- 1795, 8vo, including ‘The Stage,’ addressed to living actors, here reprinted.
- ‘The Caledonian Comet,’ London, 1810, 8vo, with allusions to contemporary poets; reprinted in
- ‘Poems on Several Occasions,’ 2 vols., Edinburgh, 1811, 12mo.
- ‘Poems on Various Subjects,’ 2 vols., London, 1827, 8vo, chiefly addressed to his friends and acquaintance.
[Taylor's Records of my Life, 1832; Gent. Mag. 1832, ii. 89, 90, 542–6; Fox-Bourne's English Newspapers, i. 224, 368, ii. 26–7; Notes and Queries, 2nd ser. xi. 96, xii. 328, 3rd ser. i. 63, 81; Jerdan's Autobiogr. ii. 52–160; Addit. MSS. 20082 ff. 131–51 (letters to Thomas Hill of the Monthly Mirror), 27899 f. 194 (an address for the opening of Drury Lane Theatre), 29233 f. 375.]
TAYLOR, JOHN (1739–1838), portrait-painter, born in Bishopsgate Street, London, in 1739, was son of an officer in the customs. He studied art at the drawing academy in St. Martin's Lane, and also under Francis Hayman [q. v.] In 1766 he was one of the original members of the Incorporated Society of Artists. Taylor was best known for his highly finished portraits in pencil. From 1779 he was a casual exhibitor at the Royal Academy. Later in life he amassed a competence by teaching, and invested his money in annuities to last him to the age of 100. This he nearly attained, as he died in Cirencester Place, Marylebone, on 21 Nov. 1838, in his ninety-ninth year. He was a friend of the eccentric sculptor, Joseph Nollekens [q. v.], who made a bust of him, and left him a legacy in his will.
Another John Taylor (1745?–1806), landscape-painter, was born in Bath about 1745. He painted marine landscapes with figures and cattle, and was also an etcher. He died at Bath on 8 Nov. 1806 (Redgrave, Dict. of Artists).
[Gent. Mag. 1839, i. 100; Redgrave's Dict. of Artists; Graves's Dict. of Artists, 1760–1880; Séguier's Dict. of Painters; Smith's Nollekens and his Times.]
TAYLOR, Sir JOHN (1771–1843), lieutenant-general, born on 29 Sept. 1771, was the son of Walter Taylor of Castle Taylor, co. Galway, by his second wife, Hester, daughter of Richard Trench, and sister of William Power Keating Trench, earl of Clancarty. He entered the army in November 1794 as ensign in the 105th foot, became lieutenant in the 118th on 6 Dec., and captain in the 102nd on 9 Sept. 1795. He was brigade-major and aide-de-camp to Major-general Trench during the Irish rebellion of 1798, and was aide-de-camp to General Hutchinson [see Hely-Hutchinson, John, second Earl of Donoughmore], during the campaign in Holland in 1799, and that of Egypt in 1801. He had been transferred to the 26th foot on 30 Oct. 1799, but was soon afterwards placed on half-pay. He received a brevet majority on 2 Sept. 1801, and a lieutenant-colonelcy on 28 Feb. 1805. On 18 May 1809 he was made lieutenant-colonel in the 88th (Connaught rangers), and went to Cadiz in command of the second battalion in 1810. In the following winter it joined Wellington's army within the lines of Torres Vedras. It was attached to the light division, and after Masséna's retreat it took part in the combat of Sabugal (3 April 1811). A year afterwards it was sent home, having been reduced by a large draft to the 1st battalion to make up for its losses at Badajos. On 4 June 1813 Taylor was made brevet colonel. He returned to Spain soon afterwards, and on 9 Sept. took command of the 1st battalion, which formed part of the third division. He commanded it till the end of the war, and received the gold medal with two clasps for Nivelle, Orthes and Toulouse. At Orthes he was severely wounded. He was made C.B. for his services in the Peninsula, and afterwards K.C.B. (17 Oct. 1834). He was promoted major-general on 12 Aug. 1819, and lieutenant-general on 10 Jan. 1837. On 15 March 1837 he was given the colonelcy of the 80th foot. He died in London on 8 Dec. 1843.
By his wife Albinia Frances, daughter of St. John Jeffreys of Blarney Castle, co. Cork, and widow of Lieutenant-colonel Freemantle, he left two daughters.
[Royal Mil. Calendar, iv. 33; Cannon's Records of the 88th Regiment; Burke's Landed Gentry.]
TAYLOR, JOHN (1781–1864), publisher, was born at East Retford, Nottinghamshire, on 31 July 1781. Moving to London about 1806, he became a partner in the publishing firm, Taylor & Hessey, of 93 Fleet Street, subsequently Taylor & Walton, publishers to the university of London. In 1813 he published ‘A Discovery of the Author of the Letters of Junius,’ 8vo, afterwards expanded into ‘The Identity of Junius with a distinguished living character [Sir Philip Francis] established,’ 1816, 8vo (2nd ed. corrected and enlarged, London, 1818, 8vo), and ‘A Supplement to Junius Identified,’ 1817, 8vo. The authorship of the work was attributed by Lord Campbell (Lives of the Chancellors) and others to Edward Dubois [q. v.], but Taylor declared that he ‘never received the slightest assistance from
