From “Family History of The Joseph Taylor, Jr. and Sarah Best Family”
by Shari H. Franke
Joseph Best Taylor was the third son and the ninth child of Joseph Taylor, Jr. and Sarah Best. Born 10 September 1801, at Edgecombe County, North Carolina, he grew up on the Taylor Plantation and enjoyed all the benefits of living in a large family. Surrounded by loving parents, brothers and sisters, he also enjoyed having aunts, uncles and cousins nearby. Joseph was only about seven years old when his parents moved to Warren County, Kentucky. He probably didn’t remember too much about his first home in North Carolina.
As the years passed at the old Taylor homestead near Richardsville, Warren, Kentucky, Joseph became acquainted with close friends and neighbors, the James Hudnall, Jr. and Rhoda Chastain family. They had a lovely daughter named Polly Ann Hudnall whom Joseph Best married on 28 January 1821 in Warren County, Kentucky, according to their Family Bible. (Warren County records state that they were married 25 January 1822). Her father, gave his consent in person; his mother gave her consent in writing. Allen Taylor was bondsman. (Polly’s brother Rene Chastain Hudnall married Joseph Best’s sister Sarah Best Taylor on 6 June 1821. How delighted the two families must have been to have these two young couples marry!) A photo of Joseph Best Taylor shows that he was a very handsome man. Family records indicate that he stood over six feet tall.
Polly Ann Hudnall was born 21 June 1805 at Warren County, Tennessee, the daughter of James Hudnall, Jr. and Rhoda Chastain, who also settled in Warren County, Kentucky about 1814. James Hudnall, Jr. organized the Green River Union Church in his home. The Hudnalls, a good, religious family, were well thought of by all of their neighbors. Polly Ann was a good wife and mother. She was also a registered midwife who helped bring many babies into the world. She and Joseph had 11 children.
Joseph Best Taylor and Polly Ann Hudnall’s children were: Thomas Best, James Wesley, Rhodah Chastain, Nicholas Wren (Reverend), Sarah Best, Paradine, William Allen, Aaron, Tabitha H., Mary Ann and Joseph Irven.
On 30 June 1845, Polly Ann Hudnall Taylor died at the old homestead near Richardsville, Warren, Kentucky. She was only 40 years old. She was buried at the Hudnall cemetery, Warren, Kentucky.
How sad and lonely her husband and children must have been! Joseph Best Taylor had a huge responsibility to raise 11 children alone. They ranged in age from twenty-two years, down to age three years old. Joseph was a farmer. He had inherited 92 acres of good land from his father after he died. He was named on his father’s Will on 1 December 1815. His portion was the middle portion, between his brother William on the east and his brother Allen on the west. After his brother William left for Missouri in 1830-1831, Joseph bought William’s land, and some new boundaries were made between his farm and Allen’s. Joseph raised livestock too. He had quite a few sheep which the family took care of. Much wool had to be carded and spun–always plenty to do on the farm.
On 4 December 1849, Joseph Best Taylor married (2) Sarah Elizabeth Rone (Burchfield) at Butler County Kentucky. She was a widow and had been previously married to Neshack Burchfield: and already had a large family. Her children were:
Joseph and Sarah now had a very large family with “his children, her children, and their children.” Joseph was a good stepfather to the Burchfield children, as was Sarah Elizabeth a good stepmother to the Taylor children. They even took care of one of Sarah Best Taylor Hudnall’s children after she died, Sidnia Ann Hudnall, who was only one year old when her mother died.
Joseph Best Taylor and Sarah Elizabeth Rone (Burchfield)’s children were Newton Rone and William A.
Joseph Best Taylor died of typhoid fever on 11 August 1864, near Richardsville, Warren, Kentucky, almost 63 years old. He was buried at the Hudnall Cemetery, in Warren County, Kentucky. No known Will for him.
Sarah Elizabeth Rone was born 29 June 1808 at Butler County, Kentucky. she was the daughter of John Rone (b. 8-Dec .1786) and Rebecca Anderson (b. 7 Aug 1786 in Virginia). John Rone was the son of Adam Rone and Barbary (Barbara) who was born in Holland about 1762 and emigrated to Virginia. “John and Rebecca married on 20 August 1805 in Logan County, Kentucky and spent their early life in Butler County. After 1830 they moved across the Green River to Warren County. He was a slave holder and was an extensive land owner in the Riverside community. They reared a large family of ten children. John Rone was a farmer. His Will, written 11 April 1852, shows that he left all his property, including land and slaves, to his wife Rebecca, to be divided equally among his children at her death. He died 15 April 1842, and was buried on his farm near his residence.
After the death of Rebecca 14 March 1851, the farm became the property of their son George Washington Rone. The John Rone family lived on a high bluff of Green River, overlooking Burchfield Ferry, where John built the original log house which burned and was later rebuilt by his grandson, Martin Van Rone. Note: There are two Rone Cemeteries on the Green River. In Warren County is the John Rone Cemetery where he and his family are buried. It is on a hill and is at the location of the old Burchfield Ferry. Down the Green River and over in Butler County is the Fannie Rone Cemetery. It was so named after the wife of John’s brother George Rone. Their family is buried there. This large cemetery is often called the Martin Cemetery.”
Sarah Elizabeth Rone married (1) 17 July 1825, Meshack Burchfield, at Warren County, Kentucky. Meshack was born in 1800 in Warren County, and died in 1846 at Warren County, Kentucky. He was buried at the John Rone Cemetery, Warren, Kentucky. Meshack Burchfield and Sarah Elizabeth Rone’s children were: Thomas B., James A., Bedford, Anialine, Stanford, Young and Commodore T. Commodore and Joseph Irven Taylor were very close stepbrothers. They fought together in the Civil War as Union soldiers in the same Regiment, the 9th Kentucky Infantry Regiment. Commodore T. resided in Eldorado Springs, Missouri, only 50 miles away from Arcadia, Crawford, Kansas, where Joseph Irven Taylor lived.
Sarah Elizabeth Rone (Burchfield) Taylor died 16 February 1867 near Richardsville, Warren, Kentucky. She left a Will dated 14 February 1867, and proved at February Term Court 1867, Warren County, Kentucky. She had Alfred Cherry as her Executor. She left everyth
