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gone into disuse and become a novelty in public worship,--with a parish without an organization and existing only in name, and with the place of litigation as the only place for the worship of Almighty God, the destruction of the Church in Orange seemed wellnigh complete. But light was made to dawn upon her darkness. By the mercy of God she has risen again, phoenix-like, from her former ashes, and is now, in point of numbers, as it respects both her communion and her congregation, one of the largest of the rural parishes in Virginia.

During the darkest period of the parish, there were not wanting a few faithful witnesses. These were identified with the Church in the time of her prosperity and in the time of her adversity. They forsook her not because she was down-trodden and depressed; on the contrary, they loved her more the more she was afflicted, and clung to her like loving children to a devoted mother. If among God's ancient people the children were blest for their fathers' sake, so we may believe the Church in Orange was ultimately blest for the sake of these devoted servants of the living God. Among these we deem it proper to notice specially the names of several individuals, and we can do so now with the more propriety as we speak of the dead and not of the living. The individuals to whom we allude were the mother of President Madison, the mother of Governor and Judge Barbour, Mrs. Frances Burnley, and Mrs. Jane Howard, the two last the sisters of Mrs. Lucy Balmaine, of Winchester. These were all bright ornaments of the religion which they professed, and the savour of their piety continues to the present day.

In the absence of vestry-books and other records, I am unable to furnish the names of the vestry prior to the reorganization of the parish in 1832. Since that time we find among the vestry the following:

Charles P. Howard, Mann A. Page, Jeremiah Morton, James Shepherd, Peyton Grymes, Lewis B. Williams, Anthony Twyman, Robert T. Willis, Lawrence H. Taliafero, John Taliafero, Benjamin Franklin Taliafero, Jaqueline P. Taliafero, Uriel Terrill, Thomas T. Slaughter, John J. Ambler, John H. Lee, James H. Minor, William Bankhead, Peter T. Johnson, Thomas A. Robinson, and Horace D. Taliafero.

The principal families connected with the Church in Orange in Colonial times were the Barbours, Bells, Burtons, Campbells, Caves, Chews, Conways, Daniels, Madisons, Moores, Ruckers, Shepherds, Taylors, Taliaferos, and Whites. Mr. Richard White, who died some years since at the age of ninety, was the last communicant

connected with the Old Orange Church. With comparatively few exceptions, the descendants of these respective families continued to retain their attachment to the Church of their fathers, and some of them are among its most worthy members.

The following letter has also been received from the same:—

"ORANGE COURT-HOUSE, March 7, 1857.

"RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR:-Since I wrote you some days since, a few items of interest in relation to this parish have come to my hands. A single leaf, and that somewhat mutilated, of the old vestry-book of St. Thomas parish, was found among the papers of one of my communicants who died last week, and has since been handed to me. From this I am able to ascertain who composed the vestry as far back as 1769. The record states:-'At a vestry held for St. Thomas parish, at the glebe, on Friday, the 1st day of September, 1769, present, Rev. Thomas Martin, Eras. Taylor, James Madison, Alexander Waugh, Francis Moore, William Bell, Rowland Thomas, Thomas Bell, Richard Barbour, William Moore.' The object of their meeting was to take into consideration the repairs necessary to be made to the house and other buildings connected with tho glebe.

"From a private record kept at the time, I also learn that the congre gation in Orange, in the year 1786, engaged the services of Mr. Waddell, the blind Presbyterian minister, to preach for them for two years. Но officiated at the Brick Church. There was no Episcopal clergyman here at the time. It appears that forty pounds were subscribed for him, and it was expected the subscription would reach sixty pounds. The Rev. Mr. Balmaine was here occasionally at that period, addressing Miss Lucy Taylor, whom he married on the 31st day of October, 1786. He preached and administered the ordinances from time to time, both before and after his marriage. On one occasion, when Mr. Waddell preached, we observe he gave notice that he would preach and administer the Lord's Supper on the following Sunday.

"I have also ascertained that the Rev. Mr. O'Niel was in Orange in 1796. I stated he came in 1797. You will make this correction, and also add to the list of the families the Thomases and the Waughs.

