Grant W. Taylor (1921-2007): A Taylor Family Historian

Today marks the 100^th birth anniversary of Grant W. Taylor, the 2xgreat-grandson of John Taylor and Mary Clarke. John and Mary left Norfolk, England in 1836, settling in Pickering Township in what is known today as Ontario, Canada. Grant is a descendant of John and Mary’s eldest son, John Taylor (1821-1895) and his wife, Margaret Jane Mason.

Born 27 August 1921 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ontario, Canada, Grant William Taylor was the only child of Hector Taylor (1881-1958) and Ina Luella Kent (1885-1972).

Grant Taylor's parents, Hector Taylor and Ina (Kent) Taylor on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary on 1 January 1958.

Some of you are probably familiar with Grant W. Taylor’s book, "A History of the John Taylor-Mary Clark Family and Their Descendants 1836-1987, v.1-3.” Further on in this blog post, I’ll write more about these three volumes.

MORE ABOUT GRANT W. TAYLOR:

Grant grew up in Exeter, Ontario, north of Lucan. He attended S.S. No. 7 Usborne in Usborne Township, Huron County for one year (there were only about a dozen pupils) and completed his elementary and secondary school education in Exeter.

The first school that Grant attended was S.S. #7 Usborne in Usborne Township, Ontario. Grant's father, Hector Taylor also attended this school and is pictured in the group photo.

Grant Taylor (centre) with two of his Culbert cousins in 1929 at the annual Taylor Family Reunion at Springbank Park in London, Ontario. The blonde boy on the left is Grant's cousin, Milward Taylor "Mel" Culbert (born 1920) and the boy on right is Mel's brother, Ivan Hector Culbert (born 1918). Ivan Hector Culbert was probably named after Grant's father, Hector Taylor.

In 1939, Grant enrolled in the 4-year Honours Chemistry program at the University of Western Ontario in London. He left at the end of his third year to join the army on 10 July 1942.

Source: Exeter Times-Advocate, 16 Jul 1942, page 8.

Following training at Brockville, Petawawa and Kingston, he proceeded overseas on the Queen Elizabeth ship in July 1943 as an artillery reinforcement officer. He trained in England for a year, proceeded to France in July 1944, was taken on strength of the 13^th Canadian Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery of the 3^rd Canadian Division on 18 August 1944, and served with this regiment throughout the rest of the European campaign – through France, Belgium, Holland and into Germany. Grant then volunteered for service in the Pacific Theatre of Operations and was struck off strength the regiment on 11 June 1945. After some time in England, he returned to Canada on the Nieu Amsterdam ship and disembarked at Halifax on 26 July 1945.

Grant said there was another factor besides patriotism in his decision to volunteer for the Pacific Force. It was his desire to get back to Canada as soon as possible to see a pretty, dark-haired Nova Scotia girl by the name of Jean Elizabeth Walker (1925-2007) whom he had met before going overseas. Grant took part of his disembarkation leave in Nova Scotia and he and Jean were married on 4 August 1945 at the home of her parents, Charles David Walker and Mamie Drucilla Reeves of Windsor, Nova Scotia where Mr. Walker was manager of McKenzie’s Creamery and Dairy.

Source: Exeter Times-Advocate, 2 Aug 1945, page 1.

After a short honeymoon at a small seaside hotel, Grant and Jean went to Exeter, Ontario to spend the rest of his leave with his parents. Before the leave was over, Japan surrendered. Although he still had to report to Petawawa, his chances for early release from the army appeared good, so Jean remained in Exeter. The good luck that had accompanied Grant from the time of his enlistment continued. After about two weeks at Camp Petawawa an order was published which read something like this: “All service personnel who discontinued their education to join the Armed Forces and who have proof of readmission to a recognized school, university or college, may obtain an immediate discharge.” Grant had such a letter from the registrar at Western. He was demobilized on the 18^th of September, he and Jean found accommodation in London and he started classes on the first day of the fall term.

Grant graduated the following spring of 1946 with a B.Sc. in Honours Chemistry. He obtained a job as an analytical chemist with Polymer Corporation, the Crown corporation formed during the war to produce synthetic rubber for the wartime needs of the British Empire, and he and Jean moved to Sarnia, Ontario.

Grant Taylor with his wife, Jean Elizabeth Walker and their son, David Kent Taylor. Photo taken in 1958 in Exeter, Ontario at the 50th wedding anniversary celebration of Grant's parents.

Grant and Jean lived in Sarnia for the next 25 years during which Grant held various technical and business positions with Polymer. He then left Polymer, took a position as Industrial Development Officer with the Chemicals Branch of the Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce, and he and Jean moved to Ottawa. In September 1977, Grant resigned from the Public Service, he and Jean returned to Sarnia and he rejoined his old company (by then renamed Polysar Inc.) under a management contract as Director, Corporate Relations. Three years later he decided not to renew his contract but to retire early. In the spring of 1981, Grant and Jean moved to Nova Scotia and built a retirement home in the university town of Wolfville in the Annapolis Valley.

