Sir John Taylor, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Taylor
Born	1745 Jamaica
Died	8 May 1786

Sir John Taylor, 1st Baronet (1745 – 8 May 1786) was an important person from Jamaica. He was a planter, which means he owned large farms. He was also a member of the Royal Society, a famous group for scientists. John Taylor was given the special title of Baronet, which meant he was a knight and his title could be passed down to his children. He mostly lived in London, England, but he passed away in Jamaica.

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Early Life in Jamaica

John Taylor was born in Jamaica in 1745. His parents were Patrick Talizour and Martha Taylor. His father, Patrick, was from Scotland. When he married Martha, he changed his last name from Tailzour to Taylor.

John and Simon Taylor's Family Wealth

John had an older brother named Simon Taylor. Simon used money from their family to buy many large farms in Jamaica. These farms grew sugar cane, which was a very valuable crop at the time. Simon became known as one of the richest people in Jamaica. He also became a member of the Jamaican government, called the House of Assembly of Jamaica.

Simon's wealth, which came from these sugar farms, helped John live a fancy life in Europe. John became a Baronet on September 1, 1778. That same year, he married Elizabeth Goddin Haughton. Elizabeth's family also owned sugar farms in Jamaica. John and Elizabeth had six children together.

Simon was very careful with his farms and money. He often thought his younger brother, John, spent too much.

John Taylor's Final Years

Simon convinced John to return to Jamaica. He wanted John to take care of his own farms, which were not doing well. But John died in 1786, less than a year after arriving back in Jamaica. He passed away while visiting Simon's farm. After John's death, his son, also named Simon, became the next Baronet.

What Happened to the Family Fortune?

The older Simon Taylor died in 1813. He left most of his large fortune to John's son, Sir Simon Richard Brissett Taylor. However, Simon also made sure to provide for his own mixed-race family. John Taylor's son, Simon, only lived until 1815. This meant the special title of Baronet ended with him.

The family's money then went to John Taylor's daughter, Anna Susannah. She had married a man named George Watson. He added her last name, Taylor, to his own.

John Taylor's Place in Art and History

John Taylor was included in a famous painting by Johann Zoffany. The painting is called the Tribuna of the Uffizi and shows a room in a museum in Florence, Italy. John Taylor can be seen on the right side of the painting.

A year before he died, John Taylor and his family were drawn in a special kind of artwork called pastels by Daniel Gardner. This drawing showed John, his wife Elizabeth, his brother Simon, and four of his children.

Besides paintings, John Taylor is also important because of letters that still exist today. These letters were written by Simon to John. They talk about world events, how the farms were doing, and Simon's complaints that he was doing all the work while John spent all the money. These letters help us understand what life was like in Jamaica during that time.