Richard Taylor (18 May 1781 – 1 December 1858) was an English

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

and publisher of

scientific journal In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication designed to further the progress of science by disseminating new research findings to the scientific community. These journals serve as a platform for researchers, schola ...

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)" Dictionary of National Biography#Oxford Dictionary of ...

'' 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 & Francis Taylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in the United Kingdom that publishes books and academic journals. Its parts include Taylor & Francis, CRC Press, Routledge, F1000 (publisher), F1000 Research and Dovepress. It i ...

Life

Richard Taylor was born at

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

on 18 May 1781, the second son of

John Taylor John Taylor, Johnny Taylor or similar is the name of: Academics *John Taylor (Oxford), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, 1486–1487 * John Taylor (classical scholar) (1704–1766), English classical scholar *John Taylor (English publisher) ...

. 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, to a printer named Davis, of

Chancery Lane Chancery Lane is a one-way street that forms part of the City of London#Boundary, western boundary of the City of London. The east side of the street is entirely within the City, 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 street in Central London, England. It runs west to east from Temple Bar, London, Temple Bar at the boundary of the City of London, Cities of London and City of Westminster, Westminster to Ludgate Circus at the site of the Lo ...

, subsequently removing to Shoe Lane, and finally to Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, where the firm ultimately developed into

. 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 Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

, 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 collec ...

, and in 1810 was elected a secretary. He was also a

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a registered charity. It is based at Burlington House in Pi ...

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 Chief ...

. 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 o ...

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 The City of London School, also known as CLS and City, is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school for Single-sex education, boys in the City of London, England, on the banks of the River Thames next to the Millennium Bridge, ...

and the corporation library, while he promoted the establishment of the London University (later

University College, London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

). 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, London, Petersham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is part of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark, Diocese of Southwark in the Church of England. The main body o ...

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 history of literature, literary historian, critic, and poet. He was appointed Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate in 1785, following the death of William Whitehead (poet ...

's '' History of English Poetry'', 1840. In addition, he edited

Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, Unitarian, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher, English Separatist, separatist theologian, Linguist, grammarian, multi-subject educator and Classical libera ...

'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 English clergyman, politician and Philology, philologist. Associated with radical proponen ...

's Ἐπεα πτερόεντα, 1829 and 1840, and contributed to

Jonathan Boucher Rev. Jonathan Boucher 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 the Wigton Grammar Sch ...

'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 National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Richard 1781 births 1858 deaths 19th-century English businesspeople British magazine publishers (people) 19th-century English naturalists English printers English publishers (people)