One of Grant’s major activities for many years was service in the militia. At the time of his militia retirement in October 1963, he was Commanding Officer of the 7^th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. Always interested in education, Grant served four years on the Sarnia Board of Education, including serving as chairman in 1967, and two years on the Lambton County Board of Education. A professional member of the Chemical Institute of Canada for 30 years, he is a past chairman of the Analytical Chemistry Division and a past member of the National Council. He represented Polymer Corp. in the Petroleum Section of the American Society for Testing Materials and in the American Society for Statistical Quality Control. Grant was a former member of the Society of Chemical Industry and while in Ottawa was head of the Canadian delegation to the International Rubber Study Group. He was a Past President of the Rotary Club of Wolfville and served four years on the Planning Advisory Committee of the Town of Wolfville. His hobbies besides family history were gardening, reading and walking. 

Left to right: Grant's wife, Elizabeth Jean Walker; Grant Taylor; and Mary (Earl) Kerslake, the wife of Grant's cousin Howard Kerslake of Exeter, Ontario. Photo taken in Exeter, Ontario in September, 1986.

Left to right: Grant's wife Jean Elizabeth Walker; Grant's cousin Josie (Kerslake) Ryckman of Exeter, Ontario; and Grant Taylor. Photo taken in Wolfville, Nova Scotia on 19 June 2005.

Grant’s wife, Jean Elizabeth (Walker) Taylor died 21 June 2007. Grant William Taylor died soon after on 4 October 2007 in Kentville, Nova Scotia.

GRANT’S FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH

If you’re someone who’s done a lot of research on the descendants of John Taylor and Mary Clarke, you’re probably familiar with Grant W. Taylor’s family history books. Grant was the author of a three-volume history of the Taylor family, "A History of the John Taylor-Mary Clark Family and Their Descendants 1836-1987, v.1-3." Published in 1991 and 1992, the books contain a wealth of information about the eight branches of the John Taylor - Mary Clarke family. In fact, much of what I've written in this post about Grant is taken directly from his book.

VOLUME 1 covers branches 1 and 5, the two branches who left Pickering Township, Ontario, Canada in the mid-1850s and moved to Usborne Township in Huron County, Ontario.

Branch 1 – The John Taylor – Margaret Jane Mason Branch

Branch 5 – The Emily Taylor – James Lankin Branch.

 

VOLUME 2 covers only Branch 3, the largest of the eight branches.

Branch 3 – The Robert Taylor – Frances Dixon Branch.

 

VOLUME 3 covers the five remaining branches:

Branch 2 – The Will Taylor – Helen Peat Branch

Branch 4 – The Sarah Taylor – Andrew Annis Branch

Branch 6 – The James Taylor – Eleanor Fawcett Branch

Branch 7 – The Fanny Taylor – Jabez Collins Branch

Branch 8 – The Mary Taylor – James Brander Branch.

Grant’s three-volume family history is no longer in print. Copies of Grant W. Taylor’s book can be found at the following locations:

Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa, Ontario.

Western University in London, Ontario.

Vaughan Memorial Library at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

If you’re interested in consulting these books, call ahead as they may be housed off-site or in storage. Some locations may house reference copies only that cannot be borrowed.

The next images show a letter written by Grant W. Taylor to Gladys Culbert, the widow of his cousin, Cliff Culbert of Lucan, Ontario, describing the publication of his book…

NOTE to the descendants of Effie Pearl Taylor & Myron Manford Culbert: If you’re a descendant of Effie Pearl Taylor and Myron Manford Culbert you may be interested in reading a similar tribute about Grant W. Taylor that I posted on the Culbert Family History blog. If so, click here to read that post.

FAMILY TREE FOR GRANT W. TAYLOR:

Ancestors:

John Taylor & Mary Clarke (2x great-grandparents)

John Taylor & Mary Jane Mason (great-grandparents)

William Taylor & Mary Elizabeth Bennett (grandparents)

Hector Taylor & Ina Luella Kent (parents)

Grant William Taylor

Descendants (Children):

David Kent Taylor

The John Taylor-Margaret Jane Mason Branch

John Taylor (1821-1895) was the first-born child of John Taylor (1796-1847) and Mary Clarke (1798-1883). Born in Snettisham, Norfolk County, England, John was 15 years old when he immigrated to Canada with his parents, settling in Pickering Township in Upper Canada. Upper Canada later became known as the Province of Ontario in 1841. 

John Taylor (1821-1895). Son of John Taylor and Mary Clarke. Photo from the collection of Barbara Dawn (Agnew) Miller.

In 1846, John Taylor (1821-1895) married Margaret Jane Mason (1826-1879), known as Jane.

John Taylor and Margaret Jane Mason moved from Pickering Township to Usborne Township near Exeter, Ontario around 1855. They settled on Lot C, Concession 9. 
 

