Harriet Elizebeth Elrod Taylor

Profile image, photograph of Elizabeth Elrod Taylor McPherson, and second husband, Thomas Jefferson Taylor

Narrative follows citations. All records, citations mentioned are found either in this profile 'source' or attached to individual family member referenced.

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Corroborating citations and narratives:

• Following record Excerpt from Elrod|Macomberkin http://www.macomberkin.com/tng/getperson.php?personID=I170117&tree=...

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Elizabeth Mary McPherson

• Born: 9 Sep 1832 Indiana, United States
• Gender Female
• Residence as of 1 Jun 1860: Orangeville, Fannin, Texas, United States - Location: Farmhouse
• G.W. Elrod was 32 and Elizabeth was 24.

[Profile Manager Notation] Marriage to George Washington Elrod took place on January 22 1850, Orange County, Indiana. See sources for evidence.

Their children were:

• Mary P., age 9
• Robt. R., age 8
• Armilda J., age 7
• Sylvina, age 6
• Celia L, age 5
• Harriet E., age 2
• Infant, 3 months

1860 Census page 14, Orangeville, Texas

• Name: Mary Elizabeth Elrod
• Name: Mary Elizabeth Taylor

Died: 1906 Riverdale, Fresno County, California, United States

[Researcher notation regarding above citation of death:] Year of death was actually, 1905

Burial: Washington Colony Cemetery, Easton, North Fresno, Fresno County, California

Person ID I170117 MacomberKin | American Douthits, American Elrod family

Last Modified 3 Feb 2015

Family 1:

• Thomas Jefferson Taylor,
• Born: 9 Jun 1828, California, United States
• Married: 1864 Gilroy, Santa Clara, California, United States
• Last Modified: 11 Jun 2015
• Family ID F3195
• Type: Group Sheet

Children:

• Margaret Taylor born 1866
• Thomas J. Taylor Jr. born 1870 died 1923
• William D. Taylor born 1875

Family 2 :

• George Washington Elrod,
• Born: 1829, Orange, Indiana, United States
• Died: 1863, Texas, United States (Age 34 years)

Children:

• Mary P Elrod born about 1851 Indiana United States
• Robert R Elrod born about 1852 Indiana United States
• Armilda Elrod born about 1853 Indiana United States
• Cilia L Elrod born about 1855 Indiana United States
• Harriet E Elrod born about 1858 Texas United States
• Infant Elrod born about Mar 1860 Orangeville Fannin Texas United States
• Last Modified: 11 Jun 2015
• Family ID: F104150

[Researcher notation:] The more correct chronology of 'Family1 and Family2 would be reversed to the order shown above. First Marriage was to George Washington Elrod, Second Marriage: Thomas Jefferson Taylor.

Jlphawn 12/18/15

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• Source Citation: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "International Genealogical Index (IGI)," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:9X2W-716 : accessed 2015-11-04), entry for Mary Elizabeth McPherson. Date of marriage one = 1850. Date of second marriage = 1864.
• First marriage, 1850 To George Washingon Elrod. He died in 1864, Fanin, Texas.
• Second marriage 1864 to Thomas Jefferson Taylor
• Source citation for marriage to George Washington Elrod Ancestry.com, Indiana, Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Orange County, Indiana; Index to Marriage Record 1826-1920 Inclusive Volum, Original Record Location County Clerk's Office, Pa; Book: C- 3; Page: 288.
• Web California Find A Grave Index 1775-2012: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=TAYL&GSfn=H&G...

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Personal Narrative

In terms of a personal inventory of knowledge regarding my paternal grandmother’s parents, I was woefully lacking in essential details. What little I did possess had been passed on to me as a child by a paternal aunt who was something of a ‘chronicler’ and treasurer of my father’s family ancestry. Her most successful method for communicating memory of a particular ancestor was to commit a ‘story’ to the details. It was easier for me to remember the names of people I’d never met, if they’d been transmitted to me in story-form.

In a couple instances, my aunt Celia wrote down ‘who’ was ‘who’ and gave my mother the information for safe keeping until I was old enough to appreciate the importance of those scraps of paper and their content. Which, as it turned out, was a great thing, because the only mental recollection I had concerning my great-grandmother, was that she, as with some of my Elrod ancestor’s, had been born in North Carolina. In terms of ‘memory’ that was all I had on her.

