James (1756-1834), William (1789-1834), James (1792-1856), & John F. (1797-1858) Taylor

James Taylor senior was a Loyalist who arrived at Pointe Sainte-Anne in 1783. Born in Port Glasgow Scotland, he had emigrated to New York when young and served as a Sergeant with the 3rd New Jersey Volunteers during the American Revolution. In Fredericton he was known as "James The Elder" (as differentiation from his son James), and is credited with establishing “one of the largest and most respectable firms” in the colony—having business interests in the mercantile trade, as well as timber, shipbuilding, and general construction operations. His place of business was located just below Regent on Queen Street, across from the (present-day) former York County Court House. 

James’ three sons, James, William, and John F., formally entered into a partnership with their father in 1821, forming “James Taylor Senior and Company”. In addition to their store, the Taylors operated a mill and shipyard on the western end of Fredericton. They also owned a mill on the Nashwaak (present-day Marysville) that eventually sold to Alexander "Boss" Gibson. 

As a leading building firm, their company was chosen in 1826 to construct the Kings College building (present-day Old Arts Building, University of New Brunswick). For this project they arranged the  arrival of stone masons from Scotland in 1827. Their company also built Fredericton’s first Market and Court House, located on the site of the present-day former York County Court House (649 Queen Street). 

As the inscription on the Taylor family stone will attest, James Taylor was “a public spirited man;” and as Judge Oswald S. Crockett observed in 1923: 

There was no family which was more closely or prominently identified with the Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew during the first quarter century of its history than that of James Taylor snr.

Willam Taylor - Collection of
Library & Archives Canada, MIKAN 2894969

James and his son John F. were both founding members of the Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew, while sons William and James joined soon after. James senior served as Vice-President from 1828 to 1833; William followed Peter Fraser as President from 1832 to 1834; James junior served as President from 1839 to 1841; and John F. followed Thomas R Roberston as Treasurer in 1828—continuing in this role for another 28 consecutive years. 

James senior was also instrumental in successfully bringing 134 Scottish settler to New Brunswick, chartering the Saint John vessel The Favourite in 1816; he also donated the land on which Fredericton’s first Market Building was established (649 Queen Street), as well as the land where the first St Paul’s church was built (500 George Street). His sons, William and James jnr were members of the building committee for the original St Paul’s Church, and the actual church design was conceived by William Taylor. John F. Taylor was one of the Founding members of the Fredericton Curling Club.

The Taylor home was located on the east end of King Street (believed to be present-day 780 King Street)—where they lived as fellow neighburs to Society members Robert Thorburn, Robert Gowan, and John Simpson.

It was for the burial of James senior in 1834—the oldest founding member of the Society—that the Society enacted their funeral traditions of honouring deceased members. As was stated in the minutes of a special meeting held in the home of John Gregory on December 26 1834: 

… that the members of the Society do attend in a body at the funeral of the much respected deceased member and that they do walk in procession in front of the hearse in the following order: 

  Members two and two.

The Secretary 

(John Gregory) 
President and Vice President 

(John Simpson and Robert Gowan) 
Chaplains

(Rev. Dr Somerville and Rev James Birkmyre) 

And that at the graveyard the Society form a line on each side of the road, and, allowing the body to pass, fall in the rear of the chief mourners

It was also resolved: 

…that it is expected that every member will attend half an hour before the time fixed for the funeral dressed in black with weeper’s crepe and Blue Guards… and that the body be lowered into the grave b y the President, Vie President, and the four members who may bear the body.

Thus was laid to rest the oldest founding member of the Society. 

John F. Taylor became a very close and personal friend of Robert Fulton. The two never married, and as Judge O S Crocket later recalled: “…there was never a week that the two did not spend two or three evenings together in the apartments of one or the other.” 

Such was their bond that upon John Taylor’s passing in 1858, Robert anonymously commissioned the Taylor family stone. The inscription speaks clearly of his love and admiration for the John F. Taylor and the Taylor family: 

In 

memory 

of James 

Taylor 

Sen. Esq 

Merchant 

a native of 

Scotland 

and a public 

spirited man 

who spent the 

most of his years 

in Fredericton 

and who died here on 

Dec 26 1834 

aged 78 years 

Also 

his sons his eldest 

William , M.P.P. 

died 

March 27 1834 

James. M.P.P. 

died 

Feb 4th 1856 

John F 

Merchant 

my particular friend 

died Oct 19 1858 

aged 61 years 

This monument 

is erected by a Scotsman 

from his first acquaintance 

with the family in 1822 

never ceased to admire and appreciate 

their probity of character their friendliness and 

general goodness of heart 

Benefactors to the Community in which they lived 

In memory of 

Thomas Taylor 

born in Port Glasgow 

Scotland 

Died at Fredericton Dec 8th 1843 

aged 56 years 

The memory of the just is blessed