Margaret Taylor was born to Margaret Mason and John Taylor, who settled in Norfolk, VA from Scotland and became one of the largest manufactured goods and dry goods dealers in the area. She had two brothers, John, who followed in his father’s footsteps, and James who studied in Scotland to be a doctor before later going into commerce.
Margaret met Severn, possibly through her brothers, if not through other means, and were married on January 28, 1760. On March 15th, 1761, Margaret gave birth to the first of six children, their eldest son, Littleton Eyre. Margaret and Severn had four sons and two daughters with no record of miscarriages or stillbirths.
Margaret and Severn were married for 13 years until his death in January of 1773. After Severn’s death, Margaret came into possession of the estate until Littleton reached the age of majority. According to the 1782 tax records, she held 3,163 acres of land in four parcels valued at £1,414.7.6 and a mill valued at £25. As for personal property, the tax records show the ownership of 178 enslaved people, 47 horses, and 173 cattle. She held the largest number of enslaved people in Northampton County at the time.
She got help and financial advice from her brothers, as well as Severn’s business partner, John Bowdoin, who was also an executor of her husband’s will. In this way, she was able to maintain the family’s wealth even during the Revolutionary War. During the Revolutionary War, Margaret provided bushels of oats to the Northampton County Militia in 1780 and 1781.
Margaret made sure that her sons were educated with tutors at home, boarding school, and then later went to college at William and Mary, where their father, Severn, had attended. Her daughters were educated at home as proper young ladies in household management, deportment, manners, music, and sewing/embroidery. Records show that a tutor was paid to teach the children to dance, as well.
After her eldest son’s death, Margaret represented her daughters, Sally and Peggy (Sarah and Margaret) in a lawsuit against their brothers, John and William, to gain the remainder of their inheritance from their father’s will that had not been paid out. On August 12, 1789, the court awarded the daughters the remaining amount that they were entitled to plus 2 ½% interest on the respective legacies from the time they became due to the day of judgement. Peggy was thus awarded the amount of £1800.00 – including £337.00 interest and Sally was awarded £1200.00 – including £237.00 interest. The entire time, Margaret and Sally lived with John and William at Eyre Hall.
Margaret died on March 12, 1812. Her will names her son John Eyre as her executor and gives him the remainder of her estate that is not left specifically to her daughter, Sarah Lyon, and the small amounts of £200 Virginia Currency given to her grand daughters Sally B. Parker, Sally Taylor Eyre, and Emely Ann Eyre. She is buried at the Eyre Estate in Northampton Co. VA.
