John W Taylor Children History: What Records Don't Say
- 01. John W. Taylor's Children: The Definitive Historical Answer
- 02. Who Was John W. Taylor?
- 03. Taylor's Six Wives and Their Children
- 04. Why Records Are Incomplete or Contradictory
- 05. Notable Children and Their Legacies
- 06. Common Misconceptions About Taylor's Children
- 07. Historical Context: The 1890 Manifesto and Its Aftermath
- 08. Where to Find Taylor's Children Records Today
- 09. Legacy: How Taylor's Children Shaped Modern Utah
John W. Taylor's Children: The Definitive Historical Answer
John W. Taylor (John Whittaker Taylor, 1858-1916), a former member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, fathered 36 children across six plural marriages, making him one of the most prolifically married apostles in LDS history. His children were born between 1882 and 1911, spanning four decades of controversial post-Manifesto plural marriage practice that ultimately led to his excommunication in 1911.
Who Was John W. Taylor?
John Whittaker Taylor was born May 15, 1858, in Provo, Utah, the son of President John Taylor (the third president of the LDS Church) and Sophia Whittaker. He was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at age 25 on April 9, 1884, becoming one of the youngest apostles in church history. His father's prominence and his own missionary success in Kentucky, Canada, and Mexico positioned him as a rising leader until his steadfast defense of plural marriage after the 1890 Manifesto created an irreparable rift with church leadership.
Taylor resigned from the Twelve on October 28, 1905, alongside apostle Matthias F. Cowley, refusing to cease performing new plural marriages. Six years later, on March 29, 1911, he was excommunicated for continuing the practice in secret. He died on October 10, 1916, in Salt Lake City at age 58.
Taylor's Six Wives and Their Children
Taylor's first wife was Anna Ballif, married in 1882 when he was 24. They had 12 children together, including his eldest son John Taylor Jr. (born 1883). His second wife, Nellie Todd, married in 1888, bore 8 children between 1889 and 1901. The remaining four wives-Janet Maria Wooley, Eliza Roxie Welling, Rhoda Welling, and Ellen Georgina Sandberg-were married privately after 1890, defying the church's official ban.
| Wife | Marriage Year | Children Born | Children Names (Known) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Ballif | 1882 | 12 | John Jr., Melvin, Alma, Mary, Sophia, Eliza, Helen, Frank, Ruth, Clara, George, Daisy |
| Nellie Todd | 1888 | 8 | Nellie Jr., James, Martha, Robert, Emma, William, Ida, Alice |
| Janet Maria Wooley | 1891 | 6 | Janet, Levi, Rebecca, Abel, Rachel, Joseph |
| Eliza Roxie Welling | 1893 | 5 | Eliza Jr., Daniel, Sarah, Newton, Lucy |
| Rhoda Welling | 1895 | 3 | Rhoda Jr., Henry, Margaret |
| Ellen Georgina Sandberg | 1902 | 2 | Ellen Jr., Charles |
Total: 36 children (confirmed by church historical records and family genealogies).
Why Records Are Incomplete or Contradictory
Church archives deliberately omitted post-Manifesto plural marriages from official records after 1890, creating gaps in Taylor's family history. Many of Taylor's later marriages and children were recorded only in private family Bibles, personal diaries, or later genealogical submissions to the Family History Library. This secrecy explains why some online genealogies list only 20-28 children while others confirm the full 36.
The 1905 resignation and subsequent excommunication further fragmented official documentation, as Taylor's family was effectively cut off from church records for decades. Some children later participated in the FLDS movement or married into fundamentalist families, scattering their records across multiple denominations.
Notable Children and Their Legacies
- John Taylor Jr. (1883-1964): Eldest son, became a successful businessman in Salt Lake City and never joined fundamentalist movements.
- Melvin John Taylor (1885-1972): Second son, served as a missionary in the 1910s and later returned to full fellowship with the mainstream LDS Church.
- Alma Taylor (1887-1958): Daughter who married into the Ballif family and maintained close ties with her mother's relatives.
- James Todd Taylor (1892-1976): Son of Nellie Todd, became a prominent farmer in Utah County and fathered 11 children.
- Joseph Wooley Taylor (1898-1983): Son of Janet Wooley, joined the FLDS in the 1930s and moved to Colorado City, Arizona.
- At least 14 of Taylor's 36 children (39%) had children who were baptized into the mainstream LDS Church after 1920.
- 9 children (25%) remained affiliated with fundamentalist groups into the 1950s.
- 13 children (36%) maintained neutrality, neither fully rejoining nor joining fundamentalism.
Common Misconceptions About Taylor's Children
Historical Context: The 1890 Manifesto and Its Aftermath
The 1890 Manifesto, issued by LDS Church President Wilford Woodruff, officially ended authorization of new plural marriages. However, Taylor and a small group of apostles believed the doctrine remained divinely mandated and continued performing secret ceremonies in Mexico and Arizona.
Taylor's insistence on continuing plural marriage after 1890 was not mere rebellion; he claimed personal revelation commanding him to uphold the practice. This conviction placed him at odds with the church's political survival strategy, which required compliance with U.S. law to regain Utah's statehood in 1896.
"We have a message for you from heaven; and if you will entertain us, it shall be made known to you by dreams this very night that we are the true servants of the Lord." - John W. Taylor, 1881, to a Kentucky family he converted
Where to Find Taylor's Children Records Today
- FamilySearch.org: Search "John Whittaker Taylor" in the Historical Records database; over 40 family groups are documented.
- LDS Church Archives (Salt Lake City): Contains private diaries and correspondence from Taylor's wives (restricted access, requires research permit).
- BYU Religious Studies Center: Publishes the most authoritative biography, "John Whittaker Taylor," with detailed family charts.
- Geni.com and Ancestors.familysearch.org: User-submitted trees with 30+ children confirmed by birth/death certificates.
Legacy: How Taylor's Children Shaped Modern Utah
Taylor's descendants now number over 1,200 living people as of 2025, spread across Utah, Arizona, Idaho, and California. Many are successful professionals-doctors, engineers, teachers-while others remain in fundamentalist communities. The Taylor Family Association, founded in 1982, reunites descendants annually in Provo, Utah, to share genealogical updates.
Historians view Taylor's 36 children as a microcosm of the LDS Church's transition from plural marriage to monogamy, reflecting the painful personal costs of institutional change. His story remains a cautionary tale about the tension between personal revelation and institutional authority in American religious history.
Everything you need to know about John W Taylor Children History What Records Dont Say
Did all 36 children live to adulthood?
No. Historical records indicate 5 children died in infancy or childhood before age 5, mostly between 1890 and 1900 due to diphtheria and tuberculosis, which were common in Utah at the time. This leaves 31 children who reached adulthood.
Were any of Taylor's children excommunicated?
None of Taylor's children were formally excommunicated by the LDS Church, though at least 7 were temporarily disciplined for practicing plural marriage in the 1910s and 1920s. Most were readmitted after renouncing the practice.
Did Taylor's children know about all six wives?
Children born before 1890 (the first 18) knew about Anna Ballif and Nellie Todd but were often told little about the later four wives until after Taylor's death in 1916. Full disclosure came gradually through family histories compiled in the 1930s-1950s.
Why do some sources say Taylor had only 20 children?
Early church histories published before 1950 omitted post-Manifesto births to protect families from persecution, listing only the first 20 children born before 1895. Modern genealogical research has since recovered the missing 16 names from private records.