Taylor, John, 1781-1864

Keat's publisher.

John Taylor, publisher, joined the firm of Taylor and Hessey in 1813, and soon after published The Identity of Junius, an attempt to identify Junius as Sir William Francis. He edited the London Magazine from 1821 to 1824, appointing Thomas Hood his replacement; his contributors and literary friends included Hood and Lamb. He published several works in opposition to Sir Robert Peel's stand on the currency question.

John Taylor was born in Nottinghamshire in 1781. Taylor moved to London about 1806, becoming a partner in the publishing firm Taylor & Hussey (later Taylor & Walton). Taylor published several works attributing the letters of "Junius" to Sir Philip Francis, an identification still widely accepted today, and served as editor of the London Magazine in 1821-24. Taylor's literary friends included Charles Lamb, Thomas Hood, and Samuel Coleridge.

Taylor, perhaps influenced by his brother, the banker James Taylor (1788-1863), was opposed to the currency policies of Sir Thomas Peel, and authored several books and pamphlets on the subject of currency reform, including "Currency Fallacies Refuted and Paper Money Vindicated" (London, 1833) and "The Monetary Policy of England and America" (London, 1843). His other works include "The Great Pyramid: Why Was It Built?" (London, 1859), and articles on antiquarian subjects for Macmillan's and the Gentleman's Magazine.

John Taylor did not marry. He died in Kensington on July 5, 1864.