John Tayloe III
Encyclopedia
Hon. John Tayloe III of Richmond County, Virginia
, was prominent in business, government, and social circles. A highly successful plantation owner, he took an active part in public affairs and was considered the "Wealthiest man of his day". A military officer, he also served in the Virginia General Assembly
and Senate of Virginia
for nine years. The Tayloe family of Richmond County
, including John Tayloe III, his father, John Tayloe II
, and grandfather, John Tayloe I
, exemplified gentry
entrepreneurship
.
, and Rebecca Plater Tayloe; his paternal grandfather was John Tayloe I
. Of the nine children in the family, a twin brother did not survive more than a few days, and two sisters died while babies. All of his remaining siblings were girls. Before going away to school in England, Tayloe learned patriotism from his father. He was educated at Eton
and Oxford
.
His father's iron- and ship-building interests were conserved and enlarged by Tayloe. His master shipbuilder at Occoquan
was his slave, Reuben. Of Tayloe's other slaves, he reportedly sold 50 of them, mostly young girls, during the period of 1809 through 1828. In addition to shipbuilding at Neabsco Iron Works
, Tayloe had other dealings in Prince William County, Virginia
. In 1814, he purchased lots in Occoquan, and on the one that fronted Mill Street, he built the Occoquan Hotel. He served as a county postmaster for a time, and his stagecoach lines stopped in Occoquan, giving passengers a chance to disembark here.
During his residence at his summer home, "Mount Airy
", the mansion was enlarged, having originally been built by his father. Among his guests were men of the American Revolution
. Tayloe was a member of the Federalist Party, and he was a personal friend of General George Washington
. He built The Octagon House
in Washington, D. C. in 1799, residing there in the winter. The Octagon House was the first house to be completed in the Washington area. It was designed by Dr. William Thornton
, the first architect of the U.S. Capitol.
As Captain of Dragoons, he went to Western Pennsylvania
, to help put down the Whiskey Insurrection
. In 1799, he was appointed Major of Light Dragoons, U. S. A. by President John Adams
. When General Washington wrote to Tayloe a warm letter of congratulation, Tayloe hesitated to accept the commission as he had just been elected as a Federalist to the Virginia Senate, and he feared, as he wrote to Washington, that if he resigned his seat, the place would be filled by an opponent of the administration. On February 12, 1799, Washington replied that he was inclined to believe his civil service would be more important than military service. Tayloe served in Virginia General Assembly and the Senate of Virginia, as Delegate and Senator. On the breaking out of the War of 1812
, Tayloe was made commander of the cavalry of the District of Columbia, and saw active service.
Maryland Governor
Benjamin Ogle
and Henrietta Margaret (Hill) Ogle, of Belair, and granddaughter of Samuel Ogle
, Proprietary Governor
of Maryland. The Tayloes raised a family of 15 children: sons Benjamin, Edward, Charles, William Henry, John, Henry Augustine, George, Lloyd, Robert Carter; daughters Henrietta, Catherine, Rebecca, Ann, Virginia, Ann Ogle, Elizabeth.
Two of Tayloe's daughters died in suspicious circumstances at their Octagon House and are said to haunt it to this day. The first allegedly died before the War of 1812. Colonel Tayloe and his daughter quarrelled on the second floor landing over the girl's relationship with a British officer stationed in the city. When the daughter turned in anger to go down the stairs, she fell down the stairs (or over the railing; stories differ) and died. Her spectre is allegedly seen crumpled at the bottom of the steps or on the stairs near the second floor landing, and sometimes exhibits itself as the light of a candle moving up the staircase. The other death, stories claim, occurred in 1817 or shortly thereafter. Another of Colonel Tayloe's daughters eloped with a young man, incurring her father's wrath. When she returned home to reconcile with her father, they argued on the third-floor landing. This daughter, too, fell to her death down the stairs (or over the railing), and her shade is alleged to haunt the third floor landing and stairs between the second and third floors.
Tayloe's interests included American horse racing, being a leader in this sport during the period of 1791–1806. Like his father, Tayloe he was a successful horseman, and owned such celebrated racehorses as Belair, Grey Diomede, and others.
