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Henry Taylor's notes to his
Pedigree of the Taylors of OngarIntroductionHenry
Taylor (1837-1916) created the Pedigree of the Taylors of Ongar in
1895, when he was living at Tunbridge Wells, Kent. He had
previously been an architect in Manchester.
The pedigree is the foundation for most later research on the Taylors of Ongar and their extended family.
The
pedigree was a considerable feat for its time, when communications and
transport were slower and digitisation of records was scarcely
imagined. The document records six generations largely accurately,
although in some areas Henry's information was sketchy.
The organ in St Helens at Worcester, mentioned in Henry's introduction, has
since been moved and Henry's speculation on what was under it has
unfortunately been proved wrong. His pedigree also appears to have given William
and Ann Taylor a number of offspring who were not theirs.
Stephen Painter, May 2009
Henry Taylor's notesWilliam
Taylor, ancestor of the Taylors of Ongar, appears to have migrated
from the Parish of S. Helen, Worcester, into that of S. Michael,
about the year 1720. We know from the Registers of S. Michael that
his wife's Christian name was Anne.
In
the adjoining Church of S. Helens, a William Taylor married Anne
Cooke on the 25th of December, 1715, and the following baptisms took
place in that Church: 28th July, 1717, Anne, daughter of William and
Anne Taylor; and on 29th of May, 1719, Charles, son of William and
Anne Taylor. Probably the migration then took place.
At
S. Michael's Church, the five children of William and Anne Taylor,
which appear in the subjoined Pedigree were baptised, the first being
Anne on 7th July, 1726.
The
Registers of S. Helens (which have been searched from 1700 to 1800
and a few years previously) give the baptisms of William, son of
William Taylor, 26th of January, 1679 and of William, son of William,
2nd of August 1690. The latter is not unlikely to have been the
father of the first Isaac Taylor.
In
the Registers of S. Michael's a William Taylor is recorded to have
been buried 26th of February , 1738, but the William Taylor in
question may have died in 1755 as set forth below. These Registers
have been searched from 1650 to 1800.
The
fact that in the Registers shortly before and after the year 1700,
the Christian name William is of such frequent occurrence, no doubt
indicates the gratitude of the people of the Western Shires to
William III for delivering them from the possibility of the horror of
another Bloody Assize; but at the same time this interesting
circumstance adds necessarily to the perplexities of research.
In
S. Helen's Church there is a monument to the memory of a Taylor
family. It is mentioned in Green's History of Worcester, 1790. It has
been moved from its position near the pulpit, and a few years ago the
organ was placed upon it, covering up some of the names. It is
possible that William may have been one of this family. There seems
to be some probability of his being the fourth son of Richard Taylor,
who died on 14th January, 1696. The Christian name of this fourth son
is covered up by the organ. The inscription runs: "... Taylor,
the fourth son of the above Richard Taylor and Ann, his wife. He
departed this life the 29th ....ber, 1755, aged 66 years." On
this monument is recorded the death of Samuel, "the third son of
Richard and Ann Taylor, Alderman of this city, who thrice filled the
office of Mayor. He died November 11th, 1754, in the 68th year of his
age." The Town Clerk informs me that it is recorded in the books
of the Corporation that various other honours were showered upon him.
Henry
Taylor
January 1895
Bibliography to the Pedigree
of the Taylors of Ongar
In
preparing this document the following sources of information have
been used:
1.
The Registers of S Michael-in-Bedawardine, Worcester, which have been
searched from the year 1650 to 1800.
2.
The Registers of S. Helen's Church, Worcester, which have been
searched from 1700 to 1800 and a few years previously.
3.
Extracts from the books of the Corporation of Worcester, and other
investigations carried on in 1894 by the Town Clerk of Worcester from
1712 to 1755.
4.
Prolonged researches at the British Museum and other Libraries.
5.
Voluminous correspondence with various members of the Taylor,
Gilbert, Herbert and Hinton families.
The
following books, magazines and newspapers contain biographies of the
various members of the family:
Illustrated
Gleanings from the Classics: Sir Charles Grandison, with
Isaac
Taylor's illustrations, by John Oldcastle (published by Field and
Tuer, London). Bryan's Dictionary of Painters and Engravers.
Redgrave's Artists of the English School. Bartolozzi
and
his Works, by Andrew Tuer. Mrs Gilbert's
Autobiography.
The Taylors of Ongar by Canon Isaac Taylor of
Stanford Rivers.
Galton's Hereditary Genius (Macmillan and Co,
1892). Four
Biographies, by L.B. Walford, being contributions to Blackwood's
Magazine, with Memoir of Jane Taylor (published by
Blackwood).
Evangelical Magazine for 1829. Imperial
Dictionary of
Universal Biography (London, Mackenzie, 69, Ludgate Hill)
edited
by J.F. Walker, LLD. The Quiver for July and
October 1880.
