The Taylors From Scotland 

The Carlow Family Lists 1649-1815, p. 101 (which are bound within the Births and Burials book; ref: Mm I M1 Ireland, Society of Friends (Quakers) Deaths) state that Adam Taylor, son of Allen Taylor of Slamannan parish in Stirling, Scotland, married Susanna Thacker, daughter of John Thacker of Castledermot, co. Kildare on May 20, 1719 at Baltiboys, co. Wicklow and settled at Ballinclay, co. Wexford where they had three children (John in 1720, Jane in Jan. 1723 and Hannah in Jan. 1724) prior to moving to Ballickmoyler.

I've found very little information easily available online for the Taylor surname in Stirlingshire but I haven't really concentrated on that as my interest in the Taylors is particularly focussed on the years in which they were my Bowles neighbours in Ballickmoyler and Dunleckney.  I'm sure there's more to discover there with more research.  I can speculate though that this was a period which featured the growth of a strong non-Conformist movement in northern England and in Scotland.  These were  Protestants who did not 'conform' to the governance and doctrines of the established Church of England.  The Act of Uniformity in 1662 established the Church of England as the only official church in England.  All others were identified as Non-Conformists and were subject severe penalties including imprisonment.  These included the Presbyterian, Congregationalists, Calvinist, Baptists, Methodists, Unitarians, the Quakers, the Plymouth Brethren and so on.

The registers of the established church for Stirlingshire have been transcribed and are available online but with no mention of an Allen Taylor.  The Church of Latter Day Saints collection 'Scotland Marriages 1561-1910' does include

Allan Taillyor m. Jonet Adam of Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland on 26 Nov 1676 at Falkirk (ref. findmypast.com) (note: Allan’s wife’s maiden name, Adam, further supports the possibility of their connection to our Adam Taylor)

Falkirk is close to Slamannan.  The absence of that specific reference from the established church registers does indicate a strong likelihood that the family were non-Conformists.  They were not likely Quakers at that point though as a comprehensive ledger of Quaker marriages in Scotland was kept during that period and there is no mention of any Taylors in Stirlingshire in it.  The only Taylors listed were in Aberdeenshire which is far to the north.  Likely Adam was convinced (i.e. converted to the Quaker faith) through some contact with a Quaker from the Edinburgh meeting.  Why he left for Ireland around 1710 I can't even speculate.

I have no absolute proof of their connection but a William Taylor, a member of the Friends in Wexford, also produced a certificate from Scotland to the Carlow meeting to document his clearness to marry. 

The Thacker Family History

Adam and William's connection begins with the Thacker family of Castledermot, co. Carlow.  John Thacker of Huntington, Worcestershire came to Ireland with his parents in 1657 at age 9.  On Feb. 3 (3^rd 12mos), 1677 he married Margery Sparrow in the Quaker faith and settled at Castledermot.  Amongst their many children born there were Hannah born Nov. 30 (30^th 9mos), 1683; John Jr born July 24 (24^th 5mos), 1685 and Susannah born Jan. 9 (9^th 11mos) 1687/88.   In 1711 John Jr married Hannah Barker, the daughter of one of the Quaker elders involved in the wool industry at Balteboys, co. Wicklow and settled there.  After their mother Margery died at Castledermot in 1711 and John Sr died in July 1714, Hannah and Susannah joined their brother in Balteboys.  (reference the Thacker Family History in the Quaker Source References for this page)

William Taylor of Wexford

In February and April 1716 William Taylor and Hannah Thacker appeared before the Carlow Meeting to declare their intention to marry.  The minutes note that letters confirming William's clearness to marry had been received from the Wexford Men's Meeting as well as from Scotland and that William and Hannah were instructed to present themselves before the next provincial meeting.  The marriage records of the Newgarden, Carlow Meeting show that on April 25, 1716 William Taylor of the Forest (Lambstown) Meeting and Hannah Thacker, daughter of John Thacker of Castledermot in the county of Kildare deceased, of the Newgarden (Carlow) Meeting, 'appeared at the publick assembly of the People called Quakers and others mett together to worship God in their publick meeting place att Newgarden and in a solemn manner he the said William Taylor takeing the said Hannah Thacker by ye hand did openly declare as followeth ... '.  The witnesses to the marriage signed below their declarations.  Edward Cooper was the first to sign followed by several members of the two Mens Meetings in one column, members of the two Womens Meeting in a second column and relatives and guests of the couple in a third column including Adam Taylor, Hannah's sister Susannah (who would marry Adam Taylor three years later), her brother John and his wife Hannah, a Mary Thacker, several members of the Sparrow family (their mother Margery Sparrow's family), etc.  This is a very interesting document which can be viewed on the Quaker Source References for this page.

William and Hannah then settled at Ballinclay, co Wexford (about 5 miles north of Lambstown) where four children, Susanna, John, William and Mary, were born between 1717 and 1723.  A Tutelage bond was issued by or on behalf of William Taylor of Ballinclay, co. Wexford in 1729.  Typically this would mean that William had died and that there had been a provision in his Will for the creation of a bond to finance the guardianship of his children.  However I can't find any reference to this or any other reference at all for him in the Quaker records so he may have left the faith after daughter Mary's birth in 1723.  They may have had other children before his death.

So William Taylor from Scotland and then of Lambstown, co. Wexford married Hannah Thacker, daughter of John Thacker of Castledermot, co. Kildare at the Newgarden Meeting in 1716 and settled at Ballinclay.  Adam Taylor from Scotland and then of Lambstown married Hannah’s sister at Balteboys in 1719 and also settled at Ballinclay.  Edward Cooper was the first witness to sign William Taylor's marriage record (which was also signed by Adam Taylor) and it was Edward Cooper who gave Adam Taylor the opportunity to move from Ballinclay to Ballickmoyler in 1724.