Ernest Edward Taylor (1879-1944), explosives worker

My grandfather William Taylor had nine siblings (six brothers and three sisters). However, he doesn’t seem to have had much to do with them during the latter part of his life. I am trying to find out what I can about their lives. Ernest Edward Taylor was one of my grandfather’s elder brothers.

His birth certificate shows that Ernest was born on 28^th March 1879 at Weedon Barracks, Northamptonshire. His father George Taylor was a bombardier in the 4^th Brigade, Royal Artillery. Ernest’s mother was George’s wife Margaret Taylor nee Smiles. George was posted to Woolwich, where Ernest was baptised at St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich on 26 November 1880. George was then sent to India (where his daughter Harriet Jane was born in 1881) then back to Woolwich (where his son Charles was born in 1885). I don’t know whether Ernest went to India with his parents.

It appears that George left the army in 1886 and the family moved to Charlton. The 1891 census shows George Taylor (aged 41, a labourer) and Margaret (36) living at 9 West Street, Charlton with their children George (14), Ernest (12), Harriet (9), Charles (6), Margaret (4) and Thomas (2) and William (10 months). This was an area of poor housing.

In 1900, Ernest married a local girl Annie Edith Bradley (born in Charlton) in Woolwich. He was aged 21, she was 22. The 1901 census shows them living at 74 Church Street, Woolwich. Ernest’s occupation was general labourer.

By 1911, they were living in 3 rooms at 17 Monk Street, Woolwich. Ernest, aged 32, was an explosives worker at Woolwich Arsenal. The census return says that they had one child who had died. In 1916 they had another child, Hazel Marion Florette Taylor, who was born in Woolwich. 

Electoral registers show Ernest and Annie living at 15 Woolwich Common in 1919. 

The 1921 census shows Ernest (aged 42) living at 310 High Street, Plumstead with his wife Annie (43) and daughter Hazel (5). Ernest was a “Technical foreman, explosives” at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. Also living at the address was Annie’s sister Florence Lily Atley (31), her husband William Henry Atley (27, a cable worker at Siemens Bros, electrical engineers, Woolwich) and their children William Edward (3) and Florence Lily (1). Also listed are Jane Bradley (72), Annie’s mother. Also, Ralph Edward Winter (22), who was an orphan and is described as Ernest’s adopted brother. Finally, Alice Wood (44), a visitor. The house (which is opposite St Nicholas Gardens) still exists.

The next record I can find of them is not until 1932, when Electoral Registers show Annie (but not Ernest) living at 310 Plumstead High Street. Annie and Ernest were at this address from 1935 to 1938. That year their daughter Hazel (by then of voting age) is also listed with them. She married Frank A Thouless in 1939.

The 1939 Register shows Annie living at 310 Plumstead High Street with her sister Florence Atley plus Florence's husband William and their two children. I can't find Ernest in the Register.

Ernest died on 16^th Aug 1944 in Hammersmith Hospital aged 65 and was buried in grave H / 1334 in Plumstead Cemetery. Annie died in 1953 (also in Hammersmith) aged 75 and was buried in the same grave, which has no stonework on it.