Colonel James Taylor
Daily Commonwealth, Friday, March 30, 1883 page 2
Newport's Most Distinguished Citizen is Dead
At his residence in Newport, last evening at 6 o'clock Colonel
James Taylor died in the 81st year of his age. His death was caused by pneumonia
from which he had been suffering for about a week. He preserved his
consciousness to the last and passed away peacefully, surrounded by the
following members of his family: Mr. Barry Taylor and wife, Mr. John
Taylor and wife, Mrs. Colonel Thomas L Jones and his granddaughters, the Misses
Abert.
Colonel James Taylor, son of General James Taylor, was born August 9, 1802 in Bellevue, the residence of his father near Newport, Ky. His mother was Keturah Leitch. Young Taylor spent the years 1813 and 1814 in the Pestalozzian School of the celebrated Dr. Joseph Buchanan, near Lexington and in 1818 entered the freshman class at the Transylvania University, then under the presidency of Dr. Holly and graduated in 1822. For some time, he subsequently occupied his leisure hours at home in literary pursuits.
Throughout his life he had taken great pleasure in the drama and recited Shakespeare and Byron with unsurpassed power, for the entertainment of his friends. In 1823 he entered the law school of Transylvania University where Hon. William T Barry and Judge Jesse Bledsoe were professors and graduated in the spring of the following year. In the spring of 1825 he was admitted to the bar, but never entered on the practice of his profession.
He immediately took an active part with his father, who had been for many years, extensively engaged in the location of land warrants in the state of Ohio, and was then prosecuting numerous claims in that state. He was thus engaged for many years, bringing his legal knowledge and rare business tact and skill into requisition before the State and Federal courts in Ohio; and not only acquired a handsome estate but also the reputation of being one of the first business men of Kentucky.
Colonel Taylor was a speaker of uncommon ability and would have made his mark at the bar or politics had fortune been less favorable. On the stage he would have been equal to Forrest, or any of the great actors who have attained the highest histrionic fame; and in any vocation he would have been successful.
Colonel Taylor was married May 20, 1824 at Frankfort to Miss Susan Lucy Barry, eldest daughter of Hon. William T Barry, then Secretary of State of Kentucky. Mrs. Taylor only died a few months ago. The event proved a severe blow to Colonel Taylor. He himself having a presentment that his own end was not far off made his will and settled his estate in equal portions among his several children. Colonel Taylor's father died in 1848. Of his eleven children, Colonel Taylor was the last survivor.
There will be a meeting of the Kenton and
Campbell County Bars at the Newport Court house Saturday morning at 10 o'clock.
His funeral will take place Sunday afternoon.