Annie R. Taylor
Annie R. Taylor
1855?-1920
English missionary and traveler who explored China and Tibet. At 13 she decided to dedicate her life to missionary work. At this tender age she began to visit the slums in London and Brighton. When she was 28, against her family's wishes she sailed to Shanghai, China. For three years she traveled up and down the Yangtze River and also ventured near the forbidden Tibetan border. Taylor was accepted by and moved freely among the Chinese women. She was one of the first foreigners who urged them to study the Bible. One of her most passionate causes was ending the ancient tradition of foot binding, in which a young girl's feet were tied in tight cloth strips and never permitted to grow naturally. After her return to London she formed a "Tibetan Pioneer Band" consisting of nine men. They traveled to Darjeeling but the effort failed. She then opened a shop in Yatung. Taylor's travels aided the British government in trade relations with Tibet.