Walter Taylor

Walter Ross Taylor (1838–1907) was a Scottish minister of the Free Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly in the critical year of Union in 1900. From 1900 he led the United Free Church of Scotland with its Moderator Rev Robert Rainy.

Life He was born on 11 April 1838 in the manse at Thurso, the son of Rev Walter Ross Taylor and his wife, Isabella Murray.

He was educated at Thurso Free Church School. In the Disruption of 1843 his father left the Church of Scotland to join the Free Church, and they had to vacate the manse as a result. He went to Edinburgh University where he received the medal in Moral Philosophy and won the Stratton Scholarship for best third year student. He then trained as a Free church minister at New College, Edinburgh from 1857 to 1861.

He was ordained at the Free Church of East Kilbride in 1862 replacing Rev Oswald Dykes. The church was often referred to as the West Mains Church. He left East Kilbride in 1868 and was translated to Kelvinside Free Church on Great Western Road in Glasgow. In 1891 he received an honorary doctorate (DD) from Glasgow University. on 6 December 1907 following a protracted illness. He was buried in the Glasgow Necropolis on 9 December.

Family In 1876 he married Margaret I. Paterson, daughter of Dr Joshua Paterson. They had three sons and two daughters, including Walter Ross-Taylor MP.