Levi TAYLOR ( - )

1 Levi TAYLOR¹ ( - ) [4159].

2 Jeremiah TAYLOR^1,2 ( - ) [4097].

From the History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania with Biographical Sketches By H. C. Bradsby, 1891, CHAPTER XXXIII. Granville Township.

DURING the winter of 1798-99 Jeremiah Taylor, with his family, left his native Berkshire, Mass., home, and with a Connecticut title to a piece of land in what is Bradford county came and first stopped in what is now West Burlington, where he stayed one season, and in a way worked a piece of land, afterward Amasa Greeno's. While here, he put in his odd time in clearing and preparing his future farm home, In March, 1800, he moved to his place with a yoke of oxen and a sled, a distance of about four miles to Towanda creek, now Leroy township. Their only neighbor was Lewis Moffit, who came the same year and settled about a mile west, up the main stream on the Harrison Ross farm. The next arrival, in 1801, was Scovil Bailey, who was down the stream some fifty rods, on the Lame D. Taylor farm. Ile was a carpenter and a noted hunter. Then came David Bailey and his father and mother, who settled east on the Robert Bailey farm. Then came Ezra Bailey, who settled between Scovil Bailey and David Bailey, on the Elam A. Bailey farm. Then came .Thomas Bailey, who settled north of them on the John Vrooman farm; then Uriah Baxter, on the Benjamin Baldwin farm.

The first white child born in the settlement was Sylvester Taylor, third son of Jeremiah Taylor, the latter of whom died September 17, 1827. Sylvester lived to be an old man on the old farm at Granville Centre. The first death was that of Mrs. Lewis Moffit, who was buried on the old Crofut farm on Towanda creek. The first wedding was that of Hugh Holcomb (the first settler in Leroy township) with Prudence Bailey, daughter of Oliver Bailey. One of Holcomb's sons was Hon. Judson Holcomb, of Towanda.

The first school was taught in the summer of 1807 by Miss Delight Spalding. The patrons of this school were Jeremiah Taylor, Benjamin Saxton, Scovil Bailey, Ezra Bailey, David Bailey, Thomas Bailey, Uriah Baxter and Oliver Nelson. The last and Benjamin Saxton came that year. There were fifteen pupils in the school, embracing a territory of about three miles square. Lewis Moffit left, and Benjamin Saxton settled on his place. The latter, who was the first blacksmith, soon built his shop and went to work. Nelson settled on the John Vrooman farm. This was the total for Granville for some years-all were old New England acquaintances.

From 1807 there were but few additions to the settlement, but about this time a change was made in the road from Sugar creek to Towanda creek; commencing from near the present road from West Burlington to Granville and Le Roy, which crossed, Sugar creek at Goddard's sawmill (the gristmill was added several years after); the road then ran further up the hill south and further north on the side of the hill, and intersected the present road near George Shattuck's, then continued near the same to Bailey's, and then crossed the North branch and ran south near the present road until it intersected the Taylor road, " about a mile from Towanda creek.

The first religious wave struck Granville in 1805, when Jeremiah Taylor and wife joined the Baptist Church on Towanda creek. Under Elder Thomas Smiley a church was built on this creek. It was this Elder Smiley that was visited at night, and tarred and feathered by the Connecticut land claimants. They took him away from his house and greatly maltreated him. 01' this circumstance a contemporary account says: "The men came f rom the north country" (this probably means Athens or Tioga Point) 11 rode fast horses and had fierce countriances.))

About 1810 the Methodists bad preaching appointments in this section, and did organize a society in the settlement, and had two revival meetings, and showed some activity until 1856, when it all ceased. The next year, 1811, a road was opened from -Towanda creek (now West Franklin) to Irad Wilson's, near Alba borough-elevenmiles. On this road the settlers began to build and remove from the first houses along the stream. During this year new comers arrived, among others, Philip Packard, Abraham Parkhurst and Charles Butterfield; Packard settled the farm afterward Joseph Pratt's, Parkhurst at Bailey's old place, and Scovil Bailey where David Bailey had settled.
During the years 1812-15 a draft was ordered in the State, and Ezra Bailey was drafted from his township; he went to headquarters, but was soon allowed to return home again discharged.

In the winter of 1814-15 an epidemic prevailed in the settlement, and Abraham Parkhurst and his two sons, Luther and Asa, died. Mr. Parkhurst had believed in his ability to hold converse with departed friends, which was the earliest case of spiritualism in the county, no doubt.

In 1816 there was the severe frost, in August, that in all parts of the county destroyed corn, and a famine among the people was threatened. A small supply was had by going to Lycoming creek then called Egypt.
The first frame barn was built in Granville In 1815, by Jeremiah Taylor; the first frame dwelling, in 1819, by Jeremiah Taylor, Jr.. and the next year the latter built a small gristmill, which could grind only a little corn. In this some time afterward a turning-lathe was erected, and a chair-wheel factory was carried on for some time by Nathaniel Phelps. Afterward Jeremiah Taylor, Jr.. built a saw and grist mill which (lid a good business until the earl "sixties.".

3 Martha BAILEY² (1767- ) [4096]. Born 5 May 1767.¹

6 Oliver BAILEY^2,3,4,5 (1738-1822) [3585]. Born 23 Jun 1738, Haddam, Middlesex, CT.^3,5 Marr Hannah SCOVILLE 14 May 1761, Haddam, Middlesex, CT.^3,5 Died 4 Oct 1822, Granville Center, Bradford, PA.³

From Pioneer and Patriot Families of Bradford County, Pennsylvania 1800-1825 by Clement F. Heverly.

Oliver Bailey, the ancestor of the Baileys of Western Bradford, was the hero of two wars. A son of Ephraim Bailey, he was a native of Haddam, Middlesex county, Conn. And there married Hannah ScoviIle. He was a private in the Revolutionary war in the company of Captain Higgins, Col. Wm. Douglas, 5th battalion Wadsworth's brigade, raised June, 1776, to reinforce Washington's army at New York, he was in the battle of Long Island and also White Plains. Some years after the war, he removed to Berkshire, Mass., and in 1803 came with his wife to Granville township, Bradford county, where some of the family had already settled. Here he continued lo reside until the time of his death, October 4, 1822, aged 84 years. In noting his demise. The Settler, published at Towanda. says; "Mr. Bailey was a soldier of two wars. He served through the whole of the old French war and was one of the first who asserted our independence in 1775. He served through the whole of that arduous struggle for liberty and was in many of the most important battles. He was one of the most respected and first settlers of Franklin (then including part of Granville), having resided in that place 19 years He had 12 children, all of whom lived to have families and to an advanced age."

From Tri-Counties Newspaper Clipping Scrapbook - BAILEY - At the time of his death in 1822, the Towanda newspaper The Settler wrote of Oliver Bailey.

"Mr Bailey was a soldier of two wars. He served through the whole of the old French War and was one of the first who asserted our independence in 1775. He served through the whole of that arduous struggle for liberty and was in many of the most important battles. He was one of the most respected and first settlers of Franklin (then including part of Granville), having resided in that place 19 years. He had 12 children, all of whom lived to have families and to an advanced age."

The Bailey family lived in Haddam, CT from its beginnings in 1662. Some years after his marriage in 1761, Oliver Bailey moved his family to Great Barrington, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. By 1803 Oliver and Hannah (Scoville) had moved to Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Four of his children stayed in Massachusetts: Oliver, Jr., Phebe, Hannah, and Mary (called Polly).

12 Ephraim BAILEY^3,4 (1691-1761) [3553]. Born 1 Jan 1690/91, Haddam, Middlesex, CT.³ Marr Deborah BRAINERD 3 Oct 1716, Haddam, Middlesex, CT.⁵ Died 7 Mar 1761, Haddam, Middlesex, CT.³

13 Deborah BRAINERD^3,5,6,7 (1698-1745) [3554]. Born 3 Apr 1698, Haddam, Middlesex, CT.^6,7 Died 1745, Haddam, Middlesex, CT.^5,7

7 Hannah SCOVILLE^2,3,5 (1739-1828) [3586]. Born 11 Apr 1739, Haddam, Middlesex, CT.³ Died 18 Oct 1828, Granville Center, Bradford, PA.³

14 William SCOVILLE³ ( - ) [3587].

15 Hannah SHAILER³ ( - ) [3588].

Sources

1	"Tri-Counties Newspaper Clipping Scrapbook".

2	"Pioneer and Patriot Families of Bradford County, Pennsylvania 1800-1825 by Clement F. Heverly".

3	"Ancestry.com, Snow/Lyman Ancestors".

4	"A History of the Towns of Haddam and East-Haddam by David D. Field, A.M., Pastor of the Church of Haddam, 1814".

5	"Genealogy of the Brainerd-Brainard Family in America 1549-1908 by Lucy Abigail Brainard, 1908".

6	"The Genealogy of the Brainerd Family in the United States by Rev. David D. Field, D.D., 1857".

7	"Genealogies of Connecticut Families from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register".