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William was born in Bristol, England
on Aug. 9, 1830. His childhood was spent in Barbados where his parents,
Richard and Jane Taylor of England, ran a plantation. He was 18 years
old when he came to Canada in 1848, with his brother John, settling at
Kingston, Ont. On Aug. 15, 1851. In 1867, William moved to Lansing,
Michigan, where he lived until the fall of 1875, when he moved to New
Iceland and homesteaded south of Kjalvik. He then moved further north
to Vider River.
During the winter of 1875-1876 his daughter Carrie became the first
teacher at Gimli. She taught English and other subjects to 25 students.
The classes were held in a government warehouse. Classes had to be
suspended the following winter because of the smallpox epidemic but
were reopened the spring of 1877, with Carrie's sister Jane teaching 63
students.
In 1881, William and his family moved to Argyle Municipality where he
homesteaded NW 36-5-14 (known as Taylor's Hill) and took a pre-emption,
SW 18-6-14.l
In the late 1880's, William and Sigridur, along with William's sons,
moved north to his pre-emption, which William named "Rosemound" because
of all the wild roses growing there. It is said to have been a
beautiful site in early summer.
William and (his third wife) Sigridur eventually moved into Baldur
where he kept up a friendly battle of wits with the editor of the
"Baldur Gazette", as is recorded in many of the earliest issues.
William spoke Icelandic fluently and could also read and write it. Many
a time he was called upon for counsel and advice and was always ready
and willing to lend a helping hand to those less fortunate than he.
His health was failing and his daughter Carrie urged him and Sigridur
to move into a small house in the bluff just west of her home at Grund.
He died on March 2, 1903.
Adapted from Come into our Heritage, page
673.
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