The memorial by one of his sons, Benjamin Ogle Tayloe, says that "his manners were refined and elegant. He was distinguished for his nice sense of honor, and a scrupulous regard to his word at all times. His wife was esteemed for sincerity and kindness of heart, graceful and dignified manners, and true and unaffected piety."
Richmond County, Virginia
Richmond County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 9,254. Its county seat is Warsaw. The rural county should not be confused with the large city and state capital Richmond, Virginia, which is over...
, was prominent in business, government, and social circles. A highly successful plantation owner, he took an active part in public affairs and was considered the "Wealthiest man of his day". A military officer, he also served in the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
and Senate of Virginia
Senate of Virginia
The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia...
for nine years. The Tayloe family of Richmond County
Richmond County, Virginia
Richmond County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 9,254. Its county seat is Warsaw. The rural county should not be confused with the large city and state capital Richmond, Virginia, which is over...
, including John Tayloe III, his father, John Tayloe II
John Tayloe II
Colonel John Tayloe II was arguably the richest plantation owner in Virginia for his generation. He served in public office including the Virginia Council of State...
, and grandfather, John Tayloe I
John Tayloe I
John Tayloe I was one of the richest plantation owners and businessmen in Virginia for his generation. Considered to be the chief architect of the family fortune, he was known as the "Hon. Colonel of the Old House"...
, exemplified gentry
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
.
Early years
Tayloe was born September 2, or September 13, 1770. He was the son of John Tayloe IIJohn Tayloe II
Colonel John Tayloe II was arguably the richest plantation owner in Virginia for his generation. He served in public office including the Virginia Council of State...
, and Rebecca Plater Tayloe; his paternal grandfather was John Tayloe I
John Tayloe I
John Tayloe I was one of the richest plantation owners and businessmen in Virginia for his generation. Considered to be the chief architect of the family fortune, he was known as the "Hon. Colonel of the Old House"...
. Of the nine children in the family, a twin brother did not survive more than a few days, and two sisters died while babies. All of his remaining siblings were girls. Before going away to school in England, Tayloe learned patriotism from his father. He was educated at Eton
Eton
Eton commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England.Eton may also refer to:-Places:*Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England*Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States...
and Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
Career
After returning home from England, he was ready to administer his estate for the benefit of the country as well as his own family. As he was the only surviving son, after his father's death in 1779, Tayloe was named in his father's will to receive most of his father's slaves, personal property, land and business interests. When his inheritance was turned over to him, the income was US$60,000; within a few years, he increased this to US$75,000.His father's iron- and ship-building interests were conserved and enlarged by Tayloe. His master shipbuilder at Occoquan
Occoquan, Virginia
Occoquan is a town in Prince William County in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 759 at the 2000 census, but as of the census of 2010, there were 934 people residing in the town of Occoquan. The town is a suburb of Washington, D.C. and is adjacent to Woodbridge...
was his slave, Reuben. Of Tayloe's other slaves, he reportedly sold 50 of them, mostly young girls, during the period of 1809 through 1828. In addition to shipbuilding at Neabsco Iron Works
Neabsco Iron Works
The Neabsco Iron Works were located in Woodbridge, Virginia, USA. After abandoning the Bristol Iron Works, John Tayloe I established the Neabsco Iron Foundry around 1737. The business became a multifaceted antebellum industrial plantation...
, Tayloe had other dealings in Prince William County, Virginia
Prince William County, Virginia
-National protected areas:* Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge* Manassas National Battlefield Park* Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge* Prince William Forest Park-Government and politics:...
. In 1814, he purchased lots in Occoquan, and on the one that fronted Mill Street, he built the Occoquan Hotel. He served as a county postmaster for a time, and his stagecoach lines stopped in Occoquan, giving passengers a chance to disembark here.
Mount Airy, Richmond County, Virginia
Mount Airy, near Warsaw in Richmond County, Virginia, built in 1758-62, is a mid-Georgian plantation house, the first built in the manner of a neo-Palladian villa. It was constructed for Colonel John Tayloe II, perhaps the richest Virginia planter of his generation...
