Hi Garry,
No, I'm not a descendant of Samuel Taylor but I have two children who are descended from one of his sisters, a lady named Margaret Taylor, who married an Orkney farmer named Nicol Firth. Margaret was the daughter of James Taylor, farmer at Holland in Firth, and his first wife, Margaret Corrigal. She was born before 1 February 1786, the date upon which her baptism was registered at Firth and Stenness [Registrar General for Scotland, New Register House, Edinburgh, Firth and Stenness Baptisms, 1732-1819, reference OPR.17/1]. Coincidentally, the baptism of her second son, John Firth, is recorded on the same page in the baptismal register for Firth and Stenness as that of her younger brother, Samuel Taylor [Registrar General for Scotland, New Register House, Edinburgh, Firth and Stenness Baptisms, 1732-1819, reference OPR.17/1].
Concerning Samuel Taylor's date of birth I should also have said in my first message: His son James (that is the Reverend James Taylor) believed that his father was born on 22 December 1812 [Orkney Library and Archives, 44 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, Letter written by James Taylor on 27 December 1907, which is addressed to his cousin, David Rendall, Midgarth, Rendall, Orkney, reference D1/695] but, since his baptism was registered at Firth and Stenness on or after 1 January 1812, it might be supposed that he might actually have been born on 27 December 1811, rather than 27 December 1812 [Registrar General for Scotland, New Register House, Edinburgh, Baptisms at Firth, 1732-1819, reference OPR.17/1].
Samuel Taylor had an older brother named William (one of Margaret Corrigal's children) who also served with the Hudson's Bay Company, but he returned home and purchased a small farm in the parish of Rendall. Just exactly when he left Orkney for Canada is not yet clear. but he completed his contract with the Hudson's Bay Company before 18 November 1837 [Orkney Archives, Printed Sasine Abridgements 1831-40 (HMSO), number 318]. This suggests that he should, perhaps, be identified with one of the men of the same name who are mentioned in the records of the Hudson's Bay Company. It cannot yet be regarded as certain but it is possible that he was employed at York Factory in Manitoba during the period 1804-22 and that he is the man named William Taylor who is said by the HBC to have returned to Europe at the end of his contract in 1819. If this is the case the HBC appear to have conflated the records of more than one man of the same name, at least two, perhaps three [Hudson's Bay Company: Biographical Sheet for William Taylor]
http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/hbca/ ... illiam.pdf
The printed sasine abridgement mentioned above reads as follows: (318) 31 August 1838. William Taylor, late of Hudson’s Bay Company, now residing in Grimbister, seised, 7 August 1837 - in (1) the room and lands of Midgarth with the kelp shores pertaining thereto, and (2) Park of Tingwall with half of the kelp shores belonging to the lands of Tingwall in the north end of Rendall, formerly part of the estate of Gairsay, parish of Rendall – on disposition by the Trustees of Peter Louttit of Banks, 18 and 22 November 1837. P.R.30.271 [Printed Sasine Abridgements for the Sheriffdom of Orkney, 1831-40, volume 2 (HMSO), RS43/4].
I'm not sure if this information is of interest. I do have more. Perhaps you would let me know if I can help further?
Kind Regards,
Neil