Illustrated London News, 5th August 1865. Essays
in
Ecclesiastical Biography, by Sir James Stephen (published by
Longmans 1868). The Leisure Hour for 6th April
1867. Good
Words for 1865. The Christian Observer
for May 1872. The
Expositor for August 1885. Day of Rest
for March 1881.
Catalogue of the Victorian Exhibition, held at
the New
Gallery, Regent Street London, 1891-92. The Biograph
for April
1881. Languages, 15th October 1894. Life
of Jane Taylor
by Mrs Knight (Nelson & Sons). Sunday Magazine
for August
1889. The Atheneum, 10th September 1892. The
Alpine
Journal, November 1892. The Nottingham
Congregational
Magazine, 1892. Life of James Hinton, by
E. Hopkins, with
Preface by Sir William Gull. Men of the Time for
1862. Men
and Women of the Time for 1891. Chambers' Worcestershire
Men,
1820. The Gentleman's Magazine for 1830, 1831, 1865
and 1867.
Dictionary of National Biography, edited by
Leslie Stephen and
Sidney Lee.
Appendix: Some of Henry Taylor's sourcesBryan's Biographical Dictionary of Painters and Engravers (extracts)Taylor, Charles, an
English engraver, born London in 1748. He studied under Bartolozzi, and
produced many plates after Angelica Kauffmann. His works appeared at
the Incorporated Society between 1176 and 1782.
Taylor, Isaac,
an English engraver, born at Worsester in 1730. In the early part of
his career he worked successively as a brass-founder, as a silversmith,
and as a surveyor. Then devoting himself to engraving, he found much
employment in book illustration, for which he frequently furnished the
designs. His best work was done for an edition of Sir Charles Grandison. Many of his plates are to be found in the Gentleman's Magazine.
From 1774 to its dissolution he acted as secreatry to the Incorporated
Society of Artists, where many of his works appeared. He died at
Edmonton, October 17th, 1807.
Taylor, Isaac,
the son of the last-named, and an English engraver, was born in London
about 1750. He studied under Bartolozzi, and worked much for Alderman
Boydell, for whose Bible he made designs.. Before he was 40 he retired
into Suffolk, and spent the rest of his life as a dissenting minister.
He was the father of Jane and Ann Taylor, the writers of Original
Poems. He died at Ongar, December 11th, 1829. Amongst his best plates
are: Henry the Eighth's First Sight of Anne Boleyn; after Stothard.
Falstaff and His Tormentors, after Smirks. Assassination of Rizzio;
after Opis, 1791.
Taylor, James,
an English engraver born at Worcester in 1745. He was the younger
brother of the elder Isaac Taylor, with whom he worked. Anker Smith was
his pupil. He exhibited at the Incorporated Society between 1770 and
1776, He died in London in 1797.
Bartolozzi and His Work, Andrew W. Tuer
Tuer lists known students of
Bartolozzi, including:
Taylor (Charles) was born in London in
1748 [in fact, 1756 — SP] and studied under Bartolozzi for some considerable time. He
engraved chiefly after Kauffman and Cipriani.
Taylor (Isaac) was the son of the line
engraver of the same name, who executed numerous plates for the
Gentleman's Magazine. He was born in London about 1750, and after
studying under Bartolozzi was employed by the Boydells on their
Shakespeare Gallery, for which he engraved Rizzio, after Opie (1791);
Henry VII's First Sight of Anne Boleyn, after Stothard; and Falstaff
Frightened by the Supposed Demons, after Smirke. He also drew the
designs for Boydell's illustrations to the Holy Bible, many of which
were engraved by his father about 1786. He died at Ongar, December
11th 1829.
Taylor, Isaac (living at Holles Street,
Clare Market) exhibited at the Society of Artists in:
1765
240 An Entertainment
1766
285 Frontispiece to Daphne and Arminta
An Emblematic Subject
1767
283 Scene in Opera: Love in a Village
282 Six prints for Hoole's translation
of Metastasia
1769
310 Apollo Growing his Majesty with
Laurels
311 Syogins, the Roman General, a
Prisoner
1770
245 A Fancy Head miniature, a first
attempt
(living at the Bible and Crown,
Hoborne, FSA)
1772
319 Frontispiece of History of Emperor
Charles V
320 Subject from Salator Rosa
(Director FSA)
1773
331 Elihu Reproving Job and his Friends
332 Iago Exciting Othello's Jealousy
333 Miss Atkins Found by her Father
(Man of Feeling)
(Living in Chancery Lane)
1774
271 Nuptial Felicity; an engraving
272 Island of Jamaica (an engraving)
(secretary FSA)
1775
250 Sacrifice to Ceres, after Stuart
251 Genius Descending
252 Britannia
(living at 306 Holborne)
1776
278 Golden Chain of Salvation, after
Clark
1777
301 Four historical frontispieces
302 Ancient Minstrel
1778
224 Subject from Sir Charles
Grandison, engraving
225 Subject from Sir Charles Grandison,
engraving
226 Subject from Sir Charles Grandison,
engraving
227 Subject from Sir Charles Grandison,
engraving
228 Subject from Sir Charles Grandison,
engraving
229 Subject from Sir Charles Grandison,
engraving
230 Subject from Sir Charles Grandison,
engravingrt
231 Vignette to Poem (Owen)
1780
265 Employment of Men Prisoners at
Bern, engraving
266 Employment of Women Prisoners at
Bern, engraving
Tuer
appears to have confused the work of father and son, and
perhaps to have mistaken the name of the elder Isaac's father,
which was William, not Isaac. The younger Isaac was born in 1759, so he
would have been extremely precocious to be exhibiting by 1765. The
elder Isaac was born in 1730, and it was he who was involved in the
Incorporated Society of Artists. The younger Isaac was the one employed
by the Boydells.
