TAYLOR’S MISTAKE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17182, 27 October 1923, Page 1

TAYLOR’S MISTAKE.

ORIGIN OF THE NAME. TO THE EDITOR. —The solution of the nddle: How did Taylor's’ 'Mistake receive its "aniei' has been attempted 60 often that it could hardly be expected any fuither calls could be made on the Star s ” type to print more legends ;>n the question. Bur I have dropped o i what bears the stamn of truthThe latest Captain laylor, from a Wellington source, was connected with the ship Sebastopol. His own little vessel. 1 believe it was called the Catherine, left her remains at Taylor’s Mistake. In regard to the very circumstantial story 1 pointed out that no one could claim having given the name unless it was a Taylor who had been in Canterbury prior to 1653, when the first sailing directions were printed, referring to Vincent’s Bay or Taylor’s Mistake. Therefore, as Pepus would have said in his diary. I was joyed to run into a descendant in the male line front the original Captain William Tait Taylor, who was roasting between 1850 ar.d 1853, when Tayior‘6 Mistake wa* talked about. His son is Captain William Taylor, whose last coaster waa the ketch Kestrel, and who has retired from the sea to a quiet life an Kaiapoi. He and I have known each other for donkey’s years, but only today did it occur to me to ask if he knew Taylor of the Mistake. ‘‘Why, yes,” he said, “ he was my father, who arrived in Nelson before the Pilgrim* came to Canterbury. It was an error of judgment on his part that gave the name to Taylor’s Mistake.” Captain W. Tait Taylor, the second man in Nelspn to register his marriage there about 1849 or 1850, was captain of a coaster called the Mary, and with this hooker lie traded flour from Campbell’s Nelson mill, as well as a well known brand of beer from Hooper and Hodson’s brewery at Nelson. The Mary was the mail boat. Perhaps it should be stated that all vessels were mail carriers. No skipper oould clear the Customs till the officers knew that the mails for coastal ports at which the vessel might call were put on boardWhen the Mary arrived at ports between Nelson and Bluff, on the East Coast trip, the flag at the masthead was the signal of the arrival of mails, as well as the flour and the beer. Canterbury’s first immigrants were dne at Lyttelton, and a good trade was expected with the Alary’s bulk cargo, but in the keen desire to do business Captain W. Tait Taylor headed the Mary for Sumner. Before any accident happened, the little vessel was about, and safely made the port of Lyttelton- On the waterfront Captain Taylor, telling: of his rather smart run from Nelson, referred to his error of judgment in making for Sumner. Then quite naturally the mariners of Lyttelton gave the name to Taylor’s Mistake. It has to be stated that my informant did nor receive the information with his father’s testamentary positions- To the ancient mariner in New Zealand the incidents of getting off t-he uncharted sea into corners of the coast were considered quite trifling. and the skipper probably never named the incident to his family. Captain Tavlor, of Kaiapoi, said he received full confirmation of the story in later years. There was no damage to the Mary nor loss of life, such as is alleged to have taken place with another Taylor who made “ the supreme sacrifice ” while endeavouring to oanstitute Vincent’s Bay a shipping port* —I am, etc., J.L.W, Kaiapoi. October 28.