Arthur Taylor Snr was born in 1885 to William Taylor (1848-1894) and Ann Hart (1849-1923). He was one of 15 children in a poor, struggling family whose father was a button burnisher.

In 1894 Arthur’s father William died. Ten year old Arthur’s siblings ranged from 5 year old Edith Amelia, known as Amelia, to 24 year old Blanch Ada, already married with two young children. Mother Ann struggled to provide for her children and was helped by Arthur and his 11 year old brother Harry when they sold newspapers to make a few pennies.


Unfortunately this came to the attention of the Authorities and Ann had to appear in court on two occasions because the boys had missed school -  an offence under The Education Act of 1874.

Ann was given a choice – pay a fine or agree to her boys being taken into care by Middlemore Homes. This was no choice at all for the impoverished mother and her sons were handed over.

Within a year Harry and Arthur were told their mother had also died and that  they were to have a new life in Canada. Middlemore reports from the time described the two as ‘typical street Arabs’ and promised a ‘better life’. In June 1896 they travelled to Liverpool and embarked on the ship Corean bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia. They were separated and placed with farming families; on the face of it to be adopted into a loving family but in reality they were servants and worked the land. Arthur had two moves and enjoyed tending pigs on one farm. This led to a lifetime love and respect for these animals. However he sustained bad facial scarring in a farm fire which he later covered by growing a large moustache.

Arthur saved his meagre pay and bought a ticket home. He returned to Birmingham in 1901 where he found his mother, alive and well, living with his sister Blanch and family.

Arthur headed to Plymouth next where he signed up with the Royal Marines, adding a couple of years to his age to do so. 

He met Ethel Pierce, a grocer’s daughter and they had a daughter, Mona, in 1904. They married in 1906 at Devonport, Plymouth. After a few years and a few more children the couple moved to Birmingham.

The last of their nine children was born in 1928 when Ethel was 45 and Arthur was 43. After leaving the Royal Marine service Arthur worked in a plastics factory (Ellisons of Wellhead Lane) eventually becoming a well respected foreman.

He died in November 1942 aged just 57 years old. His children remember him as a quiet, gentle person who was always happy to help his neighbours with any reading or writing tasks they had.