Taylor Gravesite
Enterprise, Volusia Co., Fla.
This is the headstone of Mary Arabella (Polly) Taylor eldest
daughter of Major Cornelius and Catherine Taylor the oldest known white burial
south of St. Augustine, Fla.
It is said that Major Taylor gave Enterprise its name about 1841 when he
squatted the land then in Mosquito County. Major Taylor was the first settler of
Enterprise coming from the panhandle of West Virginia where he was born in 1785.
After Polly's death he moved to Texas and drowned on a trip enroute from there
by ship to California.
The headstone is on private property being well taken care of and I was asked
not to disclose the location. The headstone was brought in by oxcart from St.
Augustine.
Information was provided to me from Sylvia Hardin of Enterprise.
This is from an email sent by Ed Taylor gr-gr-grandson of Cornelius and Catherine Taylor.
Cornelius Taylor is my great great grandfather. "C. and C" are
Cornelius and Catherine his wife. That Cornelius was born in the W. Va.
Panhandle was probably from me, but incorrect. Further research has
brought me to included that he was probably born in Luzerne Co., PA.
The highest rank he received from his service in the Second Seminole War was captain, but in later
life he assumed the rank of major.
Family tradition states that there were a number of slaves who also died of the fever at the same time as Polly, and were
buried around her.
I have often wonder if this was the start of an earlier cemetery for residents of Enterprise. I would appear that there was no dwelling nor
other buildings there when the grave was made.
According to information I have not been able to confirm, Cornelius lost his
life off Mexico's west coast - at Matzatlan- during a hurricane.
Ed Taylor
Copyright ©2010, W.R. Morgan
Sacred
To the memory of
Our Beloved
Polly
Daughter of C. & C. Taylor
Who departed this life
of typhus fever
September 21st 1842
Aged 13 years and 13 days