Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Taylor, known as Tom, born at Pelton, County Durham, was one of 10 children of whom only 6 survived, the 2nd eldest of 5 sons and a daughter. His father Charles Taylor, born 1855 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, and his siblings were brought to the north east by their parents Thomas and Jane Taylor. In 1871 were living at St. John’s Place, Birtley, County Durham, Thomas Taylor was a police sergeant, Charles (16) a labourer at works (unspecified). Charles was married in 1878 in the district of Chester-le-Street to Mary Purvis born 1857 at Wapping (Bournmoor), County Durham, they moved in with her widowed father Matthew Purvis at No.3 Row, Ouston, all 3 are listed as coal miners. If indeed Mary was employed at the colliery she would not have worked underground as this was illegal for women and girls as of 1842, most likely her employment would have involved pushing wagons from the pit head to the sorting screen or sorting coal at the screen.
Ten years later they were the proud parents of 4 children, Joseph (Joe) 1881, Thomas (Tom) 1884, Charles Jnr 1888 and Annie 1890 and had moved to Munro’s Buildings, Pelton by 1884, taking Mary’s father with them. Matthew Purvis had retired, the family was supported solely by Charles employed at the colliery, Tom (16) and his brother Joseph (20) by 1901 had joined him and were working below ground as putters, Charles Jnr (13) as a driver, their sister Annie was a scholar, their mother had also given birth to a further 2 sons, Benjamin (Ben) 1896 and Matthew (Matt) born 1898, named after his now deceased grandfather.
In 1911 Tom, aged 25 was still single and living at home with his parents and younger brothers, now at Annfield Plain, County Durham. He left his employment as a miner and enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, January 5th 1915, assigned as Private 1258 to the 27th (Service) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, a Pals Battalion that with the 24th/25th and 26th Battalions formed the 103rd Brigade, 34th Division. In March 1915 they were sent to Woolsingham where they trained, taken over by the War Office August 27th 1915 they moved to Salisbury Plain for final training. The entire Division crossed to France and by January 15th 1916 were concentrated near La Crosse, east of St. Omer.
Preparations for the Battles of the Somme were underway by the spring, the opening battle planned for June 29th 1916. The Division was moved to the Somme in readiness but due to an unseasonal summer rain the opening battle was postponed until July 1st. The British artillery had bombarded the German lines continually for 2 days prior to the battle, despite this they had not damaged the German deep-mined dug-outs. The 34th Division attacked La Boisselle and by the end of the day had sustained 11,000 casualties and failed to capture the objective.
Private 27/1258 Thomas Taylor was amongst the casualties of the day. After the Armistice his remains were found map reference 57. D. 15. d.7.9. on the 1916 battlefields immediately surrounding the cemetery, marked with a temporary wooden cross. His remains were exhumed and brought into Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers-La-Boisselle, Somme, France, for re-burial with all honour and reverence by an Army Chaplain, He is at rest grave IV. J. 10. Private Taylor was 32 years of age and single. The original cemetery was made by the fighting units after July 10th 1916 until September 1916 and contained the graves of 95 men, mainly Australians.
His father Charles received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal. Sister Annie, now Littlefair, of 26, Jackson’s Street, West Kyo, Annfield Plain, County Durham, commissioned at a cost of 3 shillings 9 pence an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “Thy Will Be Done.”
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Taylor is remembered at Greencroft on G54.01 and G54.02 and at Annfield Plain on A38.01