It would need to wait several years after my mom’s death in 1978 before I actually acquired the discipline to motivate myself to act to preserve the fading and slowly degrading contents she (and a few other relatives) had left to me. My only goal at that time was to sit down, and type out those few names and itinerant details and make myself copies so not to ultimately lose them altogether, necessitating an entirely new effort.

George Washington Elrod

" Was born in either North Carolina or Indiana. Died relatively young somewhere in Texas, I don’t know where. "

That was a familiar name I remembered. After all, who wouldn’t remember ‘George Washington’ ?
It also just happens that my corresponding ‘Hawn’ great grandfather’s middle name was also, ‘Washington’, which made the effort easier for me. And the handwriting was definitely, my mother’s. So perhaps she had taken notes? Or maybe had re-written for me so they were legible? Impossible to know! Upon the same small note square of paper with the above information, immediately below it was this:

Elrod/Taylor.

"Her maiden name had been McPherson. She was born in North Carolina. Married George W. Elrod in Indiana, and moved to Texas. After he died there, she married Thomas Taylor and together they came here to California" .

Strangely however, there was no first name for my great-grandmother. Given my aunt’s penchant for her parent’s genealogies, I’ve always found the absence an intriguing one. Had she been distracted at the critical moment she had started writing down the woman’s name, and then forgotten to return to it? Was she unsure of something? I will never know. All I was certain of was that I had two married surnames, and a maiden name with some accompanying detail, for my great-grandmother but, no given name.

When the time to begin researching came, the first identified record source I was able to locate an 1850 US census for a George W. Elrod and wife named ‘Elizabeth’ of Orange, Indiana, who met the initial criteria. As I continued in my search and encountered other Hawn ‘allied’ family researchers Tree’s and additional census and marriage records, I knew I had the right pair. But right from the beginning, there was an issue concerning the true given name of my great grandmother.

As far as the historical record was concerned, she was quite clearly “Elizabeth (McPherson) Elrod/Taylor".

By ‘historical record’ I mean Federal Census’ for 1850, two of them on her – one while she was yet in her parents household, and the next as a new wife in George W.’s household. Additionally, there was an 1850 marriage record between her and George W., an 1860 Texas census for their household contingent of immediate Elrod family members that had relocated to Texas from Indiana, apparently as a group. There was also an 1870 Inyo, California census for her, now as “Elizabeth Taylor” wife of Thomas Jefferson Taylor. Finally, there is the 1864 mention of “Elizabeth Taylor” in the Will of Duncan McPherson – her father. And I knew that must be her, because George W. Elrod had died in 1864, and she had remarried that same year to Mr. Taylor. Obviously,… sometime before Duncan’s death.

But, enough family researchers whose sites I’d reviewed had her true given name as: “Harriet, or Harriet Elizabeth” to cause me uneasiness. If that wasn’t challenging enough, I also began discovering family trees and family groups sheets for the same woman, with the names: Elizabeth Mary or Mary Elizabeth. Clearly, all of these cannot be right.

I could never find an independent source citation or historical record that verified any name other than Elizabeth. And for me, what adds essential gravity to Elisabeth as her given name is that her father addresses it as a proper ‘Elizabeth’ to identify her in his Will, not as part of a larger name.

And then a few years ago, I came across the Web California ‘Find A Grave’ Index and Memorial for my great grandmother. The Memorial inscription was correct, except that it has Indiana instead of North Carolina for her place of birth. And the provided photograph of the grave site, while circumstantially provocative, nonetheless failed to resolve the given name problem. The photograph of her grave site and headstone reads

“Mother” H.E. Taylor 1932-1905

Probably ‘Harriet Elizabeth’? I assume so. Yet, it stops just short of actually confirming that assumption. Could just as easily reflect ‘any’ feminine H name. And it added nothing at all to the issue of Mary. Could she have been named ‘Harriet Elizabeth Mary’ ? Sure. Her mother’s name was Mary. Her younger sister was also named Mary. She also had a paternal aunt named the same. And she and George W. name one of their daughter’s Mary. Circumstantially, I believe it is a viable contender. Every bit as much as ‘Harriet’ But the problem for me, is that both names remain without historical source yet they appear well attested to. I believe circumstantially, I’m safe in my assumption of ‘Harriet’. I had displayed it on this profile until recently and then audited it in favor of the current display. But admittedly, I’ve permitted Grandmother McPherson to bear more than one combination getting to this point. For me here, the best solution and simplest, clearest resolution is to rely upon what ‘is’ known and appears without compelling challenge…. That is to use the name ‘she’ used.

