September 29, 2012
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Rowland Taylor, burning at stake
In England the official night for bonfires is Nov. 5. In Britain it is officially to recall a plot to blow up the king in 1605. Lewis, a town in East Sussex, England is a special center for this holiday. In Lewis the processions of very fancy dress include 17 burning crosses, symbolizing 17 Protestant martyrs killed by Mary Tudor between 1555 and 1557. One of these martyrs was Rowland Taylor, my 10th great grandfather.
Rowland Taylor (1510 – 1555)
is your 10th great grandfather
Son of Rowland
Son of Thomas
Son of Thomas
Son of James
Son of John
Son of John
Son of John
Son of John Nimrod
Son of John Samuel
Son of William Ellison
Daughter of George Harvey
William Ellison Taylor (1839-1918) was a preacher in the Church of Christ, a veteran of the Civil War, and a farmer. I never knew him, but have some of his written documents, including his war records and Confederate pension application. I am not sure what happened with religion between Rowland and William. There is something spooky and creepy about being the subject a bonfire that is burned to commemorate your own ancestor’s burning. It does not make me feel more religious, that is for sure.