John Howard Taylor

John Howard Taylor (30 June 1861, Peckham - 1 October 1925, Melbourne) also known as J. Howard Taylor and Howard Taylor, was a Western Australian stockbroker, politician and Olympic sailor.[1][2]

Howard Taylor

John Howard Taylor as pictured in the History of West Australia
Personal information
Full name	John Howard Taylor
Nationality	British
Sailing career
Class(es)	3 to 10 ton Open class
Competition record Sailing Representing Mixed team Olympic Games 1900 Paris 3 to 10 ton 1st race (7th) 1900 Paris 3 to 10 ton 2nd race
Updated on 8 May 2015.

Taylor was born in 1861 in Peckham, to John and Mary Jane Cash. He worked in stockbroker's office in London[1] and in 1880s he emigrated to South Africa and than to Western Australia in early 1890 following the Ashburton rush.[1] In January 1891, he settled in Southern Cross, where he worked as a merchant and stockbroker.[1] Three years later, he moved his operations at Coolgardie, where a promising gold field had been just discovered.[3][1] Sitting at the town council, he was elected on 3 August 1896 one of the three members of the Western Australian Legislative Council for the East Province. He was one of the ten Western Australia representatives at the 1897-1898 Australasian Federal Convention, which prepared the federation. He left the council in 1899 to focus on speculative developments.[4] He made estimated 250,000 pounds[3] in speculating in Australia, before moving back to Europe to speculate on London Stock Exchange.

In late 1890s, Tylor bought from Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi a racing cutter Bona Fide (or just Bona), build for the duke in 1897.[5][1] Taylor began competing in sailing races in Mediterranean winning Queen's Cup at Royal Cork Regatta in 1899 and 16 races in 25 starts in 1900 season. That year he also participated in 1900 Summer Olympics sailing competitions in Paris, France. Taylor missed the first race of the Olympic regattas, as he was delayed obtaining clearance by French Customs, but he arrived at Meulan in time for the second race which he won by a margin of more than five minutes, taking the gold in the 3 to 10 ton class.[6] After the Olympic, Taylor sold his winning yacht.[7]

Tylors speculations on London Stock Exchange were initially successful, but in few years left him broke.[1][3] He returned to Australia and lived until death in Melbourne where he regularly played bridge.[1] He died in 1925 in Melbourne and was buried in Melbourne General Cemetery. He was one-time member Coolgardie Masonic Lodge and Royal Yacht Club. He gave name to Howard Street in Perth.[1]

Sources

1. John Howard Taylor on the Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia
2. "John Howard Taylor". Olympedia. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
3. Alfred Chandler, "Men I Remember: Howard Taylor, a Spectacular Speculator", The Sunday Times, 11 July 1937, p. 21
4. Kimberly, Warren Bert (1897). "John Howard Taylor". History of West Australia: A Narrative Of Her Past Together With Biographies Of Her Leading Men. Melbourne: F. W. Niven & Co. pp. 148–9. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
5. "W.A. YACHTSMAN". Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1950). 10 June 1899. p. 4. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
6. "Exposition Universelle Internationale de 1900, Concours D'Exercices Physiques et de Sports" (PDF) (in French). Imprimerie Nationale. 1901. pp. 399–430. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
7. "Howard Taylor Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympic Sports. Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2014.