Presumably, whoever commissioned my great grandmother’s head stone would have been intimate enough to know what her true given names were. And considering the inscription reads “Mother” it seems reasonable to assume it had been one of her own children who made the dedication. I just wish ‘she or he’ would have provided more information so to resolve the matter. I have no problem believing Elisabeth’s proper first name may have indeed been Harriet, but if it was not compelling enough for her to self-identify by, I can respect that. It may yet be the historical record for her will bear witness to either Mary or Harriet. If, or when, that time comes I will respond accordingly by changing her name….again.

Regarding ‘Mary’ my supposition is that someone somewhere made an honest enough mistake, or that a transcription error prompted a legacy of incorrect name associations. At issue, I will refer to a record citation I came across from FamilySearch when processing a record search for Elizabeth McPherson/Elrod.

The record provided, is both the transcribed text, as well as link to the actual physical record of the 1850 marriage of George Washington Elrod and Elizabeth McPherson. The marriage book image is remarkably clear and a robust. Reading through the detail, very clearly are the names, George W. Elrod as groom, and Elizabeth McPherson as bride. And what does the transcription record read? See below.

Elizabeth M Mcpherson mentioned in the record of George W Elrod and Elizabeth M Mcpherson

Name: George W Elrod

• Event Type: Marriage
• Event Date: 22 Jan 1850
• Event Place: Orange, Indiana
• Registration Place: Orange, Indiana, United States
• Marriage License Date: 19 Jan 1850
• Gender: Male
• Spouse's Name: Elizabeth M Mcpherson
• Spouse's Gender: Female
• Officiator's Name: Thomas Elrod
• Page: 288
• Number of Images: 1

CITING THIS RECORD

"Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZCH-32C : accessed 6 January 2016), George W Elrod and Elizabeth M Mcpherson, 22 Jan 1850; citing , Orange, Indiana, county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,316,696.

• The actual image can be accessed by: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZCH-32H

There is no middle initial for Elizabeth on that record. Her handwriting merely exaggerates the spacing between the ‘M’ and the ‘cPherson’ of her maiden name. At a quick superficial glance, it could appear to be ‘Elizabeth M McPherson, but is not. Yet a researcher relying upon the transcribed record and not the original record image, would have recorded her with ‘M’ as middle given name, and done so in good faith.

Additionally, there was in fact a ‘Mary Elrod’ who was a contemporary with our Elizabeth – living in 1880 in Indiana. There are some facets between the two women’s lives that could produce confusion. They are essentially, the same age. They both have sons named ‘Will’. And both have association with Indiana. But in fact, ‘Mary Elrod’ was born in Indiana – not North Carolina. And Mary’s son Will is several years senior to our Elizabeth’s son, Will….and he too is recorded as born in Indiana, whereas, our Will was born in California. So, there could be a reasonable distraction that might result in a mistaken identification. I myself originally inventoried those same records prior to the purge process that followed. In fact, I believe there may still be examples in our Elizabeth’s combined citations in sources.

For me, it was the fact that her mother’s name, and a daughter’s name as well was ‘Mary’ that provided some cause for pause. But again, I just do not feel it justified to identify her as anyone other than

Elizabeth Elrod – Taylor (McPherson).

Joachim Hawn

Update Notation 3/13/16 Following my review of associated Cowsert family tree use of the name Harriet Elizabeth in relation to my great grandmother, I have concluded the most probable reality, is that the grave marker for my great grandmother, which only has a name inscription of H.E. Taylor represents a Taylor/Elrod family memory that seems to affirm Harriet Elizabeth. With agreement of Curator performing the merge process producing this current structure, I have decided to change her name to that shown on this profile. Jlphawn