Hi,
I'm a Taylor from Knockavilla. I too have been employed in the task of tracing the Taylor family tree.
Apologies in advance for such a long message.
We're Taylor's in the townsland of Lisloran in Knockavilla. However, the Taylor name is not very plentiful in the area and since it is also an English surname I believe that there's a very strong posibility that if we manage to trace back our family tree far enough that we may actually be all the one family.
The idea that the family came to the area during the Cromwellian war era 1649-53 has been floated around within my family for a couple of generations and I'm hoping that I can trace the family back to this stage and prove this family legend.
Regarding my branch of the Taylor tree. I'm of the 6th generation living in Lisloran. My father is Philip Taylor, grandfather John Taylor, G grandfather Philip Taylor 1885-1965 and he had a brother Michael Taylor who also lived in Lisloran, GG grandfather Michael Taylor and GGG grandfather Patrick Taylor.
This roughly brings me to the late 1700s early 1800s.
As we are a family that followed the Catholic faith and Taylor is an Anglucan name it is noted within family legend that a Taylor converted from Anglicanisim in order to marry his Catholic wife and that's when we Taylor's came to the townsland of Lisloran. Prior to moving to Lisloran this Taylor is said to have come from Kilpatrick which is in the Anacarthy/Dundrum area; and is just the other side of the parish of Knockavilla from the townsland of Lisloran.
It is this Kilpatrick connection that makes me believe that we maybe of the same Taylor family tree.
During my research I have come across Taylor's in Gurtussa, Gortarush, Gortard, Graffin and Bishopswood. There are also Tayor's in Ballinahinch; however there are at least two if not 3 Taylor's in this townsland for the last 100 years or so, one branch is from my great granduncle's family from Lisloran and I think another family were a branch from the Taylor's from Bishopswood.
Regards the afore mentioned townslands beginning with G and Kilpatrick, these townslands are all within very close proximity of each other; this is further adding to my inclinations that we indeed are all of the one family tree.
As you may have noticed, I have stopped in my tree in the early 1800's with Patrick Taylor and my thinking is that he may possibly have been the man that converted his faith and further records maybe held within the Anglican church.
My question is that if you manage to come across anything in your research that may refer to my Patrick or if you happen to find him in your branch of the Taylor family tree I'd love to hear from you.
Wishing you luck in your search!
Fiona Taylor
P.S: Fantastic websites for your research are The nationalarchieves.ie, you'll find the 1901 and 1911 censuses, irishgeneology.ie for birth/death/marriage certs and JohnGrenham.com and Griffith's Valuation for townslands and areas all over Ireland that had families with your surname residing in them.