Granny Clark's Grave

Granny Clark grave at Cottondale Nature Garden. Louisa Taylor Clark was the daughter of Rev. Isaac Taylor and Hannah Hopper Taylor. She was born June 26, 1825 and died March 5, 1920.

The marker reads:

Louisa Clark

Wife of William Clark

1825-1920

Martha, William, and Isaac Taylor Graves at Taylor Memorial UMC

Martha, William, and Isaac Taylor Graves at Taylor Memorial UMC

William and Martha Taylor Graves

Originally posted on my blog "Musings of a Musical Preacher."

A few weeks ago, I described my ancestor's grave at Taylor Memorial UMC near Trussville, Alabama. He was one of a trio of brothers who were Methodist circuit riders, coming out of a Methodist Society in central Alabama starting in the 1820's, long before it was Alabama (it was the Mississippi Conference).

I wrote about how inspiring it is for me to consider that I am walking and driving on hallowed ground where they walked and rode on horseback to spread the gospel.

I included in the blog post my third great grandfather's grave marker. But my third great grand uncle's marker is even more stunning in its eloquent remembrance of his ministry. The words are below. I hope it blesses you as it blesses me.

Rev. William Taylor

Born August 3, 1799

Embraced religion at 21 years of age

Soon thereof, he commenced to prea

ch the immeasurable riches of Christ and continued to do so until his decease, which took place December 14, 1867

Next to him is buried my great, great, great grand aunt. This is how her marker reads:

Martha, wife of Rev. William Taylor

Born August 7, 1812

Died September 28, 1884

Sleep on loving mother sleep,
This marble shall thy memory keep.
But deeper in my heart is given
The hope that we shall meet in heaven.

Isaac Taylor Grave

This was originally posted on my blog "Musings of a Musical Preacher."

I recently had another opportunity to visit the grave of my great, great, great grandfather, the Rev. Isaac Taylor. He was a Methodist circuit rider and preacher during the 1820's during the early waves of Methodism in Alabama and Mississippi (it was one conference at that time). His body is buried in the graveyard of Taylor Memorial UMC near Trussville, Alabama. The church is named after his brother, Rev. William Taylor, the pastor who founded the church.

It is always a holy moment to stand at his grave, and I do so from time to time. Years ago, I had been praying about some of the difficulties we face in the United Methodist Church, wondering if we would face structural division in my lifetime. I stood at his grave weeping and a wave of peace came over me. It is as if the Spirit spoke, saying "Steve, you were ordained in the United Methodist Church. Your father was ordained in the Methodist Church. Your grandfathers were ordained in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Taylor was ordained in the Methodist Episcopal Church. It doesn't matter what you call it. It will never matter how you organize it, for the fire of Wesleyan faith will keep burning." I recalled that during his ministry, the church divided over issues of slavery.

I began a long process of letting go and trusting God for the future. My ministry has been a journey of realizing that I am stepping into a larger picture of the Spirit's movement across many generations. This brings me great peace and a sense of context. It is not up to me to fix the larger issues. It is my calling to serve the gospel faithfully and trust God for the rest. The future belongs to God.

His grave stone reads:

In memory of

Rev. ISAAC TAYLOR

was born January 27th, 1802

died May 5th, 1871

He was a minister of the gospel 50 years

and died in the hope

& Consolation of the same.

---------------

"Blessed are the dead

who die in the Lord."

Taylor Chapel

Five Generations of Taylors

This is my grandfather, Rev. C.P. Hamby, Sr, among five generations of Taylors! The picture was taken in about 1920, just before Grannie Clark died.

Back Row L-R: Charles Pinkney Hamby, Sr. and his daughter, Willie Hamby Shelton

Front Row L-R: Louisa Taylor Clark (daughter of Isaac Taylor), Laura Frances Hamby (C.P's mother, Louisa Clark's daughter), Willie's oldest baby, Charles

Pastors Among the Taylor Descendants

This is part 5 of the paper Betty Hamby West presented to the North Alabama Conference Historical Society.

