| Notes |
- Historical Account of Elizabeth Taylor, mother of Elizabeth Ann Taylor Driggs Criddle, as recorded in the Book of Remembrance of Fred G. Taylor.
Elizabeth Patrick Taylor was born in the state of Virginia on Dec. 9 1793, daughter of John Patrick and Sarah Kendrick. She was of Irish Descent and is thought to be of the live of the old American family of Patrick. She was a large robust woman of sandy complextion and was strong and fearless. She had two sisters, Nancy and Polly, and eight brothers. She moved with her family froom Virginia to Kentucky and it was at Bowling Green, in Warren County, Kentucky, that she married William Taylor. She lived in harmony with him until the time of his death in 1839. She birth to fourteen children, seven daughters, and seven sons. Their names were; John, Allen, Julia Ann, Mary Ann, Louisa, Elizabeth Ann, Sarah Kendrick Best, Joseph Pleasant Green, William Warren, Levi, Nancy Jane, Amanda Malvina, and James Caldwell.
In 1830 she left Kentucky and with her husband and children moved into Monroe County, Missouri, which at this time was a wilde country of unbroken land over which roamed the savage indian and many wild animals but she fearlessly accepted the hardships of the frontier and set her stregth to the task of subduing the wilderness.
In the spring of 1834 when her husband accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ, she too, was baptized and she became a devoted worker in the cause. Through all of the persecutions that the church endured she stood steadfast. She gave up one home after another, sacrificing the comforts and blessings of her heath and fireside in order to be with the saints. Being of a domestic turn of mind she took great pride in making her home a pleasant place in which to live. Through her thrift and she was able to surround her family with many little home comforts and to prepare for them nourishing and appetizing meals. Her skilled fingers spun the yarn from which she afterwards made suits of clothing for her husband and sons. At one time they were forced to leave their home hurriedly under stress of mob violence, and cutting the cloth from her loom she carried it with her, neveer seeing the loom again. At another time in the journeying they met an old couple who were greived because their best horse had died, leaving them stranded. Without hesitation she permitted her husband to unhitch her favorite mare from his own wagon and gave it to the old couple and told them to continue their way in peaace.
During the winter of 1836 while the saints were camped in the streets of Farr West, more than once Elizabeth prepared food and carried it to the Prophets friends who were held captive in prison. Some of the mob came and tried to persuade her daughters to run away with them, telling the gorls they would be destroyed if they stayed with the saints. Elizabeth tok a long stick from the fire and in no uncertain manner quickly drove the man from her camp. They did not return. Possibly the hardest trial she had to endure in those early days was the loss of her faithful and devoted husband. They had workes and sacrificed together through many long years. He passed away in September 1839 while they were journeying from Missouri to Illinois, having been expelled from their home in the State of Missouri. They had been driven out and robbed so many times that the family were in destitute circumstances. Some of the older children helped her with the support of the family but, even though times were so perilous, she had no fear, she was reaady to take up the burden where he had laid it down.
A short time after her husbands death a Mr. Gillum came and offered Elizabeth forty acres of good land if she would stay in Missouri after the saints were driven out. It was no temptation to her. She scorned his offer and journeyed with the saints to Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois. They had been robbed of the possesions and now were detitue. President Joseph Smith gave them a city lot and they built a log house on it. All of the children who wwwere at home worked unitedly together for the support of the family. By the force of her strong character, she hedl the family together not withstanding the great hardships through thich they passed and they all remained with the church and all came to Utah except Sarak Kendrick Best who remained in Iowa and John.
Elizabeth Taylor was in Nauvoo when the prophet went to Carthage to his doom. After the tragedy she and her son and daughter went to the carthage jail and saw the blood on the floor. She was present at the meeting when the "mantle of Jospeh" fell upon Brigham Young and, like the others, she thought that Jospeh had been resurrected and had returned to lead his people.
On the 26th of January in 1846, she and three of her children were permitted to go into the Nauvoo temple and receive their endowments.
It was a great trial for the saints to have to give up their sacred Temple, their home to very dear to them, and their beautiful city of Nauvoo, but when the Govenor ordered them to leave, Elizabeth was one of the first to begin the long trek across the western plains. She drove her own ox team, going as far as Council Bluffs that year, and in May, 1849 she went on into the Salt Lake Valley. She made her first home in Utah at Kaysville. Her boys were good farmers and made a good home for her. She took part in all the homely pioneer tasks so essential to a well ordered home of those days, spinning, weaving, knitting, sewing, cooking, cleaning, and many other labors, great and small.
During the last years of her life, she lived in the home of her son Pleasant Green Taylor, in Harrisville. On October 25, 1880, she passed on to her well-earned rest at the age of 887 years and 10 months. To the end of her life she was true to the memory of her loving husband and to the faith that had proven to be a staff for her hand and light to her path through all the years.
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1793 - 1880 (86 years)