Israel Taft (1699–1753) was the grandson of the U.S.

Taft family The Taft family of the United States has historic origins in Massachusetts; its members have served Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and the United States in various positions such as U.S. Representative (two), Governor of Ohio, G ...

founder Robert Taft and father of Revolutionary War soldier Samuel Taft. He was born in Mendon,

Suffolk County, Massachusetts Suffolk County is located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 797,936, making it the fourth-most populous county in Massachusetts. The county comprises the cities of Boston, Chel ...

, and died at age 54.

Early life and marriage

Israel Taft is an early American

pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...

. He was the son of Robert Taft Jr., and grandson of Robert Taft Sr., the first American Taft, of the famous

. Israel lived his life in the western part of Mendon, Massachusetts, following the King Philip's War. This part of town later became the town of Uxbridge. Israel had nineteen children, two significant of whom were

Hannah Hannah or Hanna may refer to: People, biblical figures, and fictional characters * Hannah (name), a female given name of Hebrew origin * Hanna (Arabic name), a family and a male given name of Christian Arab origin * Hanna (Irish surname), a famil ...

and Samuel Taft. In 1789, Samuel was the proprietor of a tavern in Uxbridge. This tavern is now known as

Samuel Taft House The Samuel Taft House is a historic house at 87 Sutton Street in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. The main block of the story timber-frame house was built in 1774, and is a typical local variant of Georgian styling, with a gambrel roof, central chimne ...

. Newly elected President of the United States,

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

, stayed one evening with Samuel Taft and his family. Marriage record of Israel Taft and Mercy Aldrich

Significance in history

Israel's father, Robert Taft Jr. was a founder and founding Selectman on the first Board of Selectmen, of the colonial town of Uxbridge, in Worcester County, Massachusetts. The town of Uxbridge was incorporated as a separate town from Mendon in 1727. Robert Taft Jr., was the first known elected political figure in the famous Taft family, a dynasty in American politics. Robert Taft Jr., was a prominent citizen of Mendon and Uxbridge. He died in Uxbridge, Worcester County, in 1748. His descendants number among well-known Americans and political figures, especially among the Taft family in Ohio.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taft, Israel 1699 births 1753 deaths Taft family