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Brentford Councillors - Henry Taylor

Introduction

Janet McNamara has researched details of the men who served as Brentford Local Board Members and Councillors, see intro page for more details of early local government structure.

As Henry Taylor was my great grandfather's brother I have prepared the following notes (Celia Cotton):

Henry Taylor 1844 - 1899

The first reference I found to Henry being a councillor was in 1895. Two of his brothers, Joseph Thomas and Charles Taylor also served: I have not yet established which brother served first.

Henry was born in Brentford on 24 July 1843, eldest son of John Donville Taylor and Maria Sarah (Parsons) and in the 1851 census was a scholar, aged 7, living with family on High Street, Old Brentford.

In the 1861 census Henry was living with his widowed mother, sister and brothers on the High Street. He was a baker in the family business. He married Emma Sarah Grew from Hackney in the third quarter of 1868 in Brentford (FreeBMD). Henry's widowed mother Maria Sarah married a William Grew in 1872, William was the father of Emma.

In 1871 Henry & Emma were living at 2 Myrtle Place, near New Road, St Pauls, Old Brentford. Henry was a brewer's clerk and he had two infant sons, Henry Donville and William John.

By 1881 he was living at 59 Ealing Road, Old Brentford, working as a brewers collector with his wife and Emma and family RG11/1347 fol. 94 page 9).

In an 1888 trade directory he is listed at 24 High Street Brentford and he remained at this address in the 1891 census, by when he was a brewer's manager with two more sons (RG12/1031 fol. 31 page 3). 24 High Street was part of the Royal Brewery.

In 1895 Henry was a District Councillor and was involved in the ceremony of laying the foundation stone for Brentford Public Baths on October 3rd. ('Brentford & Chiswick As It Was', photo 15). Joseph Thomas Taylor, his brother and also a councillor, features in the same photo. Henry was a director of the Royal Brewery Co. at this time.

He is also recorded as a councillor in 1896.

Henry died on January 23rd 1899, aged 55 and was buried at South Ealing Cemetery. The MI gives his residence as Fairford House, Brentford.

His widow

The 1906 Kelly's directory shows a Mrs Taylor living at Fairford House, Windmill Road.

The 1911 census shows no. 93 Windmill Road had 9 rooms and was recorded between numbers 89 and 99, no evidence of a no. 91, 95 or 97. No. 93 was occupied by Sarah Emma Taylor, widow, and her four youngest children: Edith Marian, 33, no occupation recorded; Louise George, 31, company secretary to a wine merchant; Richard Grew, 27, no occupation recorded; Frank Percival, 25, architect's assistant. The census also shows Sarah Emma had 9 children of whom 8 survived, Stanley Charles, sixth son, died in infancy: this explains the Monumental Inscription for Richard Grew as "seventh son".

The 1914 trade directory (Kelly's) shows 93 Windmill Road occupied by Mrs Taylor. Emma Sarah died on July 22 1922, aged 76 and was buried in her husband's grave at South Ealing Cemetery (MI).

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His children

I have not established whether any of the Taylor sons went into local politics. A check of the 1911 census and other records provides some clues:

Henry Donville, the eldest son who inherited his grandfather John Donville Taylor's middle name and the forename Henry, which was used in the Taylor family back into the mid 18th century, was born in 1869 (birth registered in Brentford, baptism not located: the family were possibly Wesleyans).

A clerk in 1891, he married Beatrice Jean(n)ie Dalton at St Mary Ealing in 1895, by which date he was living at Maytrees, Ealing.

In 1901 he was at North View, Carlyle Road, Ealing with his wife and two children Henry Charles and Margaret Dorothy, a Brewery Co. Collector and Insurance Agent. The family had two live-in servants called Gates, sisters from Bucks.

In 1906 when the foundation stone was laid for St Faith's, Old Brentford, Mr H D Taylor was acting churchwarden and later 'treasurer'. When the church was consecrated in 1907 Mr H D Taylor the newspaper report mentions Mr H D Taylor, churchwarden and gave his address as 'Glenthorne', Brentford.

