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This history is based on an account transcribed by Mary Hill, probably in the 1940s. It says the information was gathered by Clarence Tait. This typewritten transcription has a handwritten note that was “told him by Patsy Culbertson.”

The Tait family of Jefferson County descends from a James Tait who married Mary Fulton. No information is given about James Tait other than the following: He had a younger brother Thomas, who married and had two daughters. He lived in Ayrshire. James also had a younger brother Alan Tait, who married and was a piano maker in London. He had a half-brother Robert Speer, whose son Hugh came to America. Mary Fulton was closely related to Robert Fulton, the inventor of the steamboat. She had a sister Martha who married an Allen and lived in Hillhead, Scotland. Her son William Allen came to America. A handwritten addition says there was a son James. She also had a brother Hugh.

Parish records from Tarbolton confirm the Clarence Tait account. The christenings adding to the data transcribed by Miss Hill are from the parish records transcribed by the LDS. They show the males as sons of James Tait. Tarbolton is about 8 miles south of Kilmarnock and just north of the Firth of Clyde. It is neither extremely common, nor extremely rare as a Scottish name.

Family of James and Mary Fulton Tait.
1. JAMES TAIT, married and had two daughters Lived near Paisley, Ayr, in 1862
2. JOHN TAIT chr. 12 Feb. 1776 in Tarbolton He m. Jean McKay, more follows.
3. HUGH TAIT chr. 26 May 1786 in Tarbolton, unmarried
4. WILLIAM TAIT, (ch. 2 Dec. 1780 in Tarbolton) unmarried, died 28 Aug,1829, interred in Riccarton churchyard, Kilmarnock Ayrshire.
5. ALAN TAIT chr. 23 May 1786 in Tabolton , died young
6. ELIZABETH TAIT She m. a McCraith. A handwritten note gives his first name as Alexander. They had Hugh, married; Martha, who married George Hill, and lived at Sandbed Lane, Kilmarnock; Jean, married and living in 1862; Others.
7. MARY TAIT b. 10 Oct. 1788 in Tarbolton. a Dunn, two children.
8. MARTHA TAIT, unmarried, interred in Riccarton churchyard. Either Mary or Martha may be the child christened by James Tait in Tarbolton on 11 May 1790. The first name is blank in the record and the sex is unknown.

JOHN TAIT (12 Feb. 1776-10 May 1861), son of James Tait, “was reared in Ayrshire Scotland. He studied arithmetic and bookkeeping at Tarbolton School in1807. He went to Ayr where he kept store. His niece Martha McCraith who married a Hill, was shop-keeper for him. She was 12 years old when he came to America in 1818. He was a surveyor and brought surveying instruments with him. On the advice of Mr. Dow, a friend who preceded him, he filed on government land without seeing it. He walked from Cincinnati to Caledonia in 1818. The title to the home place is dated 1825 and that to the land later owned by his son Robert Tait is dated 1833. He purchased additional land from Donald Cameron in 1836.” [This ends the narrative from the Clarence Tait account.]

The Jefferson County tract book shows that John entered 149 acres in the NE1/4 Sec. 6 Twp. 3N Range 12E in1822 and 80 acres in the W1/2 SE1/4 Sec. 31 Twp. 5N Range 12E in 1831. He was taxed in 1827 in Milton Twp. for 144 acres of third-rate land in the NE1/4 Section 6 Twp. 4N Range 11E, which he had acquired by patent. He was also taxed for one poll and two horses.

John's tombstone in Caledonia Cem. gives his death date as 10 May 1861, in his 85th yr, born Ayrshire Scotland. He m. 13 April 1826, Jean McKay. Jean McKay's tombstone, gives her as w of John Tait (11 Aug. 1809-3 Jan. 1883). Jean lived with her son Robert in Milton Twp. in 1880. Miss Hill's records include deaths for John, Jean and all their children, apparently from a family Bible. A handwritten note on this page says “now in possession of James Mitchell, Baden, N.C.”

Children of John Tait and Jean McKay
1. PATSY TAIT (7 Feb. 1827-22 March 1910) She m. 30 Dec. 1848 in Jefferson Co., James Culbertson (July 1820-19 Oct. 1898). They lived in Milton Twp. in 1880 in a household next to her brother Robert. She was received by profession at Caledonia on 1 Aug. 1874. The church received also lists her as received by certificate on 26 Aug. 1906; so she presumably had withdrawn her membership at some point.
2. JAMES TAIT (ca. 1830-14 Nov. 1905) He was listed in parents' household in 1860. He m. 2 Aug. 1860 in Jefferson Co., Janet Brown, who was born about 1845 in England, according to some censuses. The 1875 Kansas census says she was born in Scotland. They were listed in Jefferson Twp., Delaware County, Kan., in 1875, 1880, 1900 and 1905. In 1910, Janet was listed in the household of her children William and Isabelle.
3. JOHN TAIT JR. (4 Nov. 1832-14 Nov. 1905), buried Caledonia Cem. Unmarried, his tombstone inscription calls him son of John and Jean Tait. He was enrolled the Milton Township militia in 1862. He lived by himself in Milton Township in a household next to his brother Robert Tait in 1880. He was received by profession at Caledonia on 18 Sept. 1868 and was a member when he died.
4. WILLIAM TAIT (12 Dec. 1834-14 Nov. 1918) He m. 6 Apr 1871 in Jefferson Co., Mary Ellen Pogue (17 Jan. 1839-17 March 1908), both buried Caledonia Cem. Her tombstone calls her w of Wm. Tait and dau of William and Ellen Pogue. He lived 1860 in the household of William Means in Hanover. His occupation was given as a blacksmith. In the 1880 census, he and Mary E. are listed in Craig Township. He was received by profession at Caledonia on 29 Nov. 1873; she was received the same day by certificate.
5. CHARLES TAIT (1837-1917) He was enrolled the Milton Township militia in 1862. He m. 10 March 1864 in Jefferson Co., Susan Morton (1841-1929), both buried Carmel Cem. They were listed in Hanover Twp. in 1910.
6. JEAN TAIT (b. 1838/39) She was listed with her parents in 1860. She m. 23 Nov. 1870 in Jefferson Co., John Mitchell, who was born in Scotland in Sept. 1838. They were listed at 1926 Madison Street, Louisville, in 1900.
7. THOMAS TAIT (26 Dec. 1841-5 March. 1925), buried Caledonia, unmarried. Tombstone calls him s of J&J Tait. He was enrolled the Milton Township militia in 1862. He lived with his brother Robert in 1880. He was listed in Milton Township in 1910.
8. MARY FULTON TAIT (8 April 1844-19 Jan. 1923) unmarried, buried Caledonia Cem. Tombstone calls her dau. of J&J. Tait. She was listed her brother Robert’s household in 1880; in her brother Thomas’s household in 1910.
9. ROBERT TAIT (3 Feb. 1848-7 July 1932) He m. Dora Shadday (1859-1936), both buried Caledonia Cem. He headed a household in Milton Township in 1880 adjacent to his brother John. He was listed in Shelby Township in 1910.