“JAMES TAYLOR, Gent., . . . baptized at Lee, Kent 21 April 1647. . . . immigrated to New England, where he resided at Boston and Lynn, Massachusetts. He married (1st) before 1674 ELIZABETH _______. They had one son, Christopher, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary (wife of William Payne). His wife, Elizabeth, died before 1679. He married (2nd) REBECCA ________. They had three sons, James, Samuel, and William, and seven daughters Rebecca (wife of John Kelsey), Elizabeth (wife of David Craig and Edward Lutwyche), Abigail (wife of Edward Pell), Anna (wife of William Roby), Sarah (wife of Christopher Jacob), Mercy, and Mary (wife of Samuel Phipps). In 1688 he purchased the Iron Works at Lynn, Massachusetts from Samuel Appleton. He served as Treasurer of Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1683 to 1714. James Taylor died . . . 30 July 1716 and was buried at Boston . . .. . . . Rebecca was buried . . . 23 July 1718, aged 60 years.”

“My quickest estimate/guess/hope is that they are the same person, and a verifiable connection we/I have been trying to make for many years.  I  will pursue as I can, and have some notes and reprints in my files/piles that may help us in the matter.  I would really love to tie up with the English Royal Family later in history, and therefore be able to add Henry II and some  of his offspring to our group of verifiable ancestors.”

"WILLIAM PAYNE was born on 21 Janauary 1668/69 in Boston. He married firstly Mary Taylor, daughter of James Taylor and Elizabeth [unknown] on 11 October 1694 in boston. He married secondly to Margaret [unknown] before 1704. He died 10 June 1735 at the age of 66.
. . . 
"He made a will . . . To my son Tobias Payne and my daughter Mary Sewall the children of my late wife Mary who was a daughter of James Taylor, Esq, 1/9 part of my estate. I give to my other children by my present wife Margaret viz. Sarah, Anne, John, Margaret, Richard, Edward and Jane Payne to each a single portion or 1/9 of estate"

"July 30, 1716. Last night Mr. Treasurer Taylor died at his House in Lin. [fn. James Taylor was treasure of the province from 1693 to 1714]

"Febr. 19, 1716/17. . . . Council does nothing as to Mr. James Taylor’s Will . . ..  [fn James Taylor’s will, Essex Wills, XI, f.208, it seems he gave his son . . .. this omitted all mention of the Paynes, children of the first daughter, Mary, already dead before her father.]

"Febr. 20, 1716/17 The Pleas and the Evidences produced:  Council Confirms . . ..  I propounded, the not persuing Mr. Taylor’s Order as to his Grand-Children, Pains . . ..  But if the Grand-Children, Mr. Pain’s Children, shall not by Law take as their Mother would had done if living; I am still in doubt."

“Jonathan (Sewall) married . . . secondly, in 1724, Mary Payne, a member of a well-known New England family.”

Everything we have found to-date suggests that “our” Mary Payne who married Jonathan Sewall was a grand daughter of James Taylor shown on page 708 of Douglas Richardson’s Plantagenet Ancestry. We have found no evidence to contradict this descent.

Samuel Sewall’s Diary shows that James Taylor, Treasurer of Massachusetts, had a daughter Mary who died before he died, that Mary Taylor married “Mr. Pain” and that the Paynes had children. 
James Taylor died in 1716 and apparently chose to leave his estate to his second wife and his children by the second marriage. His daughter Mary Taylor (by his first wife) had married in 1694 to William Payne; and had died in 1700. 

Sir Hector Livingston Duff suggests that Mary Payne (grand daughter of James Taylor) was “of a well-known New England family.” Presumably, James Taylor saw no need to leave them any of his estate.

November 2005:  We have decided that the two Mary Taylors shown on this page are very likely the same person and have carried on with a new web page; click on Mary Taylor.