Taylor was the son of a Totnes attorney, town clerk of the borough,1Account of the Corporation of Totnes in Newcastle (Clumber) mss. who bought the neighbouring estate of Maridge in 1699.2Lysons, Devon, ii. 543. Returned in 1747 by the corporation against a ministerial candidate, he was classed as Opposition, attaching himself to the Duke of Bedford.3John Proby jun. to Bedford, 13 July 1751, Bedford mss. He was said by a government agent to have owed his election ‘to the recommendation and interest of [Browse] Trist’, recorder of the borough,
which he, Mr. Taylor, his coz. Jonathan Taylor, an alderman then, now dead, and Mr. Alderman Philips were so conscious of that they wrote a letter (I may rather call it a promissory note) and directed it to Mr. Trist and his brother Dyer wherein they take notice of, and all agree that the election of Mr. Charles Taylor was owing to Mr. Trist’s interest and therefore did therein promise that they would at any future election support Mr. Trist and his interest with their votes and interest.4Harris to A. Stert, 15 Dec. 1753, Newcastle (Clumber) mss.
Notwithstanding this promise he stood for reelection in 1754 against Trist, but came out bottom of the poll and did not stand again. He died 6 July 1766.