TAYLOR, RICHARD MOLESWORTH (1835-1919), was born in London, and arrived in Auckland by the Heather Bell in 1846. Five years later he left for the Victorian goldfields, but returning in 1857 served in the Maori war and undertook several government contracts. From 1869 to 1886 he was engaged as a general contractor in Christchurch, where he was elected a member of the Sydenham borough council (1884), of the Christchurch drainage board and of the Waimakariri river board. Defeating J. Crewes, he became member for Sydenham in the House of Representatives (1886-90) and later member for Christchurch City, but was defeated in 1893 and 1896. He married (1887) a daughter of S. F. Gray, of London, and after some years of retirement from public life died on 26 Aug 1919.

N.Z.P.D., 28 Aug 1919; Cycl. N.Z., iii; The Press, 27 Aug 1919.

Reference: Volume 2, page 190

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