TOPIC:

James Taylor

Private, 3rd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (Militia)
Trooper, Border Horse – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and South Africa 1901 to Pte. J. Taylor, Border Horse

One of the many attractions of the hobby of collecting medals is that one is never certain of what one may find. A seemingly innocuous Queens Medal to a relatively obscure Colonial outfit can evolve into something of real interest once the research is undertaken. Such was the case with Taylor’s medal.

James Taylor was born in the Parish of St Andrews in Newcastle-on-Tyne, Northumberland in 1860 the son of James Taylor a 23 year old Seal Skin Dresser and his 18 year old wife, Mary.

Our first glimpse of James came in the form of the 1861 England census. The small family, James was to be the first born, were resident at 16 Diana Street in Newcastle and James was a six month old baby.

Ten years later at the time of the 1871 census the picture had changed somewhat with the family having moved to 25 Drew’s Cottages in Newcastle. The Taylor’s had been true to the Victorian dictates of their times and had produced a number of other children in the intervening years. Along with a 10 year old James were siblings Martha (7), William (5), John (2) and Henry who was quite literally 14 days old.

Another ten years passed and the 1881 England census rolled round to find the Taylor family at 22 Spring Garden Lane, Westgate, Newcastle. The family had grown considerably in size with a 20 year old James now employed as a Morocco Leather Dresser (Currier) having followed in his father’s footsteps. Martha (17) was a Domestic Servant with William (16) and Errand Boy or Messenger. Then followed John (12), Henry (11), Mary Jane (8), Margaret (5) and Samuel (2). There was even a new-born baby, Isabella, in the house who was a granddaughter but who her mother or father was is not mentioned.

After this we lose track of James until, on 1 May 1893 at the age of 32 he completed the Militia Attestation Forms for service with the 3rd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers at Alswick. Under trade he claimed to be a Leathermaker in the employ of Mr Donald Reva of Hebburn in the County of Durham. Now married with 2 children of his own he made mention of previous service in the 1st Battalion, Durham Engineers Volunteers and added that he now resided at 90 High Street, Jarrow.

Physically he was 5 feet 9 inches in height with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. He had no scars or marks about his person and was passed as Fit for the Militia by the Doctor and awarded the number 3677 and the rank of P. Militia volunteers in those days were required to undertake an not too onerous number of Drill sessions and other training courses and Taylor was no exception – his record showing that he was “present” for training right through from 1893 until 1898.

It was shortly after this, one can surmise, that he made his way to South Africa where he settled in the Durban area of Natal. Unbeknown to him and many others the war clouds that had been hanging over the greater South Africa finally descended in October of 1899 and full-scale war broke out between the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State and Great Britain.

Initially, like most Colonials one of which Taylor had become, the call to arms was slow unless you were already in the local militia or part of one of the local regiments. Taylor, on 12 December 1900 enlisted with the Border Horse for service at Durban for an initial period of 3 months. His attestation forms confirmed that he had been with the 3rd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers and that he had been “23 years “with them.

Described as being 42 years old he was 5 feet 8 ½ inches in height and had a medium complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair. He confirmed that he was married and gave his next of kin as his wife of 42 Mansfield Street, Newcastle. She had clearly either not accompanied him out to South Africa or had returned to England when he joined up.

We are indeed fortunate that both Taylor’s attestation as well as his discharge papers have survived as they provide us with a complete picture of his service. But what, it has to be asked, did the Border Horse exactly do? Well in order to find out it is best to turn to John Stirling’s work “Colonials in South Africa” who commented thus –

The Border Horse was raised in the Eastern portion of Cape Colony in February 1900, their commander being Colonel Crewe.

Towards the close of 1900 (when Taylor had joined them) they were with Colonel Crewe in the Winburg district, and at Tabaksberg, on 29th January 1901, they had 10 casualties, including Captain Cameron wounded. They took part in further fighting about Winburg towards the end of February.

Under Colonel Crewe a portion of the corps were engaged in the pursuit of De Wet in Cape Colony, and the very arduous work by which he was driven back across the river and through the central district of the Orange River Colony in February and March 1901. Sergeant Major Cruden and 1 man were wounded at Petrusburg in that district on 9th March. Throughout the remainder of the year the Border Horse operated chiefly in Cape Colony under various column commanders, and saw much fighting.

Taylor would have been in the thick of it taking his discharge, time expired, at Cape Town only on 23 May 1901 after 163 days of service. His character on discharge was rated as Excellent and his future address was provided as Elandsfontein. He handed in his rifle and 2 ammunition clips to the Quartermaster at the Depot and was paid up to date.

After this Taylor seems to have disappeared into the mist as no more was heard about him again.

It is interesting to note that Taylor had actually already served in the 3rd Northumberland Fusiliers and was a serving member of the RE Volunteers when he joined the 3rd NF once again, at Alnwick, notwithstanding, a medal to the Border Horse is certainly not common, the regiment was raised in the Cape and from memory, Natal, on the 1st of February 1900, for general service within the SAMIF, with it's founder members attesting for only three months, it was disbanded on the 30th of June 1901, having never been at the strength that had been originally intended.