John Taylor (manufacturer)
John Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1711 Bordesley Hall, near Birmingham, Warwickshire, England |
| Died | 1775 |
| Occupation(s) | Industrialist, financier |
| Known for | Founder of Taylor and Lloyd's Bank (later Lloyds Banking Group), High Sheriff of Warwickshire (1756–57) |
John Taylor (1711–1775), resident of Bordesley Hall near Birmingham in Warwickshire, was an English industrialist and financier who held the position of High Sheriff of Warwickshire during 1756–57.
Origins
As the firstborn son, Taylor inherited from his father Jonathan Taylor (d. 1733) of Bordesley and his mother Rebecca Kettle.
Career
Taylor’s career commenced in Birmingham as a cabinetmaker, where he founded a manufacturing facility on the site now known as Union Street. His factory specialized in producing "Brummagem toys," including items like buttons, buckles, snuff boxes, and jewellery containers. Utilizing Thomas Boulsover’s silver plating technique, he amassed considerable wealth through the production of silver-plated merchandise. Employing approximately 500 workers, Taylor emerged as a prominent industrial figure with a weekly button production valued near £800.
He channeled profits into acquiring substantial landholdings, purchasing Sheldon Hall in 1752, followed by Moseley Hall and the Yardley manor in 1768, ultimately controlling close to 2,000 acres. In 1765, Taylor joined forces with Quaker iron merchant Sampson Lloyd II to launch Taylor and Lloyd's Bank at Dale End in Birmingham. This institution later developed into Lloyds Banking Group, now recognized as one of the United Kingdom’s major banking organizations.
Marriage and children
Taylor married Mary Baker in 1734; their offspring included John Taylor (1738–1814), who was the eldest surviving son. John served as a Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant, and held the office of High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1786. He wed Sarah Skey from Spring Grove, Worcestershire, in 1778. A portrait of John painted by Gainsborough in 1788 is part of the collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, while a corresponding portrait of Sarah is housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Their family included three sons: John (b. 1780), James (1783–1852), and William (1789–1839).
Death and legacy
Upon his death in 1775, Taylor was interred within a vault at St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham. Contemporary inventor James Watt recorded his fortune at approximately £200,000. His heir, John Taylor (1738–1814), undertook reconstruction of Moseley Hall. Both Bordesley Hall and Moseley Hall suffered destruction during the Priestley riots of 1791 but were later restored to their former stature.