Turnbull, Burrows Harbour, Deans

Alexander C. Taylor. Origin: Loyalist.

Alexander Taylor received three land grants on Long Island. The 220-acre parcel in the Deans area of Long Island was granted on 26 December 1788. That land was bounded by that of John Denniston, by the sea, by Upper Turtle Cove, and by vacant land on the other two sides. The 200-acre parcel, granted on 22 January 1789, was located near Culmers Bluff in the area of Turnbull, bounded by the sea, his 220 acres, and by vacant land on two sides. The third grant of 100 acres was issued on 11 December 1789 in the Burrows Harbour area of Long Island, adjacent to the sea, a salina on two sides, and the land of John Denniston.

In Homeward Bound, Appendix E, Alexander Taylor is listed as a proven Loyalist whose “earliest date on Abaco was 1794,” according to Riley, which is strange because it was six years after his Long Island ownership began. We cannot rectify this discrepancy. His 1788 Long Island land grant states that he was a Loyalist.

We believe it is likely, based on the proximity of his grants, that Alexander Taylor was a brother or other relative of Archibald and Duncan Taylor, originally from Scotland via North Carolina. We also believe -- because each of Taylor’s grants are adjacent to land owned by John Denniston; because the Deans parcel was purchased from Denniston; and because John Denniston, Esquire (per his grants) was apparently a merchant and carpenter (??) in the employ of Alexander Taylor -- that the relationship of these two men – both presumably trained as lawyers – was especially close. Perhaps they married sisters, or one married the other man’s sister. At this point, however, this is merely speculative.

Reference: HB App E., Grant