Researching James Taylor

Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fire and Rain" and had his first hit in 1971 with his recording of "You've Got a Friend", written by Carole King in the same year. His 1976 Greatest Hits album was certified Diamond and has sold 12 million copies in the US alone. Following his 1977 album JT, he has retained a large audience over the decades. Every album that he released from 1977 to 2007 sold over 1 million copies. He enjoyed a resurgence in chart performance during the late 1990s and 2000s, when he recorded some of his most-awarded work (including Hourglass, October Road, and Covers). He achieved his first number-one album in the US in 2015 with his recording Before This World.

Taylor is also known for his covers, such as "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" and "Handy Man", as well as originals such as "Sweet Baby James". He played the leading role in Monte Hellman's 1971 film Two-Lane Blacktop.

Born in Liverpool, England, Taylor immigrated to British Columbia settling in Nanaimo.

In 1935 he was one of the first MPs elected to the House of Commons of Canada under the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation banner representing Nanaimo riding.

He had strong interests in astrology and numerology and did not fit in well with other members of the CCF caucus and was once described by M.J. Coldwell as "A very queer duck, indeed".

By early 1937, Taylor had left the CCF caucus and was sitting as an Independent MP and is described by Stewart as having "jumped to the Liberals". though he never formally adopted that designation. Taylor did not run for re-election in 1940 and returned to private life.

He enjoyed a varied and successful career on a number of fronts in business and government. He functioned as a special agent with the US Treasury Department from 1859 to 1869. His experience there led to his appointment as United States Consul in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in 1870, a position he held until his death. Taylor spent the majority of his career advocating for the United States, through negotiation, military force or trade, to take the interior plains north of the 49th parallel, particularly the lands west of the Red River settlements along the Saskatchewan Valley. Having dedicated so much of his life to this cause, he was nicknamed James Wickes "Saskatchewan" Taylor.

Taylor, a member of the Indian Civil Service, served as a Deputy Controller in the Currency Department of the Government of India for over a decade. He later became the Controller of Currency, and additionally secretary in the Finance Department. He then became the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank and succeeded Smith as the Governor. He was closely associated with the preparation and piloting of the Reserve Bank of India Bill. He governed the bank during the war years and was involved in decision to move from a silver currency to fiat money. Even though he was the second Governor, his signature was the first to appear on the currency notes of the Indian rupee. His second term came to an end when he died in office on 17 February 1943. He was succeeded by Sir C. D. Deshmukh who became the first Indian to lead the Reserve Bank of India.

He was the son of William Taylor, a loyalist who came to Shelburne, Nova Scotia in 1783 and then moved to Liverpool in 1795. (His father William is buried in the Old Burying Ground (Halifax, Nova Scotia). In 1793, he married Susanna, the daughter of Benajah Collins. Taylor died in office at Liverpool.

His son William Benajah also served in the assembly.

Taylor was born in Forres, Morayshire, the son of Peter Taylor. He was educated at Forres Academy and the University of Edinburgh, graduating with a Master of Arts (MA) degree in natural science. After travelling in Germany, he returned to Edinburgh to train as a doctor, graduating Bachelor of Medicine (MB) in 1886 and Doctor of Medicine (MD) in 1890.

His first professional post was as a house physician at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and the Edinburgh Sick Children's Hospital. He then moved to the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases in London, where he spent the rest of his career, first as a house physician and then as a pathologist, physician and consulting physician. He became a Member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) in 1890 and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP) in 1897. He was also consulting physician to Moorfields Eye Hospital, the Queen's Hospital for Children and, during the First World War, to the Osborne Convalescent Home for Officers, for which he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in January 1920. He was also a medical referee to the Pensions Commutation Board, physician to the Royal Scottish Corporation and chief physician to the Guardian Assurance Company.

He co-edited the standard work, Manual of Diseases of the Nervous System, with Sir William Gowers, and also published Paralysis and other Nervous Diseases of Childhood and Early Life in 1905.

He married Elizabeth Marian Cooke in 1905; they had one daughter.

Taylor was born in Tranent, a small town near Edinburgh. He entered the firm of Smith, Archer & Co. in Hong Kong in 1861 and was admitted a partner of the firm in 1864. He was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1867 and member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong in 1868 vice Phineas Ryrie's absence on leave. He retired from the Smith, Archer & Co. in December 1871. He died on 31 January 1884 in New York.

He was born in Bairnsdale to hotel-keeper James McKenzie Taylor and Isobel Alison Young. Educated at Bairnsdale, Sale and Melbourne Grammar School, he was a stock salesman, and was also cycling champion of Victoria in 1952, 1957 and 1960.

In 1970, he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Gippsland South, representing the Liberal Party. He was defeated in 1973 and became a car dealer and real estate agent, before returning to parliament via the Legislative Council seat of Gippsland in 1976. He lost his seat in 1982 and returned to real estate.

From 1985 to 1989, he was a Sale city councillor. On 22 February 1963, he married Elaine Margaret Martin, with whom he had four daughters.