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Taaffe/Taft - Ireland to Massachusetts

Taaffe/Taft - Ireland to Massachusetts

Barbara Smith (View posts)
Posted: 17 Mar 2000 11:54AM GMT
My immigrant ancestor was Robert Taft who was born in County Louth, Ireland in 1640. His father was Sir William Taaffe. Somehow, the name changed to Taft when Robert came here. He was married to Sarah ? (possbibly Simpson) and they settled in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts. One of his descendants went on to become the President of the United States, William Howard Taft. My mother descended directly from Robert and Sarah through her father.
Questions? Please contact me at jkesmith@usit.net

Taaffes in Massachusetts

Posted: 3 Apr 2000 5:30AM GMT
Edited: 3 Aug 2001 2:23AM GMT
Dear Barbara, I have Taaffes from the same county who came over to MA but a bit later. The farthest back I can go is Richard Taaffe, born 14 June 1799 at Dunnleer, County L, Ireland. Any chance we are related? Helaine

Re: Taaffe/Taft - Ireland to Massachusetts

Barbara Smith (View posts)
Posted: 31 Aug 2003 4:47PM GMT
Classification: Query
Please note the change in my e-mail address.

Barbara Smith

Re: Taaffe/Taft - Ireland to Massachusetts

Posted: 4 Feb 2006 2:10PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hello cousin,
I too am a desdendant of Robert Taft born 1640 who came to Braintree, MA and then Mendon
Robert
Robert
Israel
Samuel
Warner
Dandridge
Dandridge
Corinne Taft Murphy
Marjorie Murphy Cournoyer
Catherine Cournoyer Grimes

I am a school teacher in Mendon and am familiar with the Taft history here....also very curious about the roots of the first Robert. Are you sure that he was a son of Sir William? I have read it on other posts, but am not certain of it's reliability..... am curious about that info and would love more......thanks
regards from MA
C. Grimes

Re: Taaffe/Taft - Ireland to Massachusetts

Barbara Smith (View posts)
Posted: 6 Feb 2006 3:46PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hello, new cousin!

How nice to receive a reply to my old inquiry! I descend from Robert and Sarah thus:

Robert
Robert
Israel
Robert, Capt.
George
Robert
Samuel Essex
George William
Irma Taft Reisenauer
Barbara Reisenauer Smith

My husband and I are retired and recently took a trip to New England and Canada. It included a few days in Mendon which we thoroughly enjoyed. Hopefully, we will be able to return there again sometime.

I am not certain of the reliability of the information on Sir William Taaffe nor how or if it connects to our Robert. I found that on a web site for Ireland. I asked Dick Messinger about it and he said no one has been able to authenticate it so that is all I know. So some of that information posted on the internet is wrong. I do know that there were Taaffe's in County Louth and County Dublin. The history there is very interesting since it goes back centuries.

I keep looking and hopefully, one day, I or someone else will discover who his progenitors were. I will try to find the web site where I found that information and will get back to you later. I'll send that mail to you privately. Incidentally, my line starting with Samuel Essex Taft ended up in Wisconsin.

Thanks for writing and please stay in touch!

Barbara

Re: Taaffe/Taft - Ireland to Massachusetts

Catherine Grimes (View posts)
Posted: 7 Feb 2006 1:10PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi again,
So glad to hear from you. It seems the origins of Robert 1will remain a mystery for the time being, although it is lots of fun considering the possiblities. I have been in touch with Neil Todd of the Taft Association..he agrees that we do not know yet. If you solve the puzzle, please let us all know. Happy to hear you had a chance to visit our little "Mother Mendon".
Regards,
Catherine Grimes

Re: Taaffe/Taft - Ireland to Massachusetts

Posted: 18 Sep 2007 12:59PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Catherine..saw this post and had to reply. We are cousins. My grandmother was Pearl Taft, daughter of Robert, brother to Dandridge. I remember your mother's name...I grew up in Uxbridge on Blackstone Street. I remember visiting my great grandfather at his home in N. Uxbridge before his death. I'll bet you and I met at one time or another. I have heard my mother (Marcia Rawson Cormier) speak of your mother in the past. I have all my grandmother's genealogy materials as well as some publication from the "Taft Family" and saw no reference to a title. Would be very interested to know if you could confirm anything. Hope to hear back from you. My personal email is bac99@cox.net. Barbara Cormier

Re: Taaffes in Massachusetts

Posted: 15 Oct 2007 2:19PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Taaffe, Taffe
Helaine,

I think your Richard may tie in with my Thomas. Thomas was born in Dunleer, Co. Louth and baptized on 17 Jan 1804, the son of Patrick and Mary Hand Taaffe. Thomas's eldest surviving son was named Richard which, in my research, does not seem to be a very common name so given the fact they were both born in Dunleer within a few years of each other, I would wager they were either brothers or at least cousins. Thomas immigrated to the US around 1840 (or earlier), but I have been unable to pinpoint when and where. Do you have information on when Richard arrived?

By the way, in the 1870 census, there is a Richard Taffe living in Scranton Ward 3, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. He is approximately 55 years old (1815 birthdate). There is also a John Taffe located nearby and a Bridget Taffe in the same household. I would assume they are Richard's children.

Leigh Taffe Acla

Re: Taaffe/Taft - Ireland to Massachusetts

Posted: 13 Sep 2009 3:49PM GMT
Classification: Query
Barbara,
I just recently began the research of our Taft ancestry. My husband is also a descendant of Robert Taft, the immigrant. His line continues with
Robert, Jr.,
Gideon,
Asa
daughter Elisabeth, who married Laban Gates,
their daughter Eliza, who married Charles Nash of Gilsum,N.H.
and down through the Nash line to my husband and son.

What I have so far been able to glean from various publications is that Robert and Sarah came from England. There is a book by Lewis Alexander Leonard, publ. in 1920 - THE LIFE OF ALPHONSO TAFT OF CINCINATI. Alphonso Taft became a judge and in time was appointed Attorney General of the United States. The biography about him is fascinating in itself, even if you are not a descendant (neither are we). What peaked my interest was the appendix, which contains a wealth of genealogical information about the Taft ancestry. Leonard writes that there were 3 brothers who originated in Scotland. One brother settled in Ireland, one in England (our Robert Taft), and one brother went abroad and settled in Bohemia. Some of those descendents even went as far as Persia. So, if the info is correct, it appears that Robert, the immigrant, came from England, not Ireland. You can read the book online at www.archive.org/stream/lifealphonso.


Familysearch.org has the Taft pedigree on line, and that also shows Robert originating in England.

Eva Nash

Re: Taaffe/Taft - Ireland to Massachusetts

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 7:21AM GMT
Classification: Query
Robert Taft was born in 1647, in England. The applications to the Sons of the Revolution completed by his descendants provide this information. I am going out on a limb here, but I would think that his descendants would know this information.
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