See the Foxe "Book of Martyrs". A large section is devoted to Rowland. He was an Anglican pr iest in the time of King Henry VIII who married and had 8 children and adopted one more. Whe n Bloody Mary gave him the choice to become a Catholic priest [which would make all his chil dren born out of wedlock and his wife a fallen woman] [paraphrased], he answered 'all my chil dren are legitimate, which is more than I can say for the catholic priests'. This sealed hi s fate and he burned at the stake. He was an Ecclesiastical Lawyer and an Anglican priest.
!FAMILY LINEAGE: All Taylor information taken from Mary Taylor Brewer's book "From Log Cabins to the White House" !NOTE: The Taylors were members of the Merchant Guild and rich land owners in England. Afte r receiving his degree in religion Dr. Rowland Taylor became prominent in Hadleigh receivin g office in the church. In 1544 he was appointed Rector by Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas C rammer. When Henry Vlll died his daughter Mary, a Catholic began a terrible purge of Protest ants. Rowland Taylor was arrested in 1553 and imprisioned where he was martyred on 9 Feb 155 5 in Hadleigh. At the trial he claimed having 9 children, 5 of whom were already deceased. Rowland's history found in "The Book of Martyrs", by Fox, England, 1610 !FAMILY: All children names from "The Life of Dr. Rowland Taylor" by William James Brown. A second wife is also given as Mrs. Rowland Taylor in AF. She may be the mother of the child ren except the last two.