Jane Taylor (23 September 1783 – 13 April 1824) was an English poet and novelist best known for the lyrics of the widely known "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". The sisters Jane and Ann Taylor and their authorship of various works have often been confused, partly because their early ones were published together. Ann Taylor's son, Josiah Gilbert, wrote in her biography, "Two little poems – 'My Mother', and 'Twinkle, twinkle, little Star' – are perhaps more frequently quoted than any; the first, a lyric of life, was by Ann, the second, of nature, by Jane; and they illustrate this difference between the sisters."
Early life
Born in London, Jane Taylor lived with her family at Shilling Grange in Shilling Street, Lavenham, Suffolk, where her house can still be seen. Her mother was the writer Ann Taylor. In 1796–1810, she lived in Colchester, where she is believed to have written "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", which was first published in 1806. A less convincing claim is that it was written in New House, Ongar, as suggested by some descendants of the Taylor family. The Taylor sisters belonged to an extensive literary family. Their father, Isaac Taylor of Ongar, was an engraver and later a dissenting minister. Their mother, Ann Taylor (née Martin) (1757–1830), wrote seven works of moral and religious advice, two of which were fictionalized.
Literary career
The collection Original Poems for Infant Minds by several young persons was solicited by the publisher Darton and Harvey and published anonymously. The main contributors were Ann Taylor, Jane Taylor, and Adelaide O'Keeffe, but Bernard Barton and various other members of the Taylor family contributed to it as well. As Donelle Ruwe writes in her study of its genesis and reception history, it was issued as a single-volume work in 1804. When it proved successful, further poems were solicited for an additional volume, which was published in 1805. Over time, the collection became associated with the Taylor family. Although O'Keeffe wrote to the publisher requesting a greater percentage of the collection's proceeds, Darton and Harvey deferred to the Taylor family regarding all editorial decisions. For their part, the Taylor family was openly hostile to O'Keeffe and dismissive of her background in writing for the stage. (O'Keeffe's father was the popular Irish playwright John O'Keeffe.)
