Marshall W. Taylor (minister) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marshal W. Taylor
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Sketch of Taylor from 1887 obituary
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| Born | July 1, 1846 Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Died | September 11, 1887 (aged 41) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Resting place | Cave Hill Cemetery Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Central Tennessee College |
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| Spouse(s) |
Kate Heston
(m. 1869) |
| Religion | Methodist Episcopal |
Marshall W. Taylor (born July 1, 1846 – died September 11, 1887) was an important minister and journalist in Kentucky. He was part of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is well-known for his book, Collection of Revival Hymns and Plantation Melodies, which came out in 1882. He also made history as the first black editor of the Southwestern Christian Advocate newspaper. He held this job from 1884 until he passed away in 1887.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Marshall William Taylor was born on July 1, 1846, in Lexington, Kentucky. He was the youngest of three children. His parents were born into slavery, but Marshall himself was born free. His father was Samuel Boyd, and his mother was Nancy Ann Boyd. His mother had some education and was Marshall's first teacher.
He went to school in Lexington. After his father died, his mother moved Marshall and his brothers to Louisville, Kentucky in 1854. At that time, black children were not allowed to attend schools in Louisville. So, they moved to Ghent, Kentucky for two years. There, white children in the neighborhood secretly taught them. They returned to Louisville before 1861. Marshall then worked as a messenger at a law firm. He also taught at schools for black children.
Making a Difference: Marshall Taylor's Career
In 1861, Marshall Taylor, along with William W. Hazelton and Charles B. Morgan, started a group called the United Brothers of Friendship in Louisville. This group was like other helpful clubs, such as the Odd Fellows or the Masons. At first, the United Brothers aimed to help poor black people have proper burials. During the American Civil War (1861–1865), the group also started caring for people who were sick. In 1868, they officially became a state organization.
Taylor also worked hard in education. He helped establish schools for formerly enslaved people, known as Freedmen's schools. In 1866, Taylor moved to Breckinridge County, Kentucky. There, he taught in schools even though some local white people were against it. In 1868, Taylor was chosen to be the president of an important education meeting in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Leading in the Church
Marshall Taylor was very active in the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1868, he was given permission to preach by Reverend Hanson Tolbert. In 1869, he was teaching in Hardinsburg, Kentucky. The church then sent him to Arkansas as a missionary teacher. He preached in Texas, Indian Territory (which is now Oklahoma), and Missouri. He came back to Kentucky in 1871.
In 1872, Bishop Levi Scott officially made him a minister in Maysville, Kentucky. Taylor then took charge of Coke Chapel in Louisville. In Louisville, he started a newspaper called the Kentucky Methodist. He also held many important jobs in the local Methodist Episcopal conference, including being a secretary.
In 1875, he became a pastor in Indianapolis. The next year, in 1876, he became an elder in the church. In 1877 and 1878, he was sent to Union Chapel in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1879, he became the presiding elder for the Lexington Conference in the Ohio district of the church. In 1880, a group of black delegates suggested him for the position of bishop. In 1881, he was a delegate at a big church meeting in London, England.
In 1884, he was chosen to be the editor of the Southwestern Christian Advocate. This made him the first black editor of that newspaper. He moved to New Orleans, Louisiana to edit the paper. He kept this job until he died. That same year, he was again suggested for bishop, but he chose not to take the position. During his career, he was a pastor at several churches. These included Coke Chapel in Louisville, Wesley Chapel in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and Union Methodist Episcopal Church in Cincinnati.
Other Important Work
In 1879, Marshall Taylor received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Central Tennessee College in Nashville. This is a special degree given to honor someone's achievements. He also wrote several small books. These included a book about Reverend George W. Downing called Life of Downey, the Negro Evangelist. He also put together a music book called Collection of Revival Hymns and Plantation Melodies. Another book he wrote was a religious text, Universal Reign of Jesus. He also wrote a book about Amanda Smith, a missionary, called Life of Mrs. Amanda Smith, the Missionary.
His Famous Book: Collection of Revival Hymns and Plantation Melodies
Marshall Taylor's book, Collection of Revival Hymns and Plantation Melodies, has been studied a lot. This book was very important because it collected many songs. "Plantation melodies" were songs often sung by enslaved African Americans. These songs were a key part of their culture and religious expression.
The collection was very popular when it came out. Famous revival singers like Sol Tibbs and Fanny Tibbs sang songs from this book. In 1901, Sol Tibbs even republished a version of a song called Mama, Mama Make Cinda 'Haive Herself from Taylor's book.
Personal Life
In 1869, Marshall Taylor married Kate Heston. She was a teacher from Hardinsburg, Kentucky, where he was living at the time.
Marshall Taylor passed away on September 11, 1887, in Louisville, Kentucky. He died from a growth on his throat. He had left his home in Indianapolis the day before. He died at the home of his brother, George Taylor. His funeral was held at Jackson Street Methodist Church. He was buried at Cave Hill Cemetery next to his mother.
Marshall Taylor later became the grandfather of a famous jazz saxophonist and composer named Sam Rivers.
Noted Works
- Taylor, Marshall William. A collection of revival hymns and plantation melodies. MW Taylor and WC Echols, 1882.
- Taylor, Marshall William. What I know about a Color Line in the M. E. Church, South Western Christian Advocate, January 25, 1883.