John Taylor and Margaret Jane Mason settled in Usborne Township around 1855. You can see the see the name "Jno Taylor" (short for John Taylor) in the centre of the image, above. Later, his son William Taylor (1850-1918) would live on the adjoining property as you can see by the name "Wm. Taylor" below John's name. 

John Taylor would have had to clear the land of trees on the property, using the wood to build a log house and a barn. Most log houses of that time in Usborne Township were about 16 feet by 24 feet in size with two floors. The house would have been crowded with John, his wife, Jane and four children. More children would follow. Their last child was born in 1866. Jane Mason had given birth to 12 children although only 10 of those children survived until adulthood. 

The family's hard work paid off. The 1861 Census shows that the land had yielded good crops spring wheat, peas, oats and potatoes, hay, grass seed, as well as wool and flannel. The John Taylor family had oxen and cattle, horses, sheep and pigs. They had also produced 200 pounds of butter and five barrels of pork.  

The first crossroads north of the Taylor property was known as the "Zion Corner." 

A log school S.S. No. 7, Usborne Township was built on the southwest corner of the Zion Corner crossroads in 1856. The Taylor children walked 3/4 of a mile to attend classes at this school. The log school was replaced by a brick school in 1870 at the southeast corner of the crossroads. S.S. No. 7 closed in 1964 and was demolished.

The log school built in 1856 was replaced by this brick school in 1870. Some Taylor descendants are shown in this class photo of 1886-1887. 

S.S. No. 7 Usborne Township was also used for church services of the Zion Bible Christian Church until a new church was built near the northwest corner of the crossroads, nine years later in 1865. At some point, it was renamed Zion United Church.

Today, the address of the church is 41592 Park Road, R.R. #1, Granton, Ontario, near the intersection of Park Road and the Hern Line.

Zion United Church as it looked in 2013. Across the road from the church, you can see some of the headstones from Zion Cemetery where many members of the Taylor families are buried. This church and the cemetery are just one crossroads north of the John Taylor-Margaret Jane Mason homestead.

All the hamlets and villages in the area were quite small. The nearest town of any size to the Taylor property was Exeter, about 10 miles away. Roads were primitive back at the time when John Taylor and Jane Mason settled in Usborne Township. It's doubtful that they hitched up their horse and buggy in the summer or their horse and cutter/sleigh in the winter to go into town on a regular basis. They had to be fairly self-sufficient to get by in those early days.

THE 12 CHILDREN OF JOHN TAYLOR (1821-1895) & MARGARET JANE MASON:

John W. Taylor (1847-1933) married Mary Case, and later Charlotte Howard Braden Shinner. 

William Taylor, known as Bill (1850-1918) married Mary Elizabeth Bennett.

Sarah Taylor (1851-1851). Infant death. 

Robert Taylor,known as Bob (1852-1934) married Eliza Ann Harrison. 

Mary E. Taylor (1854-1913) married Charles Thomas Brooks.

James Taylor, known as Jim (1856-1920) married Emma Guest.  

Hannah Taylor (1857-1933) married Sidney Andrew Cook. 

Emily Taylor (1858-1914) married George Thomas. 

Thomas Mason Taylor (1859-1874). Died age 15. 

Margaret Jane Taylor, known as Maggie (1861-1929) married Albert George Pearson. 

Andrew Taylor, known as Andy (1862-1931) married Rebecca Jones. 

Elizabeth Taylor, known as Lizzie (1866-1947). Single, no children.

I'll write more about the children of John Taylor and Margaret Jane Mason in future posts.

John Taylor's wife, Margaret Jane Mason died 2 December 1879, age 53. John never remarried. At some point, possibly in 1883 when his son Bob took over the farm, John Taylor moved to Exeter, and it's likely that some of his children moved there with him. In 1883, Exeter was a thriving town with a population of close to 2,000. His unmarried daughter, Lizzie continued to keep house for him until he died.

John Taylor (1821-1895) died 7 November 1895, age 74. He is buried in Zion Cemetery, near the Taylor property. He shares a plot with his wife, Margaret Jane Mason and their son Thomas Mason Taylor.

Headstone in Zion Cemetery for John Taylor, his wife, Margaret Jane (Mason) Taylor, and their son, Thomas Mason Taylor. Photo by his great-great-granddaughter, Mary Jane Culbert.

John Taylor's obituary. Source: Exeter Times, 14 November 1895.

According to his obituary, John Taylor was of a quiet disposition, intelligent and public spirited, and was esteemed by a large circle of friends.  

Very little is known about John Taylor's wife, Margaret Jane (Mason) Taylor. It's said that she was born in Londonderry, Ireland but I haven't yet found her birth registration to verify this. Considering that she gave birth to 12 children and raised a family in challenging pioneer conditions, it's a shame that more isn't known about this woman. Even in death, she was granted a brief death notice in the newspaper rather than a full obituary like the one above for her husband. Anyone who knows more about Margaret Jane (Mason) Taylor, please contact Mary Jane Culbert at this address: