Richard Taylor (18 May 1781 – 1 December 1858) was an English
naturalist and
publisher
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
of
scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research.
Content
Articles in scientific journals are mostly written by active scientists such as s ...
s. He became joint editor of the ''
Philosophical Magazine
The ''Philosophical Magazine'' is one of the oldest scientific journals published in English. It was established by Alexander Tilloch in 1798;John Burnett"Tilloch, Alexander (1759–1825)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford Univer ...
'' in 1822 and went on to publish the ''
Annals of Natural History'' in 1838. From 1837 to 1852, he edited and published ''
Scientific Memoirs
''Scientific Memoirs, Selected from the Transactions of Foreign Academies of science and Learned Societies and from Foreign Journals'' was a series of books edited and published by Richard Taylor (1781–1858) in London between 1837 and 1852.
Af ...
, Selected from the Transactions of Foreign Academies of Science''. In 1852, he was joined by the chemist Dr William Francis to form
Taylor and Francis
Taylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in England that publishes books and academic journals. Its parts include Taylor & Francis, Routledge, F1000 Research or Dovepress. It is a division of Informa plc, a United Ki ...
.
Life
Richard Taylor was born at
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
on 18 May 1781, the second son of
John Taylor. He was educated in a day school in that town by the Rev. John Houghton. He was then apprenticed, on the recommendation of
Sir James Edward Smith
__NOTOC__
Sir James Edward Smith (2 December 1759 – 17 March 1828) was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.
Early life and education
Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a ...
, to a printer named Davis, of
Chancery Lane
Chancery Lane is a one-way street situated in the ward of Farringdon Without in the City of London. It has formed the western boundary of the City since 1994, having previously been divided between the City of Westminster and the London Boroug ...
, London. He studied the classics, mediæval Latin and Italian poets, and modern languages.
On the expiration of his apprenticeship, he for a short time carried on a printing business in partnership with a Mr. Wilks in Chancery Lane; but on 18 May 1803 Taylor established himself in partnership with his father in Blackhorse Court,
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a major street mostly in the City of London. It runs west to east from Temple Bar at the boundary with the City of Westminster to Ludgate Circus at the site of the London Wall and the River Fleet from which the street was na ...
, subsequently removing to Shoe Lane, and finally to
Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, where the firm ultimately developed into
Taylor & Francis
Taylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in England that publishes books and academic journals. Its parts include Taylor & Francis, Routledge, F1000 (publisher), F1000 Research or Dovepress. It is a division of Informa ...
. His younger brother Arthur was his partner from 1814 to 1823, and his nephew, John Edward Taylor, joined him from 1837 to 1851,
Dr. William Francis, subsequently head of the firm, becoming his partner in the following year. Taylor and his partners produced major works in
natural history, as well as fine editions of the classics.
[
In 1807 he became a fellow of the ]Linnean Society
The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...
, and in 1810 was elected a secretary. He was also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
and of the Astronomical and Philological societies, and was an original member of the British Association
The British Science Association (BSA) is a charity and learned society founded in 1831 to aid in the promotion and development of science. Until 2009 it was known as the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA). The current Chie ...
.
In 1822, he joined Alexander Tilloch
Alexander Tilloch FSA (Scot) (28 February 1759 – 1825) was a Scottish journalist and inventor. He founded the ''Philosophical Magazine''.
Early life
The son of John Tilloch, a tobacco merchant and magistrate of Glasgow, he was born there on ...
as editor of the ''Philosophical Magazine'', subsequently the ''London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine''. He established the ''Annals of Natural History'' in 1838, with which the ''Magazine of Natural History'' was incorporated in 1841, and the two were carried on as the ''Annals and Magazine of Natural History''.[
For 35 years, Taylor represented the ward of Farringdon Without on the council of the City of London. He took an active part in matters of education, and assisted in founding the ]City of London School
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public school Boys' independent day school
, president =
, head_label = Headmaster
, head = Alan Bird
, chair_label = Chair of Governors
, chair = Ian Seaton
, founder = John Carpenter
, speciali ...
and the corporation library, while he promoted the establishment of the London University (later University College, London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
). In 1852 his health gave way, and he retired to Richmond, Surrey
Richmond is a town in south-west London,The London Government Act 1963 (c.33) (as amended) categorises the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames as an Outer London borough. Although it is on both sides of the River Thames, the Boundary Commis ...
, where he died on 1 December 1858.[ He is buried in ]St Peter's Church, Petersham
St Peter's Church is the parish church of the village of Petersham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is part of the Diocese of Southwark in the Church of England. The main body of the church building dates from the 16th century ...
.
Works
Taylor also edited and issued five volumes between 1837 and 1852 of ''Scientific Memoirs selected from the Transactions of foreign Academies of Science'', as well as an edition of Thomas Warton
Thomas Warton (9 January 172821 May 1790) was an English literary historian, critic, and poet. He was appointed Poet Laureate in 1785, following the death of William Whitehead.
He is sometimes called ''Thomas Warton the younger'' to disti ...
's '' History of English Poetry'', 1840. In addition, he edited Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist. He published over 150 works, and conducted exp ...
's ''Lectures on History'', 1826, John Horne Tooke
John Horne Tooke (25 June 1736 – 18 March 1812), known as John Horne until 1782 when he added the surname of his friend William Tooke to his own, was an England, English clergyman, politician, and Philology, philologist. Associated with radica ...
's Ἐπεα πτερόεντα, 1829 and 1840, and contributed to Jonathan Boucher
Rev. Jonathan Boucher (pronounced Boo-Shay), FRSE, FSA (12 March 1738 – 27 April 1804) was an English clergyman, teacher, preacher and philologist.
Early career
Jonathan Boucher was born in Blencogo, near Wigton, Cumberland, and educated at ...
's ''Glossary of Archaic and Provincial Words'', 1832.[
]
Quotes
References
Taylor & Francis Group: Our History
Richard Taylor (1781-1858), Printer and naturalist
at the National Portrait Gallery
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Richard
1781 births
1858 deaths
19th-century British businesspeople
British magazine publishers (people)
English naturalists