Researching Francis Taylor

He was born in Philadelphia, and started his career as a curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 1931 he became director of the Worcester Art Museum Massachusetts, before joining the Metropolitan Museum in New York City as its director in 1940.

Sometimes described as a showman, he developed a theory of the museum as an institution of active public service, not simply a repository of art. He was credited with doubling the number of people visiting the museum, up to 2.3 million a year.

Taylor was the third son of Alfred Lombe Taylor of Diss, Norfolk. The Taylor family had property in Diss and had an interest in "Taylor and Dowson's" one of the brewers in the town. Taylor became a partner in the brewery and inherited the interests of his father in the town, living at the Manor House in Mount Street.

In 1885 Taylor was elected as Member of Parliament for South Norfolk as a Liberal, and in 1886 became a Liberal Unionist. He held the seat until 1898 when he retired through ill-health. He died in Diss on 1 September 1915.

Taylor was born at Wirksworth, Derbyshire the son of Walter Taylor of Fern House and his wife Alice. His father was a manufacturer of artificial fertilizer.

Taylor made his debut for Derbyshire in the 1908 season, in a match against Lancashire, when batting in the middle order he made 10 in his first innings. He played again in 1908 and in one match in the 1909 season. He played four matches in the 1910 season, and completed his career with a single match in the 1911 season. After his first game, he almost invariably scored a duck in his first innings and a double figure score in his second innings, his last, 18 against Lancashire in 1911, being his top score. Taylor was a right-hand batsman who played 16 innings in 8 first-class matches. His top score was 18 and his average 6.33.

Taylor died at California, Derby at the age of 73.

Taylor's brother William Taylor also played cricket for Derbyshire although they never played in the same game.

From 1888 to 1892 Taylor served in the Queensland gunboat HMQS Gayundah as first lieutenant. In October 1888 the commander of the Gayundah Captain Henry Townley Wright, after a dispute with authorities, was ordered to turn the gunboat over to Taylor. Wright had Taylor arrested but later released him; Wright was dismissed from the Maritime Defence Force.

Taylor was later promoted to senior naval officer and superintendent of the Queensland Naval Defence Force in November 1888. In 1899 he returned to England and settled at Saltash, and in 1901 was given charge of the Naval Employment Agency at Devonport, Devon. His wife was a daughter of the late Rev. W. J. M. Hillyar and granddaughter of Admiral William Hillyar.