John Taliaferro, son of the emigrant Robert Taliaferro and his wife, Sarah Grymes, was the first of the family to bear the name "John" in Virginia. He and his children played an important part in the social, state and church life of the Colony, but owing to the destruction of the records in Caroline County, where most of the family resided, it has been impossible to obtain a complete record of the lives of his children. Because of this fact there has existed for some time a false idea as to the parents of Captain Richard Taliaferro, who married Rose Berryman. Some historians have claimed that he was a son of Zachariah Taliaferro (1638-1745); but the will of the first John taliaferro, dated 1715, proved 1720 in Essex County, discloses the fact that captain Richard Taliaferro was a son of the first John Taliaferro and his wife, Sarah Smith. The records contained in this chapter are proved by the original court records of Essex, Spotsylvania and Orange Counties; the parentage of Captain Richard Taliaferro has a personal endorsement of Dr. Lyon G. Tyler, the former president of William and Mary College and Editor of the College Quarterly, and who is the present Editor of Tyler's Historical and Genealogical Magazine.

The first John Taliaferro was a lieutenant commanding a company of rangers against the Indians in 1692; Justice of Essex, 1695; Sheriff; member of House of Burgesses, 1699. He married Sarah, daughter of Major Lawrence Smith. H was a large land holder in Essex County and the bricks for building his beautiful home, Powhattan, were brought over from England. John Taliaferro died in 1720, and his will, dated June 1, 1715, was proved in Essex County June 21, 1720. It names his wife, Sarah, and his children Zachariah, Lawrence, John, Mary, Elizabeth, Charles, robert, Catherine, Richard, and William.

Taken from Ancestry and Posterity of Dr. John Taliaferro and Mary (Hardin) Taliaferro, with notes on Berryman, Newton, beheathland, Franklin, Lingo and Other Southern Families. Compiled by Willie catherine Ivey and dedicated to the memory of Dr. John Taliaferro.





