Rev Thomas F
Taliaferro
Kentucky: A
History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 7th ed.,
1887, Campbell Co.
Rev Thomas F. Taliaferro was born in Campbell County, Ky., March 1, 1847, and is
the youngest of three children of William Richard and Harriet (McGrew)
Taliaferro, the others being W. R., Jr., and Lydia B. Southgate. His
father was born in Caroline County, Va., a son of Robert, and his mother
was a Miss Taylor, sister of Gen. Taylor, of Virginia.
William Richard Taliaferro was always engaged in agricultural pursuits. He moved to Kentucky with his mother in 1814, and settled near Newport, where he still lives, and where the subject of this sketch was born. Thomas' mother was born in Kentucky, a daughter of Thomas McGrew, who came to Kentucky at quite an early day. Our subject was educated at the Kentucky Wesleyan College, Mollersburg (sic).
In 1870 he commenced to preach the gospel in the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and his first work was the Independence Circuit, of Kenton County, Ky., where he labored in 1871-72; then labored in Owen County in 1872-73; in Bracken County in 1873-74; Petersburg, Boone County, in 1874-75, and then in Perryville, Boyle County. Up to this period he was an undergraduate in conference, and they usually stay but one year in each place.
In 1875 Mr. Taliaferro graduated, but remained in Perryville, Boyle County, until 1878. He was then sent to Oldham County, on the Floydsburg Circuit, where he remained until 1881. He next went to Falmouth, the county seat of Pendleton County, where he remained until 1885; thence to Hillsboro, Fleming County, and in 1886 was sent to New Castle, his present field of labor.
Mr. Taliaferro is identified with all enterprises looking to the advancement of the material prosperity of the community in which he lives, and in the many places in which he has labored has always been held in the highest esteem.
On October 30, 1872, he married Miss Mary J. Summers, of Newport, Ky., an educated and accomplished lady, a daughter of George W. Summers, of Nicholas County, Ky. Two children have blessed their union: Maud M. and Hallie B. History is now being made for the future, and, as prohibition is soon to become the great question in Kentucky, and in the Nation, Mr. Taliaferro would like to be put upon record in this sketch on that subject.
He has for years been
an earnest advocate of the prohibition of, the manufacture and sale of ardent
spirits as a beverage, or rather a submission of that question to the vote of
the people, believing it to be the curse of our land, and the rock upon which
the "ship of State" will finally wreck, unless it is gotten out of the way.
He has earnestly advocated this doctrine from pulpit and platform.