Early settler of Yarmouth, Plymouth Colony. Not to be confused with his (possibly slightly younger) contemporary, also of Yarmouth: Richard Taylor (abt 1625-1703), farmer or husbandman of "The Rock". Both were supposedly married to women by the name of Ruth.

Several histories and genealogies claim that Richard Taylor, tailor, married Ruth Whelden (abt 1625-1673), daughter of Gabriel Whelden, and that she was the "wife of Richard Taylor", whose body was found in a boat, drowned, off Duxbury, MA about 3 December 1673. HOWEVER, the inquest records concerning the drowning do not provide her given name at all. They simply identify the body as "the wife of Richard Taylor, sometimes of Yarmouth." This researcher (Jillaine 16:14, 28 July 2007 (UTC)) believes it's just as likely that Ruth Whelden was married to Richard Taylor of the "Rock"-- and that it is just as likely that the "Ruth, wife of Richard Taylor" who died in 1693 was the daughter of Gabriel Whelden. Older genealogies say that Richard "the Rock" Taylor was likely married to Ruth Burgess, but this has never been proven. So we have no proof of the name of Richard Taylor, tailor's wife; but we do know that Richard Taylor, the "Rock" did have a wife Ruth who died in 1693.