T.G. Taylor
Menin Gate Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas George Taylor, known as Thomas, was born at Pelton, County Durham, the youngest of 10 known children, 6 sons and 4 daughters. His father John George Taylor of Lancashire born in 1826 married in about 1851 to Sarah Woolley born at Hatfield, Herefordshire, where she was baptised March 27th 1836. Their first born son and daughter, William and Mary were born in Staffordshire in 1853 and 1855 respectively. by 1860 they had moved to Liverpool in Lancashire, where John was employed as a coal miner, daughter Margaret 1860 and son Richard 1862 were born there. Between 1862 and 1865 they migrated to the north east settling at Pelton, County Durham where the remainder of their children were born, John 1865, Adamson 1867, Elizabeth 1868, Emelia 1871, Agnes 1874 and lastly Thomas in 1877. In 1871 they lived at 32, Edward Street, William (19) had joined his father employed at the colliery. During the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 1880 John Taylor died aged 54 years, his widow Sarah relied on Richard (19), John (17) and Adamson (14) to support her and their younger siblings as their older brothers were now married. After her husband’s death they had moved to John Street, Pelton then on to 10, West Row by 1891, at which time Thomas now 15 years of age was employed as a putter.
In 1901 Thomas was married in the district of Chester-le-Street to Mary Ellen Pinkney of Tudhoe Village, County Durham, born 1877. Unable to have children of their own they adopted a little girl Mary Ann Surtees born September 22nd 1908.
April 1st 1908 Thomas left his employment as a miner at West Pelton employed by Messieurs Joicy & Co. and enlisted for a period of 2 years in the Territorials, assigned as Private 361 to the 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, re-engaging in 1910 for a further 2 years, in 1912 for 1 years and in 1913 for 3 years. During his time with the D.L.I. he served at Ripon, Blackhill Rocks, Rothbury and Scarborough, also rising through the ranks to Sergeant. In 1911 his mother Sarah Taylor nee Woolley died.
On the outbreak of war he was embodied August 5th 1914 and as an experienced soldier departed under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Turnbull of Chester-le-Street from Newcastle railway station bound for Folkestone with the 1/8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry attached to the 151st Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division, landing at Boulogne, France. Within days having been entrained and marched across France they arrived on the Ypres salient in Belgium. Still inexperienced and unprepared they were sent into the front line at the Second Battle of Ypres where they sustained heavy casualties from shelling and gas attacks on Gravenstafel Ridge and the defence of Boetleer’s Farm.
Within 7 days of leaving England Sergeant 361 Thomas George Taylor was dead, killed in action, April 26th 1915. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 54,613 names inscribed on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium, commemorating those who died on the Ypres salient before August 16th 1917 and who have no known grave or whose grave could not be found. He was 38 years of age.
Mary Ellen of 2, Boundary House, High Hold, Pelton, County Durham, received all monies due to him from the Army, a pension of 18 shillings 6 pence a week for herself and their adopted daughter as of November 29th 1915 also his awards of the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Details as regards the demise of Mary Ellen Taylor nee Pinkney unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas George Taylor is remembered at West Pelton on W112.01, and at Chester-le-Street on C105.12, C105.15, C105.31 and C105.40 and possibly as Tom Taylor at Pelton on P26.01, also at Durham in the DLI Book of Remembrance on page 98, where its been transcribed in error as a Sgt. S. Taylor, also remembered in the 8th DLI History /a>.
