did not have seniority. It would be difficult to leave an area that he may very well have had vast connections in his mulatto community.




Dodge Main 1930's


Dodge late 1920's~early 30's model



  • Father~Edward Taylor
    Mother~Hattie Taylor
    Harriett
    Alethea
    Edward
    Ralph


    1940 census record




9 comments:

  1. Looking Forward to many ;) "Post" Charleston family members enjoying this blog.

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  2. Oh Man!! I have a Taylor lineage, I am going to see if this is a connection. Please keep them coming!! Proud Gullah Geechee native right here and 10th generation Charlestonian

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for reading and posting on my blog.
      I've recently added a new post;however, on a Baxter family. (Part 1)
      I'm tweaking and verifying the Taylor family research material, but hope to get it posted in the near future.

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  3. Edward Weston Taylor and Ralph are brothers. Edward Taylor is the father

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    1. Thank you for visiting my Blog.

      Edward W.Taylor & Hattie(Bennett) are the parents of youngest child Ralph B. Taylor b.1924 Yes, his older Brother is Edward W. Jr. b.1922. My Dad and Uncle's Grandparents are John L. Taylor & Cordelia N. Reeder. I'd love to here more from you on this family line

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  4. hello my name is gilbert taylor i am the great great grandson of john taylor, the great grandson of robert, edwards older brother. I am just now really getting into this even though i have had questions for years i would love to talk to any members of the taylor family and learn more about our amazing roots and history

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    Replies
    1. My email luluandfifi@gmail.com
      Hope to hear from you, soon.

      Delete
  5. Hello Cousins! Thought I'd share the story my mom told me as to why the Taylors left Charleston. Great grand John work as a blacksmith and had done some repair work for a white customer. When it came time to pay, the white man refused. Great grand refused to return his property until payment was made. The white man returned with a few of his "boys" but gg had anticipated it and was waiting with his own armed posse. It was enough to put off the white man for the day but times being what they were, gg thought it best to leave. He was smart enough to split up so some ended up in New York while others headed west ending up in Michigan. My grandmother migrated to the US in 1923 to I've with her mother who was already in the states. They live in an apartment building in Harlem owned by gg John. It's where she met my grandfather, William Reeder Taylor (brother to Edward, Robert, etc).

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  6. Oh my! I am also a great great granddaughter of John Taylor via son James Taylor. It is so awesome to read about my lineage. I started working on my tree on ancestry.com some years ago and stopped because it was getting hard to trace back information when family members were not able to help with details. I came across Felissa's blog through a message she left in 2016 that I just read today! Thank you for sharing your blog and thank you Darlene for providing your story. That explains why my family lived in NY for a while. :)

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