Dates: 1838-1849; n.d.

Biography:

John Moore Taylor

John Moore Taylor was born on June 28, 1788. He was the son of John and Anne Gilbert Taylor of Orange County, Virginia. Taylor married Anne Foote, daughter of William Foote, on March 26, 1811. The couple had nine children: Anne Gilbert (b. January 28, 1812), William F. (b. December 27, 1813), Maria Eliza (b. November 1, 1815), Felix H. G. [I] (b. February 21, 1818), an unnamed son (b. May 8, 1820), Felix H. G. [II] (b. March 28, 1822), John Moore (b. October 20, 1824), Sigismunda Mary (b. September 8, 1827), and Matilda Foote (b. September 19, 1833).

The Taylor family resided in Alabama in 1827. They had moved to Mississippi by 1836 and were primarily engaged in planting. John Moore Taylor was possibly a judge and may have been president of the Commercial and Railroad Bank of Vicksburg in 1836. He was active in the Presbyterian church.

Anne Foote Taylor died on May 3, 1847, and was interred at Vicksburg between her eldest and youngest daughters. John Moore Taylor moved to Hinds County, Mississippi, in February 1848. He continued to be involved in the management of his plantation and also traveled frequently. Taylor died on February 28, 1856.

 
Scope and Content Note:

The John Moore Taylor family plantation ledger dates from 1838 to 1849 and contains double-entry accounts, a diary, cotton accounts, and information on slaves. Accompanying loose materials include ledger pages, receipts, a letter, a plat map, a bookmark, a newspaper fragment, and notes.

 

Series Identification:

Series 1: Ledger. 1838-1849. 1 bound volume; 4 folders.

The first portion of the ledger contains entries that appear to be related to Taylor’s plantation operations from 1838 to 1840. The double-entry accounts concern various cotton and mercantile transactions. They also record expenses for freight, labor, and postage.

The diary of John Moore Taylor comprises the remaining portion of the ledger. Most entries note current river stages and weather conditions. Various farming activities, including the planting and harvesting of crops such as cotton, corn, and peas, are also mentioned. Taylor often refers to his slaves by name and describes their illnesses. He also recounts family events such as the marriage of his daughter, Sigismunda Mary, and frequent riverboat trips to Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi, and Columbia, Chicot County, Arkansas. Taylor’s personal expenses are also recorded. Diary entries of his son, Felix H. G. Taylor (II), are also present.

The cotton account information consists of two entries dated October 1840 and January 1841. They document how many bales of cotton Taylor shipped to factor J. M. Bell of New Orleans, Louisiana. Of particular interest is the end page and inside back cover of the volume. These pages contain slave names and birth years, with the birth months and days occasionally noted. There is also information on familial relationships. Deaths of some slaves are also indicated. Some names are marked with an “F+” or an “S+”. It is unclear what these symbols mean.

Two ledger pages (loose) contain the names of slaves, the amount of cotton picked by each, and the total amount picked by day and month. The first page (inverted) contains familial information about certain slaves in pencil. There are three entries on the second page. One is a recapitulation of weather conditions in 1844. The others note garden and orchard plantings, presumably on Taylor’s property, in 1845.

There are two receipts dating from the 1840s. One is made out to Mr. Black of Vicksburg and lists the number of cotton bales shipped in the name of W. W. Gaines to factors Rosser and Asher of New Orleans. The other is for various items of clothing. The letter was written to Judge Taylor by D. N. Scott on November 13, 1844. It indicates the amount of lumber “claimed” and the amount “docked” from the accounts of various individuals. The plat map is of township 11 north, range 19 east, in Kemper County, Mississippi. The bookmark is of green velvet with hand-embroidered flowers. A fragment from an unidentified December 2, 1844, newspaper is annotated with two columns of numbers and their sums. There are also four pages of handwritten notes listing the names of steamboats Taylor mentions in the ledger. They appear to have been added at a later date.

Box 1, 1 bound volume
Box 1, folders 1-4 (accompanying material)