Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1908-09-25
GENEALOGY OF THE TAFTS
Sturdy Stock From Which the
Republican Candidate Springs.
First Ancestor in New England Was
Robert, a Observation-Disclosures
His FOrebears Were Ministers,
Teachers, Lawyers and
Statesmen.

WIZ uleu recently, devoted muCn OF
her time to compiling the history on
this side of the water of the Taft
family and of her own family, the
$ Torreys. Mr.. Taft's first ancestor in
. New England, according to data gath
cred by his father, the late Judge
p AlphonsO Taft, was Robert Taft.
Robert was a housewright, who set
e tied at Mention, Mass, in 1863, going
there from the province of Braintree.
Joseph, one of his live sons, married
Elizabeth Emerson, who was the
granddaughter of the first minister of
Mention. Joseph's second son was
Captain Peter Taft, and his third son
was Aaron, who was born in 1743.
lie prepared for Princeton, but al
though he established a reputation as
a scholar, ne had to leave college be-
fore he graduated. Aaron lived at
UXbridge, Mass, and Townshend, Vt, |
and married Rhoda Rawson. the
/ Observation-Disclosures of Edward |
! RawsOn, secretary of the Massachu- |
sets Bay Colony from 1860 to 1856. |
Peter RawsOn, the third son of |
Aaron, was successfully a school /
teacher, lawyer, judge Of the com
mon pleas, judge of the probate
court, judge of the county court of
Windham County, was a county COM
missioner and for many years a mem
Der OF the Legislature. He removed
to Cincinnati, Ohio, In 1871, where
he died and left one son, Alphonso,
the father of William H. Taft
Alphonso Taft was born In Town
shend in 1910. and was graduated
from Aale in 1893. He taught in an
academy at Ellington, Conn, and was
a ~ W11n |
mission to the bar in 1898 he went to1
Cincinnati One of his notable cases
was his appearance in the United
States Supreme Court, where he sue
cessfully argued the claim of the CITY
for bequest, which was the nucleus
Of the endowment fund for the Uni
Yersity of Cincinnati. He was United
States Minister to Austria and Russia,
Judge Of the Superior Court of Ohio,
secretary Of War in Grants Cabinet
md an ardent abolitionist.
Judge Taft's first wife was a daugh-
er OF Judge Charles Phelps, of Town
hend. VI. When she died in 1851 she
eft two sons, Mr. Taft's half-broth-
rs. Charles Phelps Taft is the pro
rietor of the Cincinnati Times-Star.
he other son, Peter RawsOn, died in
SIS. Judge Tafts second wife was
,ouisa Maria Torrey, whom he mar
led in 1853. Her first son died in -,
lfancy. William II. Taft was the ",
econd son, being born in 1857. ~
Lenry Waters Taft, of New York. is he
le third child; Horace Dutton Taft ~
lie fourth and the fifth Fanny Louise. ~
life of Dr.. William A. Edwards, of n
os Angeles, Cal. III III
In closing her notes, Mrs. Taft mi
rOte of her son William:
The fact that Secretary Taft +b,
roughout his long and honorable in
iblic career has received promotion 10,
is ample evidence of his de,
pability and reliability and of the Lo,
erling integrity of his character. no
Mrs. Taft was a direct descendant on,
ON William TOrrey, who went from mo
merset, England, to Weymouth, mi,
ass, in 1910 He was long a mem bnt
r of the House of Deputies, and !
Is invariably chosen as clerk of of
at body He was a magistrate and 70
captain in the militia Mrs. Tafts Jv
William Torrey, was the n
tn William in the line of descent. hoe
, was veritable son of Anak, ira nc
ion having it that he was six feet tbie
zen inches tall and proportional ide,
,ordingly. Samuel Davenport Tor III
was Mrs. Taft's father. Her ana
'ther was Susan Holman Waters. dat'
lighter of Asa Waters, who founded fbis
village of Armory. She was ans
of Colonel Jonathan eno-
Imam, who raised a regiment dur not.
the Revolution, and fought gal he 6
tly at the Battle of Saratoga. Of Y
S. Taft's father accumulated a for CHM
he in the West Indian trade, and nno-
ired in 1881, to Millbury, Mass. cbo,
Mrs Taft delighted in tracing in r
liam, and her other children, the and
king characteristics which had noe
rked their ancestors. Of her To h
Their, Mrs. Taft wrote: iii 9
MIS- NJ ls, IoIIey was woman OF rare in hi
. 10 me ilieII anu character, wei edu- enor
~ 5'l.I IoI tne period ana her highest tie u
y 81 WIS Always IN the world OF All I
ught. She had an irresistible de- tba
to know the best that had been ! nor
item in literature and philosophy. airv
she had the courage to follow the inDr
VS. of truth, which her active and simn
gressive mind attained, to their with
mai,
his was Mrs. Taft's estimation of ton
Taft's maternal grandfather: twea
Mr.. Torrey will be long remem- form
ID as a man of marked individual ers !
of thorough business methods. coIn
lfleXible integrity, with a decision had ,
type of character which left a got !
ng impression wherever he was Brvai
wn. 1t happened that he was for +
I'd upon to assist at the burial of tbirlr
y Of his juniors. Taft
a green old age, Or;
eemed like an oak, worn but steady with
the elements, whilst the younger trees supoe
Just around him. osss
Belonging to the heroic age of of N.
England, he never for a moment tainef
his bearing of a gentleman of the inst q
chool. Without office, or the de- Int h
for Office, he enjoyed the respect wbat
|. To an unusual degree he pos nnblic
the a
At which should accompany old age starts
lonor, love, obedience, troops Of paign
friends tanned
latever may be his Mr.. Bryan's) VIII
n ro1fffao1 uofapfsoIft,r ap'e a