Francesco Bartolozzi left Florence for London
in 1764, and lived there for nearly 40 years, during much of which time
he took students.Francis Galton's comments on the Taylors of OngarFrom Hereditary Genius (1869)Taylors of Ongar
This
family is remarkable from the universality with which its members have
been provided with a restless literary talent, evangelical disposition,
and an artistic taste. The type seems to be a very decided one, and to
be accompanied with constitutional vigour; thus Mrs Gilbert died a
short time ago at the advanced age of 84. None of its members have
attained the highest rank among authors, but several are considerably
above the average.
From English Men of Science: Their Nature and Nurture (1874)TAYLORS OF ONGAR.
Numerous
members of this family have shown a curious combination
of restless literary talent, artistic taste,
evangelical disposition, and mechanical aptitudes. There is
an interesting
work published upon it, called The Family Pen, by the Rev. Isaac
Taylor, 1867 (see below in the "fourth generation"), which
contains a list of 90 publications by 10 different members of the
family, up to that time; and there have been more publications,
and at least one new writer, since.
First
generation. Isaac Taylor came to London with an artist's
ambition, and ended by being a reputable engraver. He acted
for many years as secretary to the Incorporated Society of
Artists of Great Britain, which was the forerunner of the Royal
Academy. All the family characteristics were strongly marked in him.
Second
generation consisted of three males, all of whom deserve notice:
(1) Charles Taylor, a learned recluse, editor of Calmet's Bible;
(2) Rev. Isaac Taylor, author of Scenes in Europe
&c, educated as an engraver, and far surpassing his father
in ability. He married Ann Martin, a woman of reputed genius,
authoress of The Family Mansion, and the numerous able
members of the Taylor family for the two next generations sprung,
with one exception, from this fortunate union ; (3) Josiah
Taylor, eminent publisher of architectural works; he made a
large fortune.
Third
generation. Descendants of Isaac Taylor and Ann Martin, 3 males
and 3 females, of whom 2 males and 2 females deserve notice: (1) Isaac Taylor, author of Natural History of
Enthusiasm; (2) Jeffreys Taylor, author of Ralph Richards, Young
Islanders, &c; and (3), Ann and Jane Taylor,
joint authors of Original Poems (Ann married the Rev.
Joseph Gilbert). In this same generation is ranked the Rev. Howard
Hinton, a leading Baptist minister, who was a son of one of
the sisters in the previous generation, and is father of a
well-known aurist.
Fourth
generation. 6 males and 9 females now living, and some few others
who are deceased; of these, 5 males and 1 female deserve special
notice: (1) Rev. Isaac Taylor, author of Words and Places,
of The Family Pen, and of Etruscan Researches; (2) Josiah Gilbert, author of The Dolomite Mountains;
(3)
Joseph Gilbert, FRS, eminent for his chemical and
physiological researches in their relation to agriculture (the paternal
race of Gilbert had also a marked type); (4) Thomas Martin
Herbert, Independent minister, scholar, and writer;
(5) Edward Gilbert Herbert, of the Chancery bar, who died young of
diphtheria; (1) Helen Taylor, authoress of Sabbath Bells.
Unfortunately, Francis Galton's theories on heredity led him into the scientific dead end of eugenics,
which became associated with theories of racial superiority and the
possiblilities of selective breeding of humans, as practised in animal
husbandry. Galton's theories for several decades were taken up by many
governments, and eventually and most notably by the Nazis in Germany as
a pseudoscientific
foundation for their master race policies. Eugenics fell from favour after
that. Writing in 1895, Henry
Taylor was not to know where Galton's theories would later lead, and in
any case his citing of Galton's references to the Taylors does not
imply detailed knowledge, let alone approval, of Galton's theories. SP
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