Taylor, Theodore

Singer

Collection date: Dec 1907

Area: Somerset - Mendips (Harptree & Priddy)

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Theodore Taylor at Shepton Mallet Workhouse (1846-1930): age 63, 1 song ‘Dilly Song’ (FT1538) on 31 Dec 1907: Theodore Taylor was born 2/10/1846 in Kilmersdon (2 miles south of Radstock) and baptised there on 16/6/1850. He was the 5th child of James Taylor, coal miner and his wife Grace. There is evidence of coal extraction at Kilmersdon as early as the 15th century and Kilmersdon pit was the last of the 80 Somerset collieries to close in 1973. The Taylor family lived in Chilcompton (1851,1861).

On 4/11/1867 at Ashwick Theodore married Thirza Gould, daughter of Frederick Gould, coal miner. But Thirza died in the 1870s leaving Theodore with several young children and he seems to have been partners with Elizabeth Arnold, with whom he had 4 more children. They finally married in Oct qr 1895 (ref 5c 872). In 1901 they were at Stratton-on-the-Fosse (RG13/2312 f125 p20), Theodore, 52, and son Oliver, 18, were both coal miners. Sharp found Theodore in Shepton Mallet workhouse on the same day he interviewed James Higgins. Theodore lived on till Jan qr 1930 (ref 5c 527).