cret ia ▁M ott . ▁His ▁father ' s ▁ancest or , ▁Samuel ▁Taylor , ▁settled ▁in ▁Bur ling ton , ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 7 . ▁His ▁mother ' s ▁ancest or , ▁Edward ▁W ins low , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁fifteen ▁original ▁May flow er ▁Pil gr ims ▁who ▁brought ▁servants ▁or ▁children , ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁eight ▁who ▁had ▁the ▁honor able ▁distinction ▁of ▁M ister . ▁W ins low ▁served ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁as ▁the ▁Governor ▁of ▁the ▁P ly mouth ▁col ony . ▁ ▁Edu c ated ▁early ▁by ▁his ▁mother , ▁Taylor ▁studied ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁Germany ▁and ▁tra ve led ▁Europe ▁for ▁ 1 8 ▁months . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁he ▁entered ▁Phill ips ▁Ex eter ▁Academy ▁in ▁Ex eter , ▁New ▁Ham pshire , ▁with ▁the ▁plan ▁of ▁eventually ▁going ▁to ▁Harvard ▁and ▁becoming ▁a ▁lawyer ▁like ▁his ▁father . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁Taylor ▁passed ▁the ▁Harvard ▁entrance ▁exam in ations ▁with ▁hon ors . ▁However , ▁due ▁alleg edly ▁to ▁rapidly ▁d eter ior ating ▁eyes ight , ▁Taylor ▁chose ▁quite ▁a ▁different ▁path . ▁ ▁Instead ▁of ▁att ending ▁Harvard ▁University , ▁Taylor ▁became ▁an ▁app rent ice ▁pattern maker ▁and ▁mach in ist , ▁gain ing ▁shop - floor ▁experience ▁at ▁Enter prise ▁H yd ra ul ic ▁Works ▁in ▁Philadelphia ▁( a ▁p ump - man ufact uring ▁company ▁whose ▁propriet ors ▁were ▁friends ▁of