Tailyour

This name derives from the French ‘tailler’, meaning ‘to cut’, and is rendered in Latin documents as ‘cissor’. Black states that this is a very common name in early Scots records. Alexander le Taillur is listed as valet to Alexander III in 1276. Bryce le Taillur was one of the Scottish prisoners at the capture of Dunbar Castle in 1296. The Ragman Roll of the same year lists six persons of this name from counties as far apart as Roxburgh and Angus, rendering homage to Edward I of England. Walter Cissor received a grant of land from David II around 1137. Donald Cissor and Bricius Cissor were witnesses to a deed in Inverness in 1462. The name can also be found in the form Macintaylor. Several Macintaileours were fined in 1613 for sheltering members of the outlawed Clan Gregor. Gillepatrick Tailzeour was sergeant of Dornoch around 1552. James Taylor, who was born in Lanarkshire in 1753, is credited with the first practical application of steam power to vessels for inland navigation. The first paddle-wheel steam boat was launched on 14 October 1788 at Dalswinton and the experiment proved a success, the vessel achieving a speed of five miles per hour. The great paddle steamers which later carried passengers and freight on the North American rivers were derived from Taylor’s original work.