In 1909 a birth notice was placed in the Times, 21 Sep 1909: a daughter to Henry Donville Taylor & wife, Glenthorne, Somerset Road, Brentford.

The 1911 census shows the family at 5 Somerset Road, with baby Beryl Mary, age 1, and elder daughter Margaret Dorothy, age 10. Henry's occupation: 'brewery companies collector'. The elder son, Henry Charles D, has not been found in the census and may have been at a boarding school.

In 1915 - Henry was executor and trustee for his uncle Joseph Thomas Taylor's will.

Henry died in 1919. His obituary describes him as Manager of the Royal Brewery at Brentford for a long period. He lived for many years at Laleham House, The Woodlands, sidesman at St John's church.

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William John: second son, born 1871.

1891 - clerk, living at home with his parents

1901 - auctioneer and estate agent, living at home

1905 - married Nellie Marion O'Hara, Henley Registration District, Berks

1912 - of 18 Avenue Road, Spring Grove, Isleworth, land agent and auctioneer (probate)

1922 - notice in Deaths column in Times, Sep 5th: died Sep 3rd at a nursing home in London, dearly loved husband of Nellie (nee O'Hara) of 18 Avenue Road, Spring Grove, Isleworth; aged 51, second son of Mr & Mrs Henry Taylor of Fairford House, Brentford; funeral at SE Cemetery at 2.30pm Thursday Sep 7th

1922 - of 32 Devonshire Street, Portland Place, Middx (probate)

Partner of Saunders and Taylor, estate agents (obit)

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Frederick Martin: third son, born 1873.

1891 - clerk, living at home with his parents

1901 - not living at home, not found in census

1916 - died 6 February, 1916 age 42; death notice placed in Chiswick Times, 11 February 1916

Arthur Joseph: fourth son, born 1876

1891 - living with his uncle Joseph Thomas Taylor

1899 - married Edith Alice Watling at Christ Church Holborn

1901 - market gardener's manager living at White Lodge (next to no. 4 London Road) Isleworth with his wife Edith

1909 - Alice Edith Taylor's death was registered at Brentford in the last quarter

1911 - a widower, aged 35, living at White Lodge, Brentford Bridge (a house with 7 rooms); he had a housekeeper, widow Mary Pelton, age 67. Neighbouring properties were Middlesex Jam Co., and White Lodge Cottage (occupied by Mr Donovan and next door to Taylor's Garden cottage, possibly part of Joseph Thomas Taylor's property?)

1912 - death registered in Brentford of Arthur J Taylor, age 36.

Edith Marian: only daughterson, born 1878.

1911 - at home (93 Windmill Road) with her widowed mother and three younger brothers

1921 - at home, as above 'Fairford House', just one younger brother still at home

1928 - 93 Windmill Road with her brother Frank Percival

1938 - 1 Manor Court Road, Hanwell, with her brother as above; this address was not occupied when the 1939 Register was prepared

Louis George: fifth son, born 1880

1901 - wine merchants clerk, living at home

1911 - company secretary to a wine merchant, living at home

1912 - married Henrietta Sarah Dalton at St John, Ealing Dean; Henrietta was a younger sister to Beatrice, who married Louis's elder brother Henry in 1895

1941 - died, age 61; his will provides address of 13 Golden Manor, Hanwell; probate was granted to his widow, Henrietta Sarah Taylor, estate value £401 1s 7d

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Stanley Charles: sixth son, born 1882

1882 - Stanley Charles' birth was registered in the third quarter and his death the following quarter

Richard Grew: seventh son, born 1883

1901 - wine merchants clerk, living at home

1911 - living at home, no occupation recorded (perhaps he was ill)

1913 - died, buried in family grave at South Ealing Cemetery

Frank Percival: eighth son, born 1885

1901 - surveyors clerk, living at home

1911 - at home with widowed mother and siblings; architect's assistant

1928 - remained at 93 Windmill Road with elder sister Edith Marian

1938 - 1 Manor Court Road, Hanwell, with his sister

1961 - death registered at Fulham; buried in the family grave at South Ealing Cemetery

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Links

Fairford House features in a 1930s postcard, shared by Vin Miles.

Page published June 2011; updated August 2024