Roberts-Barnes-Taft Line
By Don Taylor

Researching Joel Cruff Taft had its challenges. The most obvious one is tracing an individual through the early (before 1850) censuses. The second problem in researching Joel was regularly running into his grandfather, Silas Taft, who was a “minuteman” in the Revolution. I’m looking forward to writing about him

Joel Cruff Taft – Ancestor #42

List of Grandparents

• Grandmother: Essie Pansy Barnes(1903-1982)
• 1^st Great-grandfather: Joel Clinton Barnes(1857-1921)
• 2^nd Great-grandmother: Mercy Eliza Taft(1822-1884)
• 3^rd Great-grandfather: Joel Cruff Taft (1800-1849)
• 4^th Great-grandfather: Asa Taft (1774-1839)
• 5^th Great-grandfather: Silas Taft (1744-1812) – Patriot!
• 6^th Great-grandfather: Stephen Taft (1710-1803)

Joel Cruff Taft (1800-1849)

Christmas, 1800, was doubly blessed when Asa and Sarah (Whitney) Taft had their fourth child, Joel Cruff Taft, on Christmas Day. I’m not sure where the name “Joel” came from, but Asa’s mother’s maiden name was Cruff, which is the likely source of Joel’s middle name.

Joel had three older siblings:

• • • Asa Perry, six years older.
    • Lurancy, four years older.
    • Amanda, two years older.

Joel was the first of their children born in Broome County, New York. The Taft’s had moved there from Peru, Berkshire County, Massachusetts in either 1799 or 1800. Joel’s mother had two more children, Seth (in 1803) and John (in 1805), before she died in 1813, while Joel was only 12 years old. Asa remarried and had eleven children altogether.

I have not successfully found the ten-year-old’s father, Asa Taft, in the 1810 Census. (See: Joel Cruff Taft & the 1810 Census.)

Marriage

In 1819, Joel married Tamise Sutherland in Triangle, Broome County, New York.

They had ten children.

The Children of Joel Cruff Taft & Tamise (Sutherland) Taft

The 1820 Census found Joel living near his brother, Silas, and his father, Asa, in Lisle, Broome County, New York. In his household are his wife and his oldest son, Silas.

In 1822 property that had been his mother’s was sold to Justus B. Sutherland; Joel and several of his siblings benefited from the sale.

The 1830 household (See Joel Cruff Taft & the 1830 Census) of Joel Taft suggests tragedy. Silas, who would have been ten years old, isn’t enumerated in the household, suggesting he died before 1 June 1830. The 1830 Census does indicate four females in the household that fit the profile for his four youngest daughters.  There was another male child in the household, under the age of 5, who I haven’t been able to name.

The 1840 Census (see Joel Cruff Taft & the 1840 Census) finds Joel still in Broome County. All of his known daughters are accounted for.

• Females – Under 5: 2     Platina (age 4) Lurancy (Age (5)
• Females – 5 thru 9: 1     Joanna (Age 8)
• Females – 10 thru 14: 3     Candance (Age 10), Catherine (Age 12) (Amanda (age 14)
• Females – 15 thru 19: 1     Sarah (Age 16)
• Females – 40 thru 49: 1     Tamise (age 44)

The 1840 Census also indicates there were two males in the household besides Joel. One was 10 to 14 and one was 20 to 30. Certainly, the one from 10 to 14 is the same unknown male child enumerated in the 1830 Census. But could the 20 to 30 year old be Silas?  Possibly.

In 1841, his daughter Platina died at six years of age.

In 1847, his daughter Amanda died at the age of 20.

Joel died on 19 April 1849 in Fairbanks, Sullivan County, Indiana. He was survived by his wife Tamise and at least seven of his children, Mercy, Sarah, Catherine, Candance, Jeanne, Lurancy, and William. I haven’t determined death dates for his sons Silas and “unknown.”

Events by Location

Note: Barker, Lisle, and Triangle are all within six miles of each other. It is possible that the Census takers recorded the locations differently during each enumeration.

Followup

Research Joel’s other children, particularly Seth’s death and the heretofore unknown name son.

Follow property records to determine if Joel lived in several places or if the various places’ names changed during the census recordings.

Sources

• 1820 Census (A), Ancestry.Com, Asa Taft, Asa Taft Jr., Joel C Taft – Lisle, Broome, New York.
• 1830 Census (A) (NARA), Ancestry.Com, 1830 Census – Joel Taft – Lisle, Broome, New York. Year: 1830; Census Place: Lisle, Broome, New York; Series: M19; Roll: 85; Page: 109; Family History Library Film: 0017145
• 1840 Census (NARA), 1840 Census – J C Jogt (J C Taft) – Barker, Broome, New York. Year: 1840; Census Place: Barker, Broome, New York; Roll: 266; Page: 400; Family History Library Film: 0017179
• Daughters of the American Revolution, “Descendants Search”, DAR, Name Restricted – Nat’l # 887132 – Ancestor #A112392 https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_descendants/?action=list&MyPrimary_Seqn=1001593&MyLineageCount=1.
• Family Group Record, Family Search, Joel Cruff Taft (K8BN-FDM) – See File: 20170512 Family K8BN-FDM.pdf. Marriage Place: Triangle, Broome, New York, United States
• Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007, Family Search, William Taft & Elizabeth Scott – Marriage 23 June 1883. “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXN4-KFX : 10 December 2017), William Taft and Elizabeth Scott, 23 Jun 1883; citing Sullivan, Indiana, United States, Marriage Registration, Indiana Commission on Public Records, Indianapolis; FHL microfilm 004171419. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXN4-KFX.
• S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889­-1970, Ancestry.Com, Joel C Taft – Volume: 265. National Number 52981 – State Number 1007 (Indiana). https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=SARMemberApps&h=1149463.
• United States, New York Land Records, 1630-1975, Family Search, Broome County Deeds 1819-1824 – Vol 8 – Pages 108&109. Joel C Taft to Justus B Sutherland – 25 Jun 1822. “United States, New York Land Records, 1630-1975”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:D5L9-RBMM: 29 January 2021), Joel C Taft, 1822.