Sarah Falconer / John Taylor M.A. rector Musselburgh Grammar School

[silaswall]

The info I have on Graham Taylor is as follows.

From Army Record. Graham Taylor b 2/8/1830 New Amersterdam, Berbice. (Guyana) Find My Past

From Army record. 53rd Reg. Married Catherine Nash London 1860. It was entered into the records in 1860. FindMyPast

Another Army record. Graham Taylor 53rd Foot m Catherine Nash 10/11/1859 London. FindMyPast

From typed record on Family Search. Same marriage names and dates. No regiment details. Also father's names John Nash and Monkhouse Graham Taylor.

There are records for an officer named Monkhouse Graham Taylor. He served in four different regiments. He was in the 78th when Graham was born in 1830. This regiment was stationed in Sri Lanka 1826 to 1838. So, could Graham have been born when his mother, Maria, was making the journey out or back?

1841 Census. Lancashire
Monkhouse G Taylor 48 Occupation Army
Maria Taylor 40
Graham Taylor 10 Born in "Foreign Parts"

Monkhouse died Kent 1860. Beneficiary Graham Taylor. Maria died Kent 1858.

10/4/1848 Graham became an ensign with the 53rd
13/12/49 to 28/5/1858 India. Served in the Second Sikh War and the Mutiny. Mentioned in Dispatches.
5/7/1861 to 26/9/1861 Served with the 47th in Canada
27/9/1861 Exchange with the 49th
1861 to 1865 49th in Uk and Dublin
1865 to Jan 1875 reg in India (1871 Graham Taylor in Poona)

There does appear to be records for Graham Taylor on Ancestry for Canada. But I cannot access them.

I am not convinced there is enough evidence to link Graham Taylor to William Graham Taylor. I am wondering if the newspaper article is a coincidence.

[silaswall]

The coordinator of the database for the Friends of Newport and Carisbrooke cemeteries has sent me the details of the newspaper article mentioning John Taylor

Fife Herald Thurs 23 Dec 1875

Drowned in the river Orell, New Zealand, on the 30th of last August, William Graham Taylor, 3rd son of the late Lt Col John Taylor, HEICS, Bengal at one time resident in St Andrews.

So, I think that answers the question as to what happened to William Graham Taylor. It also proves that the man who died on the Isle of Wight was the son of Monkhouse Graham Taylor.

[Lizw]

Many thanks again. 2 mysteries solved with one newspaper article how wonderful. Oddly enough I can't find an Orell river in New Zealand but now I have a date, a cause of death and a country. I'm so grateful for all your wonderful investigative work.
Many thanks
Liz

[silaswall]

Thank you for your help. I am certain that Graham Taylor was the son of Monkhouse Graham Taylor.
 So, am now confident for that to go on the database.

[Lizw]

Thank you so much again for all your investigative work.
The river that William Graham Taylor drowned in was infact the Oreti in Southland and another article confirms this information.

Lