William Cooke Taylor facts for kids

William Cooke Taylor (born in 1800, died in 1849) was an Irish writer. He was known as a journalist and historian. He also spoke out against certain laws about food.

Early Life and Education

William Cooke Taylor was born in a town called Youghal, Ireland, on April 16, 1800. He went to Trinity College, Dublin, which is a famous university. He earned his first degree in 1825 and a higher degree in law in 1835.

A Busy Writer

In 1829, William moved to London, England. There, he became a very active writer. He wrote for many different magazines and journals. People often called him a "writer for his daily bread." This meant he wrote to earn a living. He wrote about many topics, including history and religion. He also wrote biographies, which are life stories of people. One important biography he wrote was about Sir Robert Peel, a famous British Prime Minister.

Important Books

William Cooke Taylor is best known for two of his books:

• The Natural History of Society (published in 1841)
• Factories and the Factory System (published in 1844)

In the early 1840s, he traveled around the industrial areas of northern England. He visited factories in cities like Manchester and Bolton. His writings give us a look at what life was like during a tough economic time.

Speaking Out

William was a strong supporter of the Anti-Corn Law League. This group wanted to get rid of the "Corn Laws." These laws made food, especially bread, very expensive for ordinary people. In 1843, he became the editor of the League's newspaper, called The League.

He had strong opinions about other issues too. He did not support a movement called Chartism. This movement wanted more rights for working-class people. He also believed that children working in factories was better than them starving. This idea caused a lot of disagreement and criticism.

Political Views

In Irish politics, William Cooke Taylor was a Whig. This was a political group that supported certain changes. He strongly disagreed with the Penal Laws, which were unfair laws against Catholics in Ireland. He supported Catholic emancipation, which meant giving Catholics equal rights. He believed that Ireland should stay united with Britain. He thought this would help Ireland become more modern and prosperous.

He also strongly supported the National School system in Ireland. These schools were open to all children, no matter their religion. His ideas about money and religion were greatly shaped by a person named Richard Whately.

William was friendly with Thomas Davis, another writer. However, later in his life, William wrote articles for the government. These articles criticized a group called the Young Irelanders. He was accused of being paid to speak badly about his own country. But William always wrote about causes he truly believed in.

Later Life and Death

William Cooke Taylor returned to Ireland for the last two years of his life. He worked for the Irish government as a statistician, which means he collected and analyzed numbers and data. Sadly, he died from a disease called cholera in 1849.

He was the son of Richard Taylor, who owned a factory in Youghal. William married his first cousin, Marianne Taylor. They had four children: three girls and one boy. His son, Richard Whateley Cooke Taylor, also became a factory inspector and wrote books about the factory system.

William Cooke Taylor passed away in Dublin on September 12, 1849.

Selected Writings

Here are a few of the many books William Cooke Taylor wrote:

• History of the Civil Wars of Ireland (1831)
• The History of Mohammedanism and its Sects (1834)
• The Natural History of Society in the Barbarous and Civilized State (1841)
• Notes of a tour in the manufacturing districts of Lancashire (1842)
• Factories and the Factory System (1844)
• Life and times of Sir Robert Peel (1851)