Beschreibung
From a collection of recently acquired genuine autograph letters : 25 line ALS to Lt-Gen Sir Edward Paget, regarding the delay in the delivery of a Dispatch due to a shipwreck (??) involving Col. Campbell of the 14th. Taylor, Sir Herbert (17751839), courtier and army officer, second son of the Revd Edward Taylor (17341798), of Bifrons, Kent, rector of Patrixbourne, and his wife, Margaret (d. 1780?), daughter of Thomas Payler of Ileden, Kent, was born on 29 September 1775 at Bifrons. He was educated privately on the continent between 1780 and 1790, and became a good linguist. Through Lord Camelford and Lord Grenville, he was employed in the Foreign Office under James Bland Burgess. His knowledge of foreign languages made him very useful, and Lord Grenville occasionally employed him on confidential work at his own house. In December 1792 Taylor accompanied Sir James Murray (afterwards Murray-Pulteney) on a special mission to the Prussian headquarters at Frankfurt. After a few weeks Murray left Frankfurt to take up his military duties as adjutant-general to the duke of York's army at Antwerp, and Taylor remained behind for a short time in charge of the mission. In April 1793, he joined the army headquarters where Murray presented him to the duke of York, to whom he became greatly attached. He was employed as Murray's secretary, and was present as a volunteer at the action of St Amand (8 May), the battle of Famars (23 May), and the sieges of Valenciennes and Dunkirk. On 25 March 1794 Taylor was given a commission as cornet in the 2nd dragoon guards, and in July was promoted to be lieutenant. On Murray's return to England, Taylor remained with the duke of York as assistant secretary. He generally joined his regiment when in the field, and was present at the April actions near Cateau Cambrésis, those near Tournai in May, and at other operations of the campaign, including the retreat into the Netherlands. In May 1795 he was promoted to be captain in the 2nd dragoon guards. When the duke of York returned to England, Taylor remained with the army as assistant secretary to the commander-in-chief of the British forces on the continent, and served in that capacity successively with Lieutenant-General Harcourt and Sir David Dundas. On 16 September 1795 Taylor returned to England, having been appointed aide-de-camp to the duke of York. He was soon afterwards nominated assistant military secretary in the commander-in-chief's office. In July 1798 he accompanied Lord Cornwallis to Ireland on the latter's appointment as lord lieutenant, in the threefold capacity of aide-de-camp, military secretary, and private secretary. Cornwallis described him as 'indefatigable in business; and in honesty, fidelity and goodness of heart he has no superior' (Taylor Papers, 56). He returned to England in February 1799 to take over the duties of private secretary to the duke of York. He went to the Netherlands as aide-de-camp to the duke in the expedition to The Helder in September, and was present at several battles. In January 1801 Taylor was promoted to be major in the 2nd dragoon guards, and in December of the same year to be lieutenant-colonel in the 9th West India regiment. On 25 June 1802 he was placed on half pay, and on 25 May was brought into the Coldstream Guards, of which the duke of York was colonel. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in 1825. He continued in the appointment of private secretary and aide-de-camp to the duke until 13 June 1805, when he was appointed private secretary to the king. The king placed every confidence in him, so that his position was one of great delicacy, but his straightforwardness secured the good opinion of all. On the establishment of the regency he continued in the same office to the queen, who was appointed by act of parliament guardian of the king's person. By the same act Taylor was appointed one of the three commissioners of the king's real and personal estate. In November 1813 Taylor was a. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 25150
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