Leatherhead War Memorials - WW1
Private Percy
Edward Taylor
4th Reserve Bn., Royal Sussex Regiment
Town Memorial NOT
LISTED
Taken Not Given, Liam Sumption,
L&DLHS
As PE Taylor was not listed on the Town Memorial,
he was not included in Liam Sumption's research.
Name:
TAYLOR
Initials: P E
Rank: Private
Regiment: Royal Sussex Regiment
Unit Text: 4th Reserve Bn.
Age: 19
Date of Death: 09/10/1917
Service No: 201859
Son of Frederick and Louisa Taylor, of 304, Kingston Rd.,
Leatherhead.
Grave/Memorial Reference: In North part [local grave no. 1756].
Cemetery: LEATHERHEAD
(SS. MARY AND NICHOLAS) CHURCHYARD
A Percy Taylor is listed on the Church Lads Brigade tryptich at All
Saints' Church
He is also listed in the Chapel of Remembrance in the Parish
Church.
However he is not listed on the British Legion WWI Roll of
Honour in the Parish Church.
As can be seen, he does have a War Graves Commission headstone in
the Leatherhead Parish Church graveyard. |
 |
His Record of Service confirms he enlisted
in Guildford, Surrey on 28 December 1916. His age was 18y 7m, he was a
Labourer and had a Medical Classificiation A. His preference was to join
the Royal Fusiliers.
He was discharged as no longer fit for
service on 8th May 1917 due to 'tuberc[u]le of lung'. He died five months
later.
In the Army Register of Soldiers Effects
entry for him there was a note 'Inadmissable.Insufficient Service' for a
War Gratuity.
Leatherhead Parish Magazine
November 1918
FOR KING AND COUNTRY.
The following have given their lives for the Cause :—
...
Oct.
9. Pte.
Percy Edward Taylor,
Royal Sussex Regt., died of illness contracted on service with the
colours.
We desire to express our deepest sympathy with the relatives of the above
gallant soldiers. All of Mr. F. Taylor’s six sons have served in this war;
three have given their lives, and two more have been severely wounded.
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 13 October 1917
LEATHERHEAD FAMILY’S LOSS
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, sen., of Woodbridge, Leatherhead, who had six sons
serving in the Army, have sustained another bereavement by the death or
their son, P. E. Taylor, the sad event occurring on Tuesday evening.
Deceased when only 17 years old joined the Royal Sussex Regiment in
December, 1916, and while training contracted lung trouble. He was
discharged from the Army in July last and succumbed to his illness on
Tuesday evening.
Their son, Pte W Taylor, of the Oxford and
Bucks Light infantry, was killed in January this year, and two others, Pte
FB Taylor and Pte. A. J. Taylor, of the Royal Fusiliers, have been
reported missing.
Pte. A. Taylor, of the "Queen’s," who
was wounded in the Dardanelles in 1915, is just recovering from wounds
received in France in March last, and Pte. H. [sic] Taylor, also of the
"Queen’s," is now in hospital in Warrington, suffering from wounds
received in France in September last.
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 20 October 1917
A MILITARY FUNERAL
A large number of people attended a military funeral on Monday of Mr P E
Taylor youngest of the six sons of Mr and Mrs F Taylor of Woodbridge,
Leatherhead, who is has served with the colours. Deceased, who was only
19 years of age, joined the Royal Sussex Regiment in the December,1916,
and after training some time was discharged through illness in July
last.
The funeral cortege was met in Kingston
Road by detachment of Volunteers under the command of Sergeant May, who
preceded it to the Parish Church where the service was conducted by
Vicar (Rev. T.F. Hobson). Three volleys were fired over the
deceased’s grave and the ”Last Post” was sounded by a bugler from the
Red Cross Hospital. Mr and Mrs Taylor desire to thank the inhabitants of
town for the great sympathy they have extended to them in the loss of
their son.
Private Percy Edward Taylor was born on 27
May 1898, Pixholme, Dorking, Surrey. He served with the Royal Sussex
Regiment, as part of the 4th Reserve Battalion. Percy served as part of
the Home Service 'second line' at Tunbridge Wells in September 1916. His
death certificate shows he died of tuberculosis of the lung and exhaustion
at home in Kingston Road, Leatherhead on the 9th October 1917, while being
tended by his mother Louisa. His Death Certificate says the informant of
his death was his sister-in-law Leah [of 3 Woodbridge Cottages, Kingston
Road, Leatherhead, wife of his brother Arthur Henry] was present at 1
Woodbridge Cottages, Leatherhead when Percy died.
He
was buried at St Mary and St Nicholas Churchyard, Leatherhead.
Despite his army home service and being given a standard Imperial
War Graves Commission gravestone Percy's name was not engraved on
the Leatherhead War Memorial, as were those of his three brothers
who died in WW1. Many believe his name should now be added.
The photo, provided by Mrs Marion Haines, a member of the Taylor
family, shows Louisa's grave in Leatherhead Parish Churchyard.
Behind the cross and beyond Louisa's grave can be seen the top of
the familiar War Graves Commission headstone at Percy Taylor's
grave. The lady is believed to be Mrs Cordelia Randall, Percy's aunt
and Louisa's sister. The photo which appears to be attached to the
cross may be of Louisa.The inscription on the (wooden) cross reads In
Loving Memory of The Dear Son/LOUISA TAYLOR . PERCY EDWARD/Also of
her beloved husband/FREDERICK BENJAMIN TAYLOR. |
Louisa died in 1945 |
January 2021
|
As already stated, unlike his brothers who
died in the service of their country, Percy Taylor is not listed on the
Town Memorial despite having a War Graves Commission headstone in the
Parish churchyard. Any further information on Percy would be welcome as
would be a photo of him.
His life
For his genealogy see The
Taylor Family