Thomas Edward Taylor

Thomas Edward Taylor (17 March 1811 – 3 February 1883), was a British Conservative Party politician. He served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in 1868 and between 1874 and 1880 under Benjamin Disraeli.

Background and education Taylor was the eldest son of Reverend Edward Taylor, fourth son of Thomas Taylor, 1st Earl of Bective (whose eldest son was created Marquess of Headfort in 1800). His mother was Marianne St Leger, daughter of the Honourable Richard St Leger. One of his two brothers, General Sir Richard Taylor (1819–1904) enjoyed a distinguished career in the British Army. He was educated at Eton.

Military career Taylor was commissioned into the 6th Dragoon Guards as a Cornet (by purchase) on 10 February 1829. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 16 April 1831 and Captain on 2 November 1838 (both by purchase), but retired from the army on 1 May 1846. He was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the disembodied Royal Meath Militia on 12 December 1846 and continued in the position when the Militia was revived in 1852, until 1854.

Political career In 1841 Taylor was elected Member of Parliament for County Dublin, a seat he would hold for the rest of his life. He was an opposition whip from 1855 to 1858, and then served as a Lord of the Treasury (government whip) from 1858 to 1859 in the second administration of the Earl of Derby. When the Conservatives returned to power in 1866, Derby appointed Taylor Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, a post he held until 1868, the last year under the premiership of Benjamin Disraeli. He then served briefly under Disraeli as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from November to December 1868. The latter year he was also admitted to the Privy Council.

In the 1874 general election Taylor decisively defeated Charles Stewart Parnell, and was once again appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by Disraeli, which he remained until the Conservatives fell from power in 1880.

Family Taylor married Louisa, daughter of the Rev. Hugh Francis Tollemache, in 1862, at the age of 51. They had five children, three sons and two daughters. Taylor died on 3 February 1883, aged 71. Louisa died in April 1928.