John H. Taylor was born in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, February 26, 1801, and, is the only living member of a family of seven children of Woody B. and Nancy (Seay) Taylor, who were born and married in the “Palmetto State,” and moved to Georgia, and in 1809 to Tennessee. At that time the country was covered with canebrake, and Lynchburg contained only two log cabins. Woody B. Taylor died in 1840, and the mother in 1846.
John H. resided with his parents until July 18, 1826, when he wedded Elizabeth Ford, who was born in South Carolina and has since lived in the vicinity of Lynchburg. To this venerable couple ten children were born, seven of whom are living. Politically Mr. Taylor is a stanch democrat, and he and wife are members of the Baptist Church.
W. B. Taylor is the second of John H. Taylor’s children. He was born near his present residence March 15, 1829, and resided with his parents on the farm until his marriage, March 2, 1869, to Susan T. Keller, a daughter of Dr. J. A. Keller, a native of the county. He moved to Illinois in 1842, and there enlisted in the Mexican War as first lieutenant, and died from the effects of the service in 1847. The family then came to Lynchburg, where the mother, whose maiden name was Lauriette Walker, now lives. Mrs. Taylor was born September 23, 1840, and is a member of the Christian Church. Mr. Taylor served in the late war in Company E, Turney’s First Tennessee, and October 1, 1864, lost an arm at Petersburg, Virginia. He resided in Alabama a short time, but soon returned to Moore County, Tennessee, where he owns 180 acres of very fine land.