", the mansion was enlarged, having originally been built by his father. Among his guests were men of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Tayloe was a member of the Federalist Party, and he was a personal friend of General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. He built The Octagon House
The Octagon House
The Octagon House, also known as the Colonel John Tayloe III House, is located at 1799 New York Avenue, Northwest in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C.-History:...
in Washington, D. C. in 1799, residing there in the winter. The Octagon House was the first house to be completed in the Washington area. It was designed by Dr. William Thornton
William Thornton
Dr. William Thornton was a British-American physician, inventor, painter and architect who designed the United States Capitol, an authentic polymath...
, the first architect of the U.S. Capitol.
As Captain of Dragoons, he went to Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
, to help put down the Whiskey Insurrection
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
. In 1799, he was appointed Major of Light Dragoons, U. S. A. by President John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
. When General Washington wrote to Tayloe a warm letter of congratulation, Tayloe hesitated to accept the commission as he had just been elected as a Federalist to the Virginia Senate, and he feared, as he wrote to Washington, that if he resigned his seat, the place would be filled by an opponent of the administration. On February 12, 1799, Washington replied that he was inclined to believe his civil service would be more important than military service. Tayloe served in Virginia General Assembly and the Senate of Virginia, as Delegate and Senator. On the breaking out of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, Tayloe was made commander of the cavalry of the District of Columbia, and saw active service.
Personal life
He married Ann Ogle (1775–1855) in 1792. She was the daughter of ProvincialProvince of Maryland
The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S...
Maryland Governor
Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
Benjamin Ogle
Benjamin Ogle
Benjamin Ogle was the ninth Governor of Maryland from 1798 to 1801.-Early life:The Ogle family was quite prominent for many centuries in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England, dating from the medieval period. Born in Annapolis, Maryland, Benjamin Ogle was the son of former Provincial...
and Henrietta Margaret (Hill) Ogle, of Belair, and granddaughter of Samuel Ogle
Samuel Ogle
Samuel Ogle was the 16th, 18th and 20th Proprietary Governor of Maryland from 1731 to 1732, 1733 to 1742, and 1746/1747 to 1752.-Background:...
, Proprietary Governor
Proprietary Governor
Proprietary Governors were individuals authorized to govern proprietary colonies. Under the proprietary system, individuals or companies were granted commercial charters by the King of England to establish colonies. These proprietors then selected the governors and other officials in the colony....
of Maryland. The Tayloes raised a family of 15 children: sons Benjamin, Edward, Charles, William Henry, John, Henry Augustine, George, Lloyd, Robert Carter; daughters Henrietta, Catherine, Rebecca, Ann, Virginia, Ann Ogle, Elizabeth.
Two of Tayloe's daughters died in suspicious circumstances at their Octagon House and are said to haunt it to this day. The first allegedly died before the War of 1812. Colonel Tayloe and his daughter quarrelled on the second floor landing over the girl's relationship with a British officer stationed in the city. When the daughter turned in anger to go down the stairs, she fell down the stairs (or over the railing; stories differ) and died. Her spectre is allegedly seen crumpled at the bottom of the steps or on the stairs near the second floor landing, and sometimes exhibits itself as the light of a candle moving up the staircase. The other death, stories claim, occurred in 1817 or shortly thereafter. Another of Colonel Tayloe's daughters eloped with a young man, incurring her father's wrath. When she returned home to reconcile with her father, they argued on the third-floor landing. This daughter, too, fell to her death down the stairs (or over the railing), and her shade is alleged to haunt the third floor landing and stairs between the second and third floors.
Tayloe's interests included American horse racing, being a leader in this sport during the period of 1791–1806. Like his father, Tayloe he was a successful horseman, and owned such celebrated racehorses as Belair, Grey Diomede, and others.
The memorial by one of his sons, Benjamin Ogle Tayloe, says that "his manners were refined and elegant. He was distinguished for his nice sense of honor, and a scrupulous regard to his word at all times. His wife was esteemed for sincerity and kindness of heart, graceful and dignified manners, and true and unaffected piety."