Francis ‘Frankie’ Taylor

The Brooklands veteran and world water speed record holder Kaye Don was entered to drive one of the three works MG Magnette in the 1934 Mannin Beg, also called the "Round the Houses" race, held on the 5.906-kilometer Douglas street track, in the Isle of Man, UK. The Manning Beg and the Manning Moar events were scheduled for the early days of June, 1934.

The Mannin Beg was a sportscar race for engines up to 1500 cm3 un-blown or 1000 cm3 blown; the Mannin Moar was a Formula Libre race. The meeting, held on a public roads course, attracted thousands of spectators also from the continent. During practice sessions in the week before the race the roads were closed.

During morning practice, on Monday, 28 May 1934, Don entered the pits for repairs, having complained of poor steering. Ready to re-start only the next morning for another testing session, in the evening he was informed by Frank Tayler, an MG employee who acted as his riding-mechanic, that the crew had worked and prepared the car. He decided to take immediately the car out for a further test and Francis Tayler was on board with him. This happened at approximately 22h00. Don didn't know the roads had been re-opened to the public and his racing car had no lights, number plates nor insurance.

While traveling at high speed along the circuit, the MG came across a hackney carriage on track, driven by Mr. Ralph Cain of Douglas, Isle of Man, who had five passengers. To avoid a collision, Don drove the MG off the road, but a wheel of the car came loose and it overturned, with Don and the riding- mechanic, Tayler, still trapped in the cockpit. Both men were severely injured, the occupants of the cab escaped uninjured.

Don and Tayler were admitted to Douglas hospital at 22h45. Sadly Frank Tayler succumbed to his injuries at 05h15 on the following Tuesday, 29 May 1934 morning. It took Kaye Don almost a year to recover from his injuries. He was sent for trial on a charge of manslaughter and served a four month jail sentence. He disappeared from racing.

Francis Leonard Cyril Tayler, mostly known as Frank Tayler, was a 28-years-old resident of Ridgefield Road, Cowley, Oxford, UK. He was employed as a mechanic for the MG Car Company in Abingdon since 1923. He won the Ulster Tourist Trophy race in 1931, racing as riding-mechanic to Norman Black in a MG Midget.

Frank Tayler was survived by his wife Phyllis, aged 27; his parents Ellen and Francis Henry Tayler and his younger sister Margaret, 21. He was buried in the old St. Sepulchre's Graveyard in Walton Street, Oxford, UK. The gravestone features a 1930s racing sportscar.