Person Record
Metadata
Name |
Taylor, William |
Othernames |
Wm. Taylor |
Born |
Oct. 15, 1861 |
Birthplace |
Whitby, Canada West (Ontario)? |
Places of residence |
158 Boyd Street, Owen Sound, Grey County (c. 1892) died at 844 4th Ave. East |
Father |
James Taylor |
Mother |
Mary Corbet |
Nationality |
Canadian |
Notes |
William Taylor was born in the Whitby area of Canada West, on Oct. 15, 1861. He married a widow, Mrs. Malcom Corston (nee Gillianne or Anne or Annie Smith), in the early 1880s. She had married Malcolm Corston in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland. The Taylors later lived at Owen Sound, Grey County, and Mr. Taylor began a gingerale bottling business there (1884). Soon after, in 1886, he formed a partnership with another fellow from Whitby, John Corbet Pringle. Mr. Taylor would have had to order a supply of bottles from a glass factory elsewhere and have them shipped in to town so that he could fill them. The Taylor & Pringle products were transported mostly by horse and wagon, or by schooner up to the Manitoulin Island lumber camps. In the 1892 Rutherford's Directory of Owen Sound, Taylor & Pringle manufactured "Belfast Ginger Ale" at their Belfast Ginger Ale Works at 156 Boyd St. William Taylor and his family resided at 158 Boyd St., and John C. Pringle's family resided at 141 Boyd St. In October of 1904, Taylor & Pringle advertised in the OWEN SOUND TIMES newspaper that the company would like to buy 30 tons of white cabbage. Would this be for their German sauerkraut product? In 1906, Taylor & Pringle Co. Ltd. was located at Scrope Street, Owen Sound. Taylor & Pringle were a bottler of Coca-Cola in Owen Sound, beginning in 19__. In 1909, Taylor & Pringle of Owen Sound, Ontario were the sole agents for selling Coca-Cola in this area (Croft, Melba, GROWTH OF A COUNTY TOWN p. 117). In the OWEN SOUND HERALD (May 22, 1909), Taylor & Pringle advertised that they made and sold Belfast Ginger Ale, Lemon Sour, Birch Beer, Hiawatha Mineral Water, Refined Cider, Raspberry Vinegar, Non-alcoholic wines, Queen Quality Pickles, Tomato Catsup, Worcester Sauce, Cider Vinegar, etc. They were also agents for O'Keefe's Star Beer. The 1911 MAGAZINE OF INDUSTRY mentioned that the Taylor & Pringle Co. Ltd. of 963 (sic, usually see 969) Third Ave. East were manufacturers of Belfast Ginger Ale, mineral water, apple juice, refined cidar, non-alcoholic wines, pickles, vinegar, catsup, sauces, French Mustard, etc. It also mentions that the firm was started in 1884 by William Taylor, succeeded by Taylor & Pringle in 1886, and incorporated in 1901. In 1911, the President & General Manager was William Taylor, J. C. Pringle was Vice-President, C. D. Taylor was Second Vice-President & Manager of the Owen Sound plant, W. P. Malone was Secretary-Treasurer, and L. M. Watson was a Director and Travelling Representative. Melba Croft notes in her book GROWTH OF A COUNTY TOWN (p. 249), that Wm. Taylor & Son Ltd. used quite a lot of sugar. At the end of the First World War, help was scarce, so the firm had 30 women on staff. Sugar also cost $30 for a hundred pounds. Humphrey Taylor told her that the firm was one of, if not the largest user of sugar, in all of Canada. He had to bargain off a new truck tire once in order to get a bag of sugar for the company. When George D. Fleming was a lad, he used to earn fifty cents a day by labelling gingerale bottles for Wm. Taylor & sons. "A case of three dozen assorted bottles sold for a dollar. Ginger ale from the old family secret recipe was most profitable. In the earlier days jugs from Mr. LePan's shop had been used." [Henry LePan had stoneware whiskey / spirits jugs] William's first wife, Annie Taylor, died on March 27, 1898. William Taylor's second wife was Clara Taylor (nee Clara Thomson, b. Dec. 1870). They were married on March 11, 1908 at Toronto. She died on Sept. 26, 1956. There is an image in the Derby Township history book, p. 269, that shows Chris Taylor "of the Owen Sound Pop Works" on the verandah of the Jackson General store. Unfortunately, Christopher Taylor died later in the same year that his father died (1925). His step-mother, Clara, and his younger brother Humphrey (William Humphrey Taylor) continued the Wm. Taylor & Son Ltd. firm. How far were the Taylor products distributed? William Taylor was the President of Wm. Taylor & Son Ltd. company when he passed away. His obituary in the Owen Sound newspaper stated that he was born in Sydenham Township, near Annan, yet another source says he was born at Whitby in 1861. He was very involved with the Owen Sound Board of Trade and was a Past President of it. He also had headed Taylor & Pringle. He was a commercial traveller for the T&P firm for a number of years, travelling to Northern Ontario, and Great Lakes locales. He served on Owen Sound's town council in 1908-1909. He belonged to the I.O.O.F. and also the North Star Lodge (Masonic lodge). There was a bottling company, "Bishop & Pringle" formed in January, 1917, by Mrs. J. C. Pringle (nee Annie Fox), her son Sidney Pringle, and William Avery Bishop Sr. It was absorbed into the William Taylor & Son Ltd., that had began on April 19, 1917. In the 1917 Owen Sound telephone book, Taylor & Pringle was at 969 3rd Ave. East, and Wm. Taylor & Son Ltd. was at 957 4th Ave. East. Both businesses were also referred to then in the directory as the "Pop & Ginger Ale Works". The former Wm. Taylor & Son Ltd. bottling factory building a two-storey brick building) was later extensively altered, and is now called "____________". It was built in 19__. Greenwood Cemetery at Owen Sound has a marker for William Taylor (1862 sic-1925), beloved wife Annie (1850-1898), beloved wife Clara Thomson (1870-1956), and Marion Taylor (1910-1911, daughter of Wm. & Clara). Nearby are markers for Chris Taylor and his wife Florence Bonham, Helena McGachie (Mrs. Floyd McGachie), Allan J. Ross (1866-1938) and Margaret Corston (d. Apr. 19, 1945) and Stella Corston (May 1, 1959). Circa 1926, the company was sometimes referred to as "The Ginger Ale Works". The Wm. Taylor & Son Ltd. factory was at 957 4th Ave. East, Phone 21 (1926 & 1937 Owen Sound telephone directories), and was Phone 2500 circa 1956, and after hours, Wm. Humphrey Taylor could be reached at Phone 2500. Sometime between 1956 and 1966, the company name became Taylor's Soft Drinks Limited (376-4620), at the same location. Archival Items at Grey County Archives: 1972.019.157 is a booklet from Taylor & Pringle, a bottling company at Owen Sound See PF447 - William Taylor & Son Ltd. Collection A2012.092. |
Occupation |
Owen Sound Bottling Company / Gingerale Manufacturer / Belfast Gingerale Works Taylor & Pringle and later Wm. Taylor & Son Ltd. (1917-1925) Owen Sound Council & Board of Trade Owen Sound Alderman (Town Council) |
Publications |
Croft, Melba Morris, GROWTH OF A COUNTY TOWN, pp. 117, 249 OWEN SOUND TIMES, Oct. 14, 1904 (ad for white cabbage) OWEN SOUND HERALD, May 22, 1909, (ad for the Taylor & Pringle products) |
Relationships |
Business Partner: John Corbet Pringle William Taylor had eight children (including his step-children): |
Role |
Business person |
Spouse |
1. Annie Smith (Mrs. Corston), m. early 1880s , 2. Clara Thomson, m.1908 |
Children |
Chris Taylor (Christopher Daniel Taylor), b. May 27, 1884-d. May 22, 1925, age 40 Humphrey (William Humphrey Taylor, b. May 7, 1909, a son of William & Clara Taylor) Miss Catherine Taylor of Owen Sound Margaret Corston (Mrs. Allan J. Ross), Apr. 19, 1945 Helen / Helena Taylor (Mrs. Floyd McGurchie? McGachie? of Hamilton, Ont.) b. 1885-d. 1982 Miss Stella Corston of Owen Sound, Grey County, May 1, 1959 William Corston (later lived at London, Ont.) John D. Corston (later lived at Miami) |
