William Taylor (1622–1699)
William Taylor was an apothecary in the parish of St Mary the Virgin. He and his wife Elizabeth had at least four children:
- Elizabeth
- Mary
- Philip (baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church on 24 February 1662/3)
- Constance (baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church on 24 July 1666)
He appears to have been a friend of the diarist Anthony Wood, as Wood (i.428) describes how he spent time with "Mr Taylor the apothecary", Richard Day, and John Barret at the Crown Tavern.
Anthony Wood (ii.474) tells how in December 1679 Taylor stood for the position of yeoman bedel of physic and arts of St Mary the Virgin Church, and came third with 45 votes.
On 26 February 1682, according to Wood (iii.7), Nathaniel Whateley the apothecary was married by Baptist Levinz in Magdalen College Chapel to "Mr Taylor's daughter". The marriage register of St Mary the Virgin Church records a marriage on that date of Nathaniel Wheatley to Elizabeth Taylor.
On 27 March 1699 Philip Taylor, described as a bachelor and the son of William Taylor the apothecary, died at the age of 36 and was buried at St Mary's.
Here lyeth
the body of
M. PHILIP TAYlOUR
Apothecary son of
M. Wm: TAYLOUR Apothecary
late of this parish who
died Mar: 24, 1699
aged 36.
On 30 September that year Taylor himself died at the age of 77, and was buried in St Mary's, and there is a partially obscured white diamond floor tile inscribed as follows:
Here
lyeth ye body
of William TAYLOUR
who dyed ye 30th of Septm. 1699
aged 77 years
[and of] Phillip TAYLOUR
---- who dyed ye
--- of March 1698/9
aged 36
Taylor's unmarried daughter Mary was buried at St Mary's on 15 April 1701. His married daughter, Mrs Constance Almont, died on 23 May 1708, and has the following diamond in the floor of the Church of St Mary the Virgin:
Hic iacet
Constantia
Filia
Guilielmi Taylour
Pharmacopolae
Uxor Iacobi Almont
Obiit 23rio die Maii Anno Dom: 17--
Aetatis suae
41
("Here lies Constance, daughter of the apothecary William Taylor, the wife of James Almont, who died on 23rd May 1708 aged 41")
Taylor's widow Elizabeth was buried at St Mary's on 21 February 1711/12, and a diamond in the floor reads:
Here
lyeth ye Body
of Elizabeth the
[wife] [of] William TAYLOUR
Who dy[e]d [February [ye] 17
17[11]
Age[d] [---]]