William Taylor & the 1910 Census

Census Sunday
Bradley-Taylor

By Don Taylor

In my Bradley-Hingston Project, I’ve been researching William S. Taylor (1856-1928). For my genealogical “first pass” research for an ancestor, I attempt to find vital records, birth, death, and marriages. I also try to find the individual in all of the available Census records during their life.  In William Taylor’s case, I have not successfully found him the 1910 Censuses.

William was born on 29 December 1856 in Taylorsville[i], Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to Jacob H. and Rebecca L. (Pittman) Taylor. On 17 January 1887, he married Maria and they had three children, Dorothy, John, and Magdalen. William remarried Mary Ella Rulon on 22 November 1911. That suggests that John and Maria either divorced or that Maria died before November 1911. Additionally, Magdalen had married in 1910 was

William S. Taylor would have been 53 years old on 15 April 1910. He is probably either widowed or divorced.

Review of the 1910 Census

A Search of Family Search for William Taylor, 53 years old, born in Pennsylvania, yielded eight reasonable candidates.

• • William R. Taylor was the head of a household that included a daughter Annie. He had been married for 37 years but did work as a secretary for the railroad. My William married 23 years earlier and had no known daughter named Annie. This William Taylor is an unlikely candidate.
  • The William Taylor, who lived in Warrior Run, Luzerne County, PA, and was married to Rebecca, is not a candidate.
  • William D. Taylor, who lived in Philadelphia, had a son named Joseph and whose parents were born in Ireland, is not a candidate.
  • William F Taylor, who lived in Altoona, Blair County, PA, and had a wife, Agnes, is not a candidate.
  • The William R Taylor, who lived in Rochester, Monroe County, NY, and had a wife, Annie, is not a candidate.
  • The William C Taylor, who lived in Colwyn, Delaware County, PA, and had a wife, Anna, is not a candidate.
  • The Wm Taylor, who lived in Philadelphia, PA, and had a wife, Clara, is not a candidate.
  • William Taylor boarded with Mary R Tabor in Philadelphia, PA. His father was born in PA, and his mother was born in New Jersey. His occupation is Accountant at a Brewing Co. This William Taylor is a likely candidate. During the 1920 Census, William’s occupation is “Accountant.” Although he is listed as single, rather than divorced or widowed, I believe that is an error by whoever provided the information to the census taker.

William Taylor a lodger in the household of Mary R Tabor – 1910 US Census – Family Search

This look at the 1910 Census reminded me that there were other 23-year-old William Taylor’s living in the Philadelphia area, including:

1. 1. 1. William R. Taylor, the father of Annie Taylor.
      2. William D. Taylor, whose parents were born in Ireland.
      3. William Taylor, whose wife was Clara.

Conclusion

In 1910, William Taylor was a lodger at 32 South 17^th Street, Philadelphia. His occupation was as an Accountant at a brewing company.[ii]

Follow-up

I find it particularly interesting that the head of the household was the 47-year-old widow Mary R. Tabor. William’s second wife, who he married in 1911, was Mary Rulon (maiden name). His wife, Mary, also would have been 47 in 1910. Are the two Mary’s the same person? I will need to investigate that if/when I research Mary Rulon.

Endnotes:

[i] Taylorsville is now Washington Crossing, an unincorporated village in Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. (About 30 miles north of Philadelphia and 8 miles upstream of Trenton.

[ii] “United States Census, 1910,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGWN-5R4, accessed 17 February 2021), Wm Taylor, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 480, sheet 5A, family 87, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1397; FHL microfilm 1,375,410.