William, Isaac, and Harris Taylor presumably were all licensed local preachers, although I could only confirm this for Harris. Anson West writes, "He was a local preacher and associated with the Talladega Circuit until his death in 1852" (475). All three brothers settled in an area where they preached and ministered. William Sweet, in discussing early Methodist Circuit Riders, says: "When a preacher married, it was usually necessary for him to locate, that is, he stopped traveling a circuit and settled down on a farm...and although most of them continued their interest in the church and preached frequently in their vicinity, their names disappeared from the list of active preachers in the 'Minutes' and they then had the status of local preachers" (145). This explains why I could find no Taylors listed in the journals of the Mississippi or Alabama Conferences. The North Alabama area was a part of each of these conferences at different times during the span of their ministry.

The fact that the Taylors settled and remained in one general area during their active years explains the deep affection and reverence their parishioners felt for them. Anson West closes his discussion of their lives and ministry with the following: "Beyond doubt the four sons of George Taylor were men of extraordinary gifts and power, and it is equally certain that God's ear was attent unto the prayers which the Rev. James Axley made for them at their baptism, and in answer to that prayer the Lord God remembered them for good, and upon them put His blessing forever, and with the gifts of the Holy Spirit they were endowed, and extraordinary manifestations attended them (292). Marion Lazenby, extolling the Taylors writes: "No man can estimate the good George Taylor and his wife did, in their own right, and in bringing into the world so useful a family. It was of their kind that Jesus spoke when he said, 'Ye are the salt of the earth' " (141).

As I pondered these tributes to the pioneer George Taylor family, I could visualize a great host of their descendants, both lay people and ministers, all over the North Alabama Conference. One of George and Nancy Taylor's daughters, Catherine, married Elijah Self, who also joined Shiloh Church the year it was organized. He was class leader and local preacher there. Their son, Nathaniel, was an itinerate preacher. He was admitted to the Alabama conference in 1855 while two of his uncles, William and Isaac, were still active (Lazenby 299). Nathaniel died in 1894 (NAC Journal 47). That same year Will Hamby, a great grandson of Isaac Taylor, was licensed to preach in what had become the North Alabama Conference (Lazenby 920). In 1908 he was followed into the ministry by his younger brother and my father, Charles P. Hamby (543). In 1934 while Will and Charlie Hamby were both active in the conference, their nephew, Gene Malcolm Hamby, a great great-grandson of Isaac Taylor, became a member of the conference (757). In 1950, while their first cousin Gene Malcolm was still active in the conference, Charles P. Hamby, Jr. and Warren Candler Hamby were admitted on trial (931). In 1959 Edwin Self, who is a great-great grandson of Elijah Self and Catherine Taylor, was admitted to the conference and is still active in retirement. In 1961, Gordon Ware, also a great-great grandson of Elijah and Catherine, was admitted to the conference where he served faithfully until his death. Warren Hamby, who is still a member of this conference, has been blessed to see his nephew, Stephen Pierce West, ordained; and later his daughter, Jan Hamby Piper, assigned as a student local pastor. Both Steve and Jan are great-greatgreat grandchildren of Isaac Taylor. In researching these dates I discovered that from 1820, when William Taylor was licensed to preach, until the present time, 2002, for 182 consecutive years there has been one or more of the descendants of George and Nancy Taylor among the clergy of the area that is now the North Alabama Conference. There have been thirteen ministerial descendants in all. Praise God for the devotion of these pioneer Methodist ancestors. As Lazenby said, "It was of their kind that Jesus spoke when he said 'Ye are the salt of the earth' " (141).

WORKS CITED

Bryant, Cindy. Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church History. Chalkville, 1983.

Davenport, G.M. "Obituaries: Charles P. Hamby." Alabama Christian

Advocate. February 26, 1952.

Goodwin, Glenda. Interview. 2002.

Hamby, Gene Malcolm. Taped interview. Decatur: 1980.

Joiner, Harry M. Alabama's History the Past and Present. Athens: Southern Textbook Publishers, 1980.

Lazenby, Marion Elias. History of Methodism in Alabama and West Florida.

Parthenon Press: 1960.

Self, Hartford T. History of Clay United Methodist Church. Clay, Alabama. Clay UMC: 1993.

Self, Hartford T. Interview. 2002.

Summersell, Charles Grayson. Alabama History for Schools. Montgomery: Viewpoint Publications, Inc., 1970.

Sweet, William Warren. Methodism in American History. New York: The Methodist Book Concern, 1933.

West, Anson. A History of Methodism in Alabama. Nashville: Publishing

House Methodist Episcopal Church South, 1893.