John Taylor or Johnny Taylor (b. Freetown, Sierra Leone, d. March 12, 1898) was a Creole merchant based in

Port Loko Port Loko is the capital of Port Loko District and since 2017 the North West Province of Sierra Leone. The city had a population of 21,961 in the 2004 census and current estimate of 44,900. Port Loko lies approximately 36 miles north-east of Fr ...

who was killed during the Hut Tax War by Bai Bureh's war boys. Taylor was the only Creole who was murdered by Bai Bureh's war boys and his death was said to have been caused by his actions during the uprising.

Hut Tax War and death

John Taylor moved from

Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...

and established a store in Port Loko, Sierra Leone. Taylor was killed by Temne "war boys" mustered by

Bai Bureh Bai Bureh (February 15, 1840 – August 24, 1908) was a Sierra Leonean ruler, Military strategy, military strategist, and Muslim cleric, who led the Temne and Loko uprising against British rule in 1898 in Northern Sierra Leone. Early life and ...

during the Hut Tax War in 1898. The war boys found Taylor by releasing his pet monkey, which ran upstairs and revealed where he was hiding in his house. Taylor's throat was then cut and he was "chopped" to pieces by the war boys. Taylor was killed because Bai Bureh's men believed he supported the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

in their "hut tax" on all houses. Taylor was also accused of spying and providing information to District Commissioner Sharpe regarding the movement of Bai Bureh's men.

Family

Taylor had a daughter called Susan Taylor who resided at

Cline Town Cline Town is an area in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The area is named for Emmanuel Kline, a Hausa Liberated African who bought substantial property in the area. The neighborhood is in the vicinity of Granville Town, a settlement established in 1787 a ...

after her marriage. Taylor was married to Tabitha Mariah Taylor (the daughter of the catechist Charles S. Brown) and the couple had a daughter called Mary Petan Taylor. Mary Taylor was five years old when her father was killed in Port Loko. Year of birth missing Sierra Leone Creole people Hut Tax War of 1898 1898 deaths People from Freetown Sierra Leonean businesspeople Sierra Leonean murder victims Sierra Leonean people of British descent People murdered in Sierra Leone {{Africa-business-bio-stub