Madison Talley was a farmer and slaveholder of Goochland County and Powhatan County, Virginia. The exact dates of his birth and death are uncertain, but in 1812 or 1813 he was old enough to serve a tour of duty in the army, and he remained active in business until 1862. The names of Madison's parents are not known. He had at least one brother, Robert Talley, and two sisters, Martha Talley, who married Neil Gay of Virginia, and America Talley. Members of the Gay family later lived in Atlanta and apparently preserved the Talley papers. Other Talley relatives, William and Robert Anderson, evidently cousins, lived near Middleton in Jefferson County, Kentucky, circa 1815. From 1814 until at least 1841 Talley was apparently settled in Goochland, Virginia, making occasional trips to Richmond and Wilmington (Fluvanna County). Talley's main occupation appears to have been farming on a fairly large scale, involving transactions in cotton, hogs, tobacco, and the purchase of slaves. He was also, in 1837, a stockholder in the James River and Kanawha Company which was financing the construction of a canal along the James River from Richmond to Lynchburg. Talley purchased a tract of land in Powhatan County from a Mr. Hannibal Harris in 1842 and after that time made his home there. The last of his papers reveal that he continued to do business with Hannibal Harris, buying more land from him between 1853 and 1862.
From the description of Madison Talley papers, 1812-1928 (bulk 1812-1879) (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 77672646
