Thanks, Rolnora- I haven't checked that one. I'm not sure what I can do besides order the certificate, but it might be worth it, without much else to go on.
Lizdb- No, unfortunately John Taylor is such a common name that I can't pinpoint him on a birth record, or the 1881 census. Having a father also named John doesn't narrow the field much. There are tons of possibilities, but none seem to quite fit with what little information I have.