Our American Cousin

Tom Taylor (1817-1880) was a dramatist and editor of Punch magazine. He was born in England. After attending school there, and studying for two sessions at the University of Glasgow, he entered Trinity College at Cambridge University in 1837. He began his working life as a journalist. Soon after moving to London, Taylor wrote for the Morning Chronicle and the Daily News. He was on the staff of Punch until 1874, when he succeeded Charles William Shirley Brooks as editor. For two years Taylor was a professor of English literature at University College, London. He was called to the bar at Middle Temple, and went on the northern circuit until he became assistant secretary of the Board of Health in 1850. On the reconstruction of the Board in 1854 he was made secretary, and on its abolition his services were transferred to a department of the Home Office, retiring on a pension in 1876. Amongst his other works are Our American Cousin (1858) and The Ticket-of-Leave Man.