John Taylor (trader)

John Taylor or Johnie Taylor (b. Freetown, Sierra Leone, d. March 12, 1898) was a Creole merchant based in Port Loko who was killed during the Hut Tax War by Bai Bureh's war boys. Taylor was the only Creole who was murdered by Bai Bureh's war boys and his death was said to have been caused by his actions during the uprising.

Hut Tax War and death

John Taylor moved from Freetown and established a store in Port Loko, Sierra Leone. Taylor was killed by Temne "war boys" mustered by Bai Bureh during the Hut Tax War in 1898. The war boys found Taylor by releasing his pet monkey, which ran upstairs and revealed where he was hiding in his house. Taylor's throat was then cut and he was chopped to pieces by the war boys. Taylor was killed because Bai Bureh's men believed he supported the British in their "hut tax" on all houses. Taylor was also accused of spying and providing information to District Commissioner Sharpe regarding the movement of Bai Bureh's men.

Family

Taylor had a daughter called Susan who resided at Cline Town after her marriage. Taylor was married to Tabitha Mariah Taylor (the daughter of the catechist Charles S. Brown) and the couple had a daughter called Mary Petan Taylor. Mary was five years old when her father was killed in Port Loko.