Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

David Brown Taylor was born on 6 April 1880 at Craigboy, Ballycross, Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland, the eldest son of William John and Jane (née Brown) Taylor, who had married in 1878. In 1901 David was at home at Craigboy with his parents and most of his siblings who were all born in County Down. In 1911, now a farmer, which profession his father followed, he was still at Craigboy with his widowed mother. He probably came to New Zealand soon after. His father had died on 8 April 1908 at Craigboy, probate being granted to Jane Taylor, widow, and David Taylor, farmer; his mother died later in 1911. His uncle, David Taylor, after whom he was named, had been in New Zealand for many years, marrying Agnes McCullough at Waitohi, South Canterbury in 1882 and having three children born at Temuka. David Taylor had been in New Zealand for five years and was a labourer for the Dunedin City Corporation when he enlisted there on 23 April 1917. Single and Presbyterian, he named his uncle as next-of-kin – D. Taylor, King Street, Temuka. Private D. Taylor embarked with the Otago Infantry Regiment of the 28th Reinforcements, departing for Plymouth, England per the “Ulimaroa” on 26 July 1917.

He returned to New Zealand per the “Maunganui”, embarking at Liverpool on 17 May 1919 and disembarking on 23 June 1919, probably at Port Chalmers. A fairly large number of people gathered at Temuka railway station to greet the returning men, D Taylor one of them. The Temuka Juvenile Brass Band was in attendance and the men were driven to the Post Office Square for the official welcome. The Mayor extended a very hearty welcome to the soldiers and said he was proud to greet the boys “who had brought us to where we are to-day”. Three cheers were lustily given, and the men were motored home. Discharged on 22 July 1919, David was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. As of 11 July 1919, he was at Kings Private Hotel, Clyde Quay, Wellington. He was a labourer at the same address in 1922. David Brown Taylor died at Wellington on 2 March 1924, aged 43 years, and was buried at Karori Cemetery. The inscription on his gravestone reads – In loving memory of David B. Taylor who was born at Craigboy, Donaghadee, Ireland in 1880 died 2nd March 1924. While on active service, David stated that his Will was deposited with his uncle, Mr David Taylor, King Street, Temuka. On 11 February 1924 he signed his last Will. He made a specific bequest to a named Wellington City Council employee. The remainder was to be shared equally among three of his sisters – Agnes, Mary and Anna. Agnes had married in 1906 in Ireland and her son, Charles Kildea, married a New Zealand in Australia, then came to New Zealand after her death, and died at Auckland in 1968; Mary married William Otto Noffke in 1915 in New Zealand and died in 1946; Anna Jane married Murray Wallace Hunter in 1927 in New Zealand and died in 1970. His sister, Mary Noffke, confirmed that David was born in Ireland and was a subject of Great Britain. David’s brother William Taylor had been in New Zealand for 12 years and was a farm hand at Rolleston when he enlisted with the New Zealand Forces at Christchurch on 24 May 1917. He may well have seen no service.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [01 April 2025]; 1901 & 1911 Ireland census returns (per ancestry.com.au) [05 April 2025]; NZ Times, 14 June 1919, Timaru Herald, 16 & 24 June 1919, Temuka Leader, 24 June 1919 (Papers Past) [25 March 2025; 05 April 2025]; Karori Cemetery burial record (Wellington City Council) [05 April 2025]; Karori Cemetery headstone image (Find a Grave) [05 April 2025]; Probate record (Family Search) [05 April 2025]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.