Rachel Taylor

In the north cloister of Westminster Abbey is a small wall monument to Rachel (or Rachael) Taylor and her daughter Anne Ludford. She was the daughter of Thomas Baker of Oxford and his wife Anne (Skingley). The inscription reads:

Near this place lies interred Rachael Taylor widow, relict of the Revd. Mr Edw. Taylor (late Rector of Finningly in the county of Nottingham who dyed May the 30th 1740 aged 65. And also Mrs Ann Ludford her only beloved daughter who dyed May the 15th 1748 aged 50

Rachel's sisters were Anne Playford (who married Henry, son of the famous music publisher John Playford) who was buried on 6th July 1743 and Maria Glynn (wife of Henry, Governor of the Gambia where he died) who was buried on 4th November 1736 aged 51.

Rachel's daughter Anne married firstly Thomas Bold, distiller of London (their daughter was Anne) and secondly at St John's Westminster in 1731 Thomas Ludford (formerly Bracebridge). Their son was Edward Taylor Ludford. Thomas Ludford has a similar wall memorial next to Rachel but this is missing the inscription which probably just gave his name and dates. He was baptised in 1708, son of Samuel Bracebridge of Ansley Hall in Warwickshire who assumed the name and coat of arms of Ludford. and was buried on 9th March 1776 in the north cloister.