"Yours very truly and affectionately,

J. EARNEST."

ARTICLE LVI.

The Genealogy of the Madisons and Taylors-President Madison's religious character-Churches in Madison and Rappahannock.

THE following documents will give you the ancestry of President Madison. You may be aware that he married Mrs. Dolly Todd : her maiden name was Payne. She was, as I am informed, a Quakeress, and was born in the county of Hanover, but at the time of her marriage resided in Philadelphia. It was, if I mistake not, while he was a member of Congress, sitting at the time in Philadelphia, that he made her acquaintance. She was a lady of exceedingly attractive manners. During the latter years of her life she resided in Washington, and in her old age was baptized and became a member of St. John's Church in that city. Mr. Madison died without children. Mrs. Madison had one child, a son, by her former marriage.

I have thought it best to furnish you with a transcript from the record of James Madison, Sen., as it will give you some further information respecting the family. It was transcribed in great haste, and was intended only for my own eye.

A.-James Madison (the late President) is the eldest of twelve children-eight sons and four daughters-of whom but one brother and one sister are now living. He was born on the north bank of the Rappahannock, at Port Conway, opposite the town of Port Royal, on the 5th of March, 1751. His father's name was James, the son of Ambrose Madison and Frances Taylor. He lived to the age of seventy-eight years, and died in February, 1801. The father of Ambrose was John, the son of John Madison, who it appears took out, by a statement of a patent now in possession, certain lands on the shores of the Chesapeake, between North and York Rivers, in Glocester county, near Colonel Taylor's creek, in the year 1653,-6th Charles II.,-Richard Bennet, Governor and Captain-General of Virginia. The ancestors of Frances Taylor are traced one remove further back, and were residents of the same district of country. The name of his mother was Nelly Conway, descended from some of the early settlers. Her father, Francis, lived near Port Royal, in the county of Caroline, whose father, Edwin Conway, married Elizabeth Thompson. Her mother, Rebecca, was the daughter of E. Gaines and John Catlett, whose father, John, was born in Virginia and educated in England. He was killed by the Indians in defending the fort of Port Royal-being a first settler. A great-aunt of his was likewise killed by the Indians lower down the river. It appears that all the ancestry just traced were natives of Virginia, and, it is be

lieved, for the most part at least, if not altogether, of English descent. In both the paternal and maternal line of ancestry they were planters, and among the respectable though not the most opulent class.*

B. From the Record of James Madison, Sen., futher of the President

Ambrose Madison was married to Frances Taylor, August 24, 1721. Ambrose Madison was father of James Madison. Frances Taylor was sister of Erasmus Taylor and daughter of James Taylor.

James Madison, Sen. was born March 27, 1723, and was baptized April 21, and had for godfathers Thomas Madison and James Taylor, and for godmothers Martha Taylor and Elizabeth Penn.

Frances, wife of Ambro-e Madison, departed this life October 25, 1761, and was interred the Sunday following at Montpelier in Orange. Her funeral sermon was preached on Wednesday, the 30th of December following, by the Rev. Mr. James Marye, Jr., on Revelation ch. 14, v. 13. James Madison, Sen. was married to Nelly Conway, September 15, 1749. The following are their children :

James Madison, Jr., the President, was born on Tuesday night at 12 o'clock, being the last of the 5th and beginning of the 6th day of March, 1751, and was baptized by the Rev. Mr. Wm. Davis, March 31, and had for godfathers Mr. John Moore and Mr Jonathan Gibson, and for godmothers Mrs. Rebecca Moore, Miss Judith, and Miss Elizabeth Catlett.

[James Madison, Jr. was born at Port Conway, in King George, and was baptized there, his mother being on a visit there to her mother at the time of his birth.]

Frances Madison was born on Monday morning at 7 o'clock, June 18, 1753, and was baptized by the Rev. Mr. Mungo Marshall, July 1, and had for godfathers Mr. Taverner Beale and Mr. Erasmus Taylor, and for godmothers Miss Milly Taylor and Mrs. Frances Beale.

Ambrose Madison was born on Monday night between 9 and 10 o'clock, January 27, 1755, and was baptized by the Rev. Mungo Marshall, March 2, and had for godfathers Mr. James Coleman and Colonel George Taylor, and for godmothers Mrs. Jane Taylor and Alice Chew.

Catlett Madison was born on Friday morning at 3 o'clock, February 10, 1758, and was baptized by the Rev. Mr. James Maury, February 22, and had for godfathers Colonel Wm. Taliafero and Mr. Richard Beale, and for godmothers Mrs. Elizabeth Beale and Miss Milly Chew.

Nelly Madison (afterward Mrs. Hite) was born February 14, 1760, and was baptized March 6, by the Rev. Mr. Wm. Giberne, and had for godfathers Mr. Larken Chew and Mr. Wm. Moore, and for godmothers Miss Elizabeth Catlett and Miss Catharine Bowie. The said Nelly was born on Thursday morning just after daybreak.

William Madison was born May 1, 1762, baptized May 23, by the Rev. James Marie, Jr., and had for godfathers Mr. Wm. Moore and Mr. James Taylor, and for godmothers Miss Mary Willis and Miss Milly Chew. He was born on Saturday morning, about twenty-five minutes after 10 o'clock.

*These papers are copies from the originals loaned me by Mrs. L. H. Conway, niece of the late President Madison. They were found among his papers after the death of his wife. The original of this marked A. is believed to be in Mr. Madison's handwriting. The handwriting of the other is not known.

VOL. II.-7

Sarah Madison, (Mrs. Thomas Macon,) born August 17, 1764, and was baptized September 15, by the Rev. James Marye, Jr., and had for godfathers Captain Richard Barbour and Mr. Andrew Shepherd, and for godmothers Mrs. Sarah Taylor and Miss Mary Conway. She was born forty-five minutes after 5 o'clock P.M., on Friday.

Elizabeth Madison was born February 19, 1768, half an hour after 12 o'clock, and was baptized February 22, by the Rev. Mr. Thomas Martin, and had for godfathers Major Zachariah Burnley and Captain Ambrose Powell, and for godmothers Miss Alice and Miss Milly Chew.

Reuben Madison was born September 19, 1771, between 5 and 6 o'clock in the evening, and was baptized November 10, by the Rev. Mr. John Barnett, and had for godfathers Mr. Thomas Barbour and Mr. James Chew, and for godmothers Miss Alice and Miss Milly Chew.

Frances Taylor Madison (afterward Mrs. Dr. Robert H. Rose) was born October 4, 1774, and was baptized October 30, by the Rev. Mr. John Wingate, and had for godfathers Mr. Thomas Bell and Mr. Richard Taylor, and for godmothers Miss Frances Taylor and Miss Elizabeth Taylor.

THE TAYLOR FAMILY.

The Taylors of Orange trace their ancestry back to James Taylor, of Carlisle, England. The time of his emigration to Virginia is not known. It appears he settled on the Chesapeake between the North and York Rivers, (Doc. A.) He died in 1698. He had several children,-one of whom (Mary) was the mother of Judge Edmund Pendleton. His son John (who married a Pendleton) is the ancestor of Colonel John Taylor, of Caroline. His son James took up lands in Orange, and was a first settler. He was the father of Françes, wife of Ambrose Madison and grandmother of the President. He had four sons,-James, George, Zachary, and Erasmus. From James are descended the Taylors of Kentucky. George had fourteen sons, seven of whom served in the Revolutionary War, and thirteen of whom held offices under Government at the same time. Some of his descendants are now residing in Orange, and are members of the Episcopal Church. Zachary had seven sons and three daughters. He was grandfather of General Zachary Taylor. The latter was born at Hare Forest, about four miles from Orange Court-House. Erasmus had two sons and five daughters, viz.: John and Robert, Mildred, (married Wm. Morton,) Frances, (married- Burnley,) Elizabeth, (married - Glassel,) Lucy, (married the Rev. A. Balmaine,) Jane, (married Charles P. Howard.) John was father of the late Judge John Taylor, of Mississippi. Robert married Frances Pendleton, and from them are descended most of the Taylors now residing in Orange, all of whom retain their attachment to the Church of their fathers.

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