A, J, N, V, W Taber

N Taber related craftsmen, Bristol Co., MA

Allen Taber b 1800 - d 1882

Fairhaven, MA, son of Nicholas, 1828 deed plane maker (Mostly covered by GAWP5)

John Taber b 1790 / Jeduthan Taber b 1771

2 candidates New Bedford, MA (J Taber covered separately in New Information section)

John M Taber b 1796 - d 1873

New Bedford, MA, son of Nicholas (Here for reference, covered by GAWP5)

Nicholas Taber b 1761 - d 1849

Fairhaven, MA, plane maker and house carpenter

(The main point of reference for these related craftsmen, mostly covered by GAWP5)

Vincent Taber b 1788

Fairhaven, MA, son of Nicholas, 1850 US census carpenter

William Taber b 1787 / William b ca 1762

2 candidates Fairhaven / New Bedford, MA, with William b ca 1762 possibly being Nicholas's brother

GAWP5 presents Nicholas Taber as a focus of plane making in Bristol Co., MA, ca 1785-1820, around whom multiple craftsmen relate either through professional linkage or family linkage. This entry focuses on the possible identities of these related individuals. (See the GAWP5 entries for these craftsmen. See the Plane Gallery and New Information entries for Nicholas Taber.)

Allen Taber b 1800 - d 1882

Fairhaven, MA, son of Nicholas, 1828 deed plane maker (Mostly covered by GAWP5)

John Taber b 1790 / Jeduthan Taber b 1771

2 candidates New Bedford, MA (Also covered as J Taber in the New Information Section)

John M Taber b 1796 - d 1873

New Bedford, MA, son of Nicholas (Included here for reference, covered by GAWP5)

Nicholas Taber b 1761 - d 1849

Fairhaven and New Bedford, MA, plane maker and house carpenter (See the N Taber entries in the New Information and Plane Gallery Sections)

(The main point of reference for these related craftsmen, mostly covered by GAWP5)

Vincent Taber b 1788

Fairhaven, MA, son of Nicholas, 1850 US census carpenter

William Taber b 1787 / William b ca 1762

2 candidates Fairhaven / New Bedford, MA with William b ca 1762 possibly being Nicholas's brother.

A, J, N, V, W Taber

Allen Taber

Per GAWP5, Allen Taber is identified as the son of Nicholas Taber, b 1800 Fairhaven, MA - d 1882 Augusta, Kennebec, ME. While GAWP5 provides significant background on Allen, it also notes that no known examples of an imprint are known. Allen is identified as a maker of bench planes in the cited obituary. Added here is a deed from 1828 in which his trade is given as a tool maker. In the deed Sarah Taber is selling the property as part of the estate of William Taber, deceased. This William is possibly the brother of Nicholas, one of the two possible plane making craftsmen covered in this entry.

Allen Taber, 1828 deed, tool maker.

J Taber

GAWP5 (pictured above) gives the possible identity of J Taber as John Taber b 1700 - d 1756 in Tiverton, RI. It is the editor's opinion that this craftsman is much too early to have been responsible for the ca 1790 planes. Here, two other craftsmen are presented as possible candidates.

Jeduthan Taber, possible candidate

Jeduthan Taber, b 1771 Fairhaven, MA d 1855 Ithica, NY 1795

m Mary Pope in 1795

son of Jeduthan and Patience Taber

From a period deed, his brothers included Reuben, Caleb, Benjamin and Asa

Jeduthan was in the War of 1812 and moved to NY in 1818. In Fairhaven Jeduthan was listed as a house carpenter in an 1807 deed. In NY he was known as a boat builder and a tavern keeper. (Nicholas was also known as a inn keeper in the early 1800s.)

Jeduthan Taber, 1807 New Bedford, MA deed, house carpenter.

John Taber, possible candidate (Seems to be too late for the ca 1790 planes and thus considered 2nd tier)

John Taber, b 1790 in RI, moved to Fairhaven, MA

m Celia

1823 New Bedford, MA deeds, housewright and a carpenter

John Taber, 1823 deeds, housewright and carpenter.

V Taber

Vincent Taber, likely candidate

Vincent Taber, b 1782 Fairhaven, MA - d 1861 Chillmark, MA

son of Nicholas and Rebecca Taber

In the 1850 census, he was a carpenter in Chillmark, MA

Vincent's being the likely craftsman behind the V Taber planes was noted by Mike Humphrey in the N Taber entry in the Plane Gallery Section.

W Taber

GAWP5 (pictured above) gives the likely identity of W Taber as William Taber b 1723 - d 1799, Nicholas Taber's father.

It is the editor's opinion that this craftsman is much too early to have been responsible for the ca 1800 planes. Here, two other craftsmen are presented as possible candidates.

The editor finds it likely that the two imprints represent the work of two different craftsman... with the larger imprint possibly being slightly older.

William Taber, possible candidate

William Taber, b 1787 Fairhaven, MA d 1861

m Peace 1st wife and Ruby 2nd wife

son of Jacob and Anne Taber (It is not clear as to how the family relates to Nicholas and his father William.)

1811 deed, William the 4th, housewright in New Bedford.

1821, 1822, 1824, 1830 deeds, William the 2nd, housewright in Fairhaven, his wife is Ruby. In deeds from 1811, William the housewright is identified as William the 4th. In deeds 1821 through 1830, William the housewright, is identified as William the 2nd. Comparing the 1811 deed and the 1821 deed, the same property is being bought and sold respectively, such that the two William's are one and the same. (eg. both deeds describe the Acushnett River property having one border .... westerly by the river aforesaid to three maples, the southern one marked ... )

William Taber the 4th, 1811 deed, housewright in New Bedford.

William Taber, possible candidate based on his probate inventory

William Taber, Fairhaven, MA d 1817

m Sally / Sarah McPherson in 1799

yeoman in period deeds

Probate inventory has "4 planes and other carpenter tools" worth a limited $4.00, noting that

This William might be the son of William and Anne Taber, thus a brother to Nicholas. If this is the case his dates are 1760/1762 - 1817. Several genealogies have this as the family unit, but the proof is not given. However, Nicholas buys the deceased William's property from his widow Sarah and he acts as security for William's children. In the two deeds from 1818 and 1819 relating to deceased William's property, Nicholas is listed as a tool maker.

William Taber, 1818 probate inventory list; 4 planes and other carpenter tools.

J, W and N Taber Planes

GAWP5 generally describes J Taber and W Taber molding planes as 9 1/2" long, made of beech, having flat chamfers and relieved wedges .... similar in style to N Taber planes. Utilizing the nomenclature established in the N Taber entry in the Plane Gallery Section, the N Taber planes being referenced are from the first half of his "middle period". (Within the "middle period" the first half planes have flat chamfers whereas the second half planes have rounded chamfers.) The "middle period" planes, roughly equal in their flat and round chamfer numbers, make up the majority of Nicholas's known planes as noted by Mike Humphrey in the N Taber's Plane Gallery entry.

Nicholas Taber, "middle period" molder (9.5" long, beech, C wedge, large A imprint) from Nicholas' first half period (flat chamfers). (Editor's nomenclature established in the N Taber entry in the Plane Gallery Section.) Photo courtesy of Mike Humphrey.