Joseph Thomas Taylor

JOSEPH THOMAS TAYLOR

1403 Private, Joseph Thomas Taylor 1/5th Battalion Cheshire Regiment.

Born 1892 at Northwich, the son of Joseph and Jane Ann (nee, Reade) Taylor living at Foundry Street in 1901 and then 42, Water Street in 1911.His younger brother John William (Jack) was also killed during the war.

As a young man, he was in the 2nd Bollington Boy Scouts, he received a certificate from Baden Powel, for saving the lives of a woman and boy from drowning. He was educated at Water Street Day School. He worked as a cotton piecer in the spinning room at the Adelphi Mill, Bollington and was a regular attender at the Wesleyan Chapel. Joseph married Elizabeth Bexson, in the last quarter of 1912.; they set up home at 5, Lord Street, Bollington. When he enlisted, Joseph was employed at the Clarence Mill.

Joseph attested at Bollington, he had already served 3 years with the 7th Battalion Cheshire’s (T.F.). After his course of training he volunteered to do to the front with the 5th Battalion, he was drafted to France 14/02/1915. His death was confirmed by several letters home to friends that Joseph, who had just been for a wash and was returning to the trenches when a shrapnel shell burst in front of him, killing him instantly, 19/05/1915, he was aged 22 years

Medals: 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal

Private, Joseph Thomas Taylor is buried at Spoilbank Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, Belgium
C.W.G.C Ref: – I.H.13

Also refer to

• Bollington Troops pre WWI
• Photos from Barnswood archive Bollington WW1
• Photos of Bollington Scouts pre WW1 from Heritage Centre
• ‘Big Hats, Shorts and Dyb Dyb Dyb’ – a history of Macclesfield and Congleton Scouts by Norman Gosling