The James Taylor Papers consist of numerous items, mostly legal documents and correspondence, several photographs, and an account book. Other significant names appearing in these papers include Nathaniel Southgate Shaler, Waller and Dabney Overton, and various members of the Reed and Sharp families. Many of these items are in a very fragile condition [embrittled] and should be photocopied for patrons' use. Dates range from the 1790s to the early 1900s.
n.d. [179?] - AD - Trustees of Newport, KY vs. James Taylor [Newport, KY] transcript of a hearing establishing the boundaries of the city of Newport. The dispute centers on land owned by the Taylor family.
15 April 1800 - ADS - William Gibson [Baltimore County, MD] and Miccyah[sp?] Harrison [Montgomery County, KY] an indenture between the Owings and Slade families regarding a land debt in Fayette County, KY [note: the Slade name recurs in a number of indentures in this collection]. The document in Folder 3 appears to be a second copy of this document, though the date is different.
16 April 1800 - ADS - John Cockey Owings [Baltimore County, MD] and Josiah Slade, et. al. [Baltimore County, MD]. An indenture for 400 acres of land in Fayette County, KY to be sold by Jacob Myers and Edward Owings to the Slade family for 500 pounds. This appears to be a second copy of the document in Folder 2, though the date is different.
1 June 1813 - ALS - Frederick H[arris?] [Camp Randolphs, VA] to Catharine Harris [Louisa, VA] writes about his boredom in Camp, despite a recent party held there (a Captain Taylor is mentioned). Notes that a soldiers life is boring when not faced with danger.
18 February 1818 - ALS - Alexander Pope [Louisville, KY] to [unknown] informing recipient that he will let the recipient of the letter know when he has received payment from a lawsuit settled in his favor.
10 April 1819 - ADS - James Taylor [Newport, KY] for David J. Poor and James Riddle [Newport, KY] an indenture for land in Campbell County in the amount of $416.375 (2 pages).
6 December 1821 - AD - An itemized account of debts totaling over $90 owed by "the Heirs of Simon Taylor, deceased."
6 April 1822 - AD - John Perry [Campbell County, KY] and the Estate of Thomas Kennedy, and indenture for debts owed by Perry to Thomas Kennedy.
23 April 1822 - ADS - Samuel Kennedy to unknown Southgate regarding the estate of Thomas Kennedy (deceased). Samuel was co-executor of the will.
24 April 1822 - ADS - William Porter and Samuel Kennedy- notice of a lawsuit entered against the estate of John S. Gano for debts owed to the estate of Thomas Kennedy.
16 December 1822 - ADS - Daniel Roe [Campbell County, KY] an indenture resulting from debts owed to Thomas Kennedy, deceased; the Gano and Porter families figure prominently in the indenture.
[ca. 1822] - AD - a receipt for legal costs in the execution of Thomas Kennedy's Last Will and Testament.
[ca. 1822] - ADS - James Taylor [Campbell County, KY] a "Copy of Execution" indicating various payments to be made from the estates of several men. [note: W.W. Taliaferro's name also appears on this document, but not his signature].
26 October 1824 - ALS - Ira White [Cincinnati, OH] to William Southgate [Newport, KY] asking Mr. Southgate to deliver papers involved in a bond against James Taylor to one Mrs. Wills.
10 February 1825 - ALS - Howard(?) Sharp [Shelbyville, KY] to his wife, Eliza Sharp [Frankfort, KY]. About business in Shelbyville, prices of various goods.
26 February 1826 - ANS - John W. Tibbatts to Martha Keen a receipt in the amount of $89.75.
9 March 1830 - ANS - John Massey for James Taylor a note to pay the bearer in the amount of $4.62.
17 July 1830- ANS - John Massey [Newport, KY] to James Taylor [Newport, KY] receipt asking Taylor to pay a debt on behalf of Massey.
6 June 1826 - AL - Unknown [Louisville, KY] to Mrs. Ida McLean [McLeod, Alberta] regrets to inform Mrs. McLean [formerly Mrs. P.B. Reed] that the remains of her husband and son remain unmarked in the Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville. "Verbatim copy of letter".
20 July 1827 - ALS - James Ferguson [Cincinnati, OH] to Henry Campbell informing Campbell that depositions on the case pending between the two of them [Campbell is the defendant] will be held on July 25. Two pages of notes from the deposition are attached.
28 April 1829 - ADS - James Taylor [Covington, KY] certification of the ruling of a lawsuit in the Campbell County Circuit Court.
23 May 1833 - ADS - William J. Price and C.F. Fowler [Philadelphia, PA] to Dulles, Wilcox, & Welsh [Cincinnati, OH] a bond to be paid in tobacco.
29 October 1833 - ADS - John Massey to James Taylor an itemized list of payments to be made to Mr. Taylor in the amount of $71.46. William and Robert Southgate are mentioned in the note.
18 October 1834 - ALS - D.C. Overton [Lexington, KY] to Major James Taylor [Newport, KY] arranges the sale of Mr. Taylor's slave, Isaac, to a Mr. Parker Craig and discusses the possible purchase of other slaves.
15 November 1834 - ALS - D.C Overton [Lexington, KY] to Maj. James Taylor [Newport, KY] informs him that he has been paid for the sale of Taylor's slave, Isaac, the amount of $500.
26 February 1838 - ALS - Eliza Sharp [Frankfort, KY] to Jane M. Sharp [Salem, KY] news from home concerning the weather, the death of a friend and a mention of a battle on the 25th (January or February 25, 1838)
24 October 1838 - ALS - W.D. Reed [Lebanon?, KY] to Jane Sharp [Frankfort, KY] announces that he has postponed his "southern trip" and that he feels that they should not delay in getting married.
15 August 1839 - ALS - W.D. Reed [Springfield, KY] to his mother-in-law, Eliza Sharp [Frankfort, KY] regarding the appointment of a legal guardian for "the boys" (Sharp's sons?) and the division of some property.
7 October 1839 - ALS - W.D. Reed [Philadelphia, PA] to Eliza Sharp [Frankfort, KY]. Assures his mother-in-law that he is not a man of fashion and will not be corrupted by the fashions of Philadelphia (especially drinking wine with dinner); furthermore, his concern for the welfare of his family is sincere.
29 November 1839 - ALS - W.D. Reed ["Oakland", Springfield, KY] to Ann M. Carter [Vicksburg, MS] (note: "Oakland" is probably the name of the Reed family home). Sends family news, assures her of his fraternal affection for her and that she should keep up in her correspondence with him.
15 January 1840 - ALS - Eliza Sharp [Frankfort, KY] to Jane Reed [Springfield, KY]. News from Frankfort about the weather and the recent Democratic Convention.
13 June 1840 - ALS - Eliza Overton [possibly Lexington, KY] to Frederick Harris [Louisa, VA]. Writes about her planned trip to Virginia and discusses family's health.
26 June 1840 - ALI - W.D. Reed [Harrodsburg, KY] to Jane M. Reed [Frankfort, KY]. News about a trip filled with setbacks.
11 November 1841 - ALS - W.D. Reed [Springfield, KY] to Jane Reed [Frankfort, KY]. Personal letter to his wife; he is away at court.
14 November 1841 - ALS - Margaret (Carter) ["Oakland", Springfield, KY] to Jane M. Reed [Frankfort, KY]. Writes of the death of her dear friend from Springfield, Mrs. Smith and of the loss of many of her friends in Vicksburg to yellow fever.
[n.d., 184?] - ALS - Eliza Sharp [Frankfort, KY] to Jane M. Reed [Springfield, KY] writes about latest fashions, costs of dresses and bonnets.
20 August 1844 - ALS - L.W. Booker to Jane M. Reed [Frankfort, KY]. Her sister-in-law writes from school and complains of never receiving any mail from them but the obituaries.
9 December 1844 - ALS - Ann Carter (his sister) [Columbus, OH] to William D. Reed [Frankfort, KY]. Complains that Reed never writes nor visits; asks many personal questions.
15 January 1847 - ALS - William Reed [Frankfort, KY] to Ann M. Carter [Columbus, OH]. Writes in concern for her health and proposes obtaining for her a servant.
14 October 1847 - ALS - William Reed to Mrs. Jane Reed [Frankfort, KY] asking her to send him some of his papers from home.
6 December 184? - AL - Eliza Sharp [Frankfort, KY] to Jane M. Reed [Springfield, KY]. Gives family and local news; chastises Jane for never writing; advises Jane in the management of her servants, noting that "Slavery is a great evil and whenever they meet together it is to abuse their owners and cogitate and devise evil against them."
11 September 1850 - ALS - W.D. Reed [Lawrenceburg, IN] to Jane Reed [Springfield, KY]. Amusing anecdote about a gunfight between one John Russell and a Mr. Stopp (sp?).
28 March 1851 - ANS - W.D. Reed [Shelbyville, KY] to Jane Reed [Frankfort, KY]. Writes to make sure that his horse is cared for during his absence.
20 February 1857 - ALS - W.D. Reed [Houston, TX] to Jane Reed [Williamson, KY]. Describes his travel plans through Texas and advises Jane on letting go of a hired hand named Bishop.
16 February 1858 - ALS - Unknown (half of signature missing) [Cincinnati, OH] to his brother. Letter describing recent social events in Covington; advice on education.
22 January 1862 - DS - William W. Southgate [Covington, KY] to Henry Southgate [Covington, KY]. A partial mortgage deed.
3 January 1868 - Photo of Waller Overton, an employee of the Banking House of James Taylor and Sons. Albumen print taken by Hoag and Quick of Cincinnati. Found with two pieces of paper giving brief biographies of Waller Overton (1750-1827).
13 August 1869 - Photo of Dabney B. Overton; an albumen print taken by J. Schulze in Heidelburg, Germany.
14 April 1870 - ALS - J.H. Keen [Hot Springs, CA] to Mrs. Adaliza Southgate [Newport, KY]. Announces his gratification at hearing from her and the rest of the family; announces that he has moved onto Government land near Hot Springs in San Louis Obispo County.
1871 - TD - A directory of students attending Woodward College, Cincinnati, from 1836 to 1851.
1 June 1872 - TD - Printed copy of a Trademark agreement between the United States and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. No indication of the original owner of this document can be found, though it almost certainly belonged to a lawyer.
21 December 1875 - ADS - Lucy Albert [Newport, KY]. A deposit ticket from the James Taylor and Sons Banking House.
6 April 1877 - DS - James Taylor to John Shillito. A check; also a two-cent revenue stamp and an autograph note recording payments made.
22 July 1878 - ADS - W. Overton [Newport, KY]. An account of deposits drawn from the Manhattan Bank.
3 December 1778 - AN - Martha Saunders to Col. James Taylor. Note of debt with interest due.
30 November 1878 - DS - Martha Saunders to Banking House of James Taylor and sons. A promissory note.
2 September 1878 - ALS - Unknown [Shelter Island, NY] to "Grandfather" [James Taylor] would like to borrow $50 to stay a few extra days in New York.
[n.d.] - AL - Unknown to Mother, giving news of family members, people who have joined the church, etc. Mention of a cousin Hubbard Kavanaugh might help identify the writer.
[n.d.] - AD - Genealogical record of the Johnston family, with a brief calendar of correspondence.
[n.d.] - AD - Genealogical record of the Reed family with reference to pages in Collins' History of Kentucky.
[n.d.] - TD - Genealogical record of the Scott family, with holograph notes in the same hand as the record of the Reed family.
[ca. 10 April 1906] - D - Photocopy of partial obituary of Nathaniel Southgate Shaler. Original was too brittle for handling.
[n.d.] - AD - Mrs. E.B. Johnston [Louisville, KY] an application to become a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (her father, William D. Reed, served under General Tyree Bell's command).
[n.d.] - Unidentified salt print of a man; the photograph has been trimmed to a circle and wrapped in a square of paper; it is possible, but not certain, that it fell out of one of the letters in the collection.
[n.d., 188?] - A card with six gelatin prints of six different ladies glued on it; possibly a brothel card depicting the women available.
[n.d.] - Albumen print of an unidentified woman reading to a young boy.
[n.d.] - Six unidentified photographs, all laid in a small booklet containing an unsigned holograph essay on the virtues of motherhood. 3 photographs are silver prints (ca. 1920s) of two children, a boy and a girl, 1 photograph is of an Army nurse near a tent (Fort Thomas, ca. 1900?) and the last two are artistic silhouettes of a mother and child. All are unidentified.
