(d. 2 June 1761), a widow, of Boston, Lincolnshire. His surviving children were: 1. Richard (d. 1762), married Margaret Meadows; his eldest son, Philip Taylor (1747–1831), was presbyterian minister at Kay Street, Liverpool (1767), and at Eustace Street, Dublin (1771), and grandfather of Meadows Taylor [q. v.]; his second son, John Taylor (1750–1826) [q. v.], the hymn-writer. 2. Sarah (d. 1773), married to John Rigby of Chowbent, was mother of Edward Rigby [q. v.]
He published, besides single sermons and tracts: 1. ‘A Narrative of Mr. Joseph Rawson's Case … with a Prefatory Discourse in Defence of the Common Rights of Christians,’ 1737, 8vo (anon.; the ‘Narrative’ is by Rawson; Sloss replied in ‘A True Narrative,’ 1737, 8vo); 2nd edit. with author's name, 1742, 8vo. 2. ‘A Further Defence of the Common Rights,’ 1738, 8vo; 2nd edit. 1742, 8vo; reprinted, 1829, 12mo. 3. ‘The Scripture Doctrine of Original Sin,’ 1740, 8vo (three parts); 2nd edit. 1741, 8vo. ‘A Supplement,’ 1741, 8vo (reply to David Jennings, D.D. [q. v.]); ‘Remarks on … Original Sin,’ 1742, 8vo (reply to Isaac Watts); all included in 3rd edit. Belfast, 1746, 12mo (curious list of Irish subscribers); 4th edit. 1767, 8vo (with reply to Wesley). 4. ‘A Paraphrase with Notes on the Epistle to the Romans … Prefix'd, A Key to the Apostolic Writings,’ 1745, 4to; Dublin, 1746, 8vo. 5. ‘A Scripture Catechism,’ 1745, 12mo. 6. ‘A Collection of Tunes in Various Airs,’ 1750, 8vo. 7. ‘The Scripture Doctrine of Atonement,’ 1751, 8vo. 8. ‘The Hebrew Concordance adapted to the English Bible … after … Buxtorf,’ 1754–7, 2 vols. fol. 9. ‘The Lord's Supper Explained,’ 1754, 8vo; 1756, 8vo. 10. ‘Infant Baptism … the Covenant of Grace,’ 1755, 8vo; 1757, 8vo. 11. ‘An Examination of the Scheme of Morality advanced by Dr. Hutcheson,’ 1759, 8vo. 12. ‘A Sketch of Moral Philosophy,’ 1760, 8vo. Posthumous were: 13. ‘The Scripture Account of Prayer,’ 1761, 8vo; the 2nd edit. 1762, 8vo, has appended ‘Remarks’ on the liturgy edited by Seddon. 14. ‘A Scheme of Scripture Divinity,’ 1763, 8vo; part was printed (1760?) for class use; reprinted, with the ‘Key,’ in Bishop Watson's ‘Collection of Theological Tracts,’ 1785, 8vo, vols. i. and iii. He left in manuscript a paraphrase on Ephesians, and four volumes of an unfinished abridgment (1721–2) of Matthew Henry's ‘Exposition’ of the Old Testament, of which specimens are given in the ‘Universal Theological Magazine,’ December 1804, pp. 314 sq. A selection from his works was published with title, ‘The Principles and Pursuits of an English Presbyterian,’ 1843, 8vo.
[Funeral Sermon, by Harwood, 1761; Sketch of the Life (by Edward Taylor) in Universal Theological Magazine, July 1804, pp. 1 sq. (reprinted separately), see also September 1804, p. 128 sq., February 1805, p. 71; Turner's Lives of Eminent Unitarians, 1840, i. 299 sq.; John Taylor's Hist. of the Octagon Chapel, Norwich, 1848, pp. 19 sq.; Historical Account of Warrington Academy, in Monthly Repository, 1813, pp. 87 sq., 1814 pp. 201 sq. (list of his pupils); Bright's Historical Sketch of Warrington Academy, 1859, pp. 7 sq.; manuscript minutes of Warrington Academy; Memoirs of Gilbert Wakefield, 1804, i. 226, ii. 449; Orton's Letters to Dissenting Ministers, 1806, i. 78, 114, ii. 202; Wilson's Dissenting Churches of London, 1808, i. 105; Halley's Lancashire, 1869, ii. 390 sq.; Macgowan's Arian's and Socinian's Monitor, 1761 (a popular libel); Memoir of John Taylor, in Monthly Repository, 1826, pp. 482 sq.; Tyerman's Life of Wesley, 1870, ii. 291, 294 sq.; Julian's Dict. of Hymnology, 1892, p. 1118.]
TAYLOR, JOHN (1704–1766), classical scholar, was born on 22 June 1704 at Shrewsbury, where his father, John Taylor, was a barber. Through the good offices of Edward Owen of Condover, Taylor was sent from Shrewsbury school to St. John's College, Cambridge, where he was admitted sizar on 7 June 1721. He graduated B.A. in 1724, and proceeded M.A. in 1728 (Grad. Cant.) On 25 March 1729 he was admitted fellow of St. John's, where he filled the office of tutor. In 1730 he delivered the Latin oration in Great St. Mary's on the anniversary of King Charles the Martyr (Gent. Mag. 1778, ii. 512). In 1732 he was appointed university librarian, and in 1734 registrar. He took the degree of LL.D. in 1741, taking up law in order to qualify himself to retain his fellowship without ordination. In 1744 he became chancellor of the diocese of Lincoln, having been introduced to the bishop by Lord Carteret, to whose grandsons he had been tutor, and who had thought of making him under-secretary of state.
After considerable hesitation Taylor took orders, and received the college living of Lawford, Essex, in 1751. In 1753 he became archdeacon of Buckingham, and in 1757 canon of St. Paul's on Richard Terrick's promotion to the see of Peterborough. In 1758 he resigned the registrarship, and left Cambridge to live in London. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society and of the Antiquarian Society in 1759, and became director of the latter. He died in Amen Corner, 4 April
