TAYLOR, WILLIAM WARING (1819-1903) was born in Yorkshire, England, his father being a merchant. He came to Wellington in 1842 and went into business as a merchant in Wellington. His sister, Mary Taylor, who came to New Zealand in 1848 and was also in business in Wellington, was a schoolfellow of Charlotte Bronte. Taylor was the original of Martin Yorke in Charlotte Bronte's Shirley, in which she thus describes him: "Though a schoolboy, he was no ordinary schoolboy; he is destined to grow up an original. At a few years later date, he will take great pains to pare and polish himself down to the pattern of the rest of the world, but he will never succeed. A unique stamp will mark him always." Taylor was a delicate, ascetic looking man, rather retiring in disposition, but a useful citizen and highly respected. In 1860 he bought Watt's wharf for his expanding business. In that year he was elected M.H.R. for the City of Wellington (Featherston 313; Taylor 309; W. B. Rhodes 302) and he represented the City until 1870. He was also in 1860 deputy-superintendent for the province (an office which he filled again in 1866, 1869 and 1875). In 1861 Taylor was elected to the Provincial Council for the City and he held his seat until the abolition of the provinces. From 1865-75 he was speaker of the Council. In 1873 he was appointed a member of the waste lands board and he was on the first board of governors of Wellington College (1874-78). Taylor had properties at Waitatapia (in Rangitikei) and Manawa (in the Wairarapa) and was a very capable sheepfarmer. He retired from public life in the eighties, and died on 11 Oct 1903.

N.Z.P.D., 1860-70; Wellington P.C. Proc.; Ward; Carter; Leckie (p); Bronte, op. cit.; James Park in Otago Daily Times, 26 Mar 1925.

Reference: Volume 2, page 191

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