Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas William Taylor was born 1872 in the district of Bishop Auckland, the only son of Ann Taylor, also of Bishop Auckland, born 1853, he was baptised April 9th 1873 at Shildon, County Durham. His mother Ann married Matthew Franklin, a coal miner, native of Wingate, Durham in the third quarter of 1874 at Crook, County Durham. They initially lived with Matthew’s widowed father at 74, Auckland Terrace, Shildon along with Thomas William and his half sister Mary Jane and half brother Henry. They went on to have a further four children, 3 boys and a girl, all their children survived.
At the age of 18 Thomas William was employed as a coal miner, still living at home at 18, Poplar Street, South Moor. Four years later, in 1895, he married, in the district of Lanchester, Annie Studham, born 1877 at Lumley, near Chester le Street, County Durham with whom he had 5 children, only 3 survived a daughter Jane born March 6th 1900 and two sons William born January 22nd 1902 and Thomas February 24th 1904. His wife Ann died in 1908 and he married for a second time in 1910 to Sarah Jane Gair of Burnhope, born 1878, setting up home at 27, Ladysmith Terrace, Craghead, County Durham, Sarah Jane gave birth to a son Norman October 6th 1915.
Thomas William continued his work as a coal miner until his enlistment, aged 41 years, at Newcastle upon Tyne, March 27th 1915, where he was assigned to the Royal Army Medical Corp as Private 29841. He spent some of his time at Netley, near Southampton in Hampshire where there was a hospital used extensively to treat many of the wounded, evacuated from France, who required urgent and prolonged medical attention. He himself was treated there from November 29th 1916 to December 8th 1916 for Myalgia (lumbago) and following his return to duty was transferred to Class W. This classification was for those soldiers whose services were deemed to be more valuable to the country in civil rather than military employment and consequently he was discharged February 15th 1919 under King’s Regulations 392 (XXXVa) as surplus to military requirements not having suffered impairment since entry into the service.
Thomas William Taylor returned to his home at 75, Thomas Street, Craghead and civilian occupation of coal miner. He died during the 3rd quarter of 1919 in the district of Lanchester, aged 46 years. Although his name appears on the Craghead Cenotaph and Roll of Honour the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has not attributed his death as a consequence of his service during WW1, he therefore is not listed with them as a casualty. As his service was carried out entirely at home in England he was not entitled to any medals and his request for an extension to his pension after its initial expiry date was rejected.
His widow Sarah Jane died during the second quarter of 1957 in the district of Bishop Auckland.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas William is remembered at Craghead on C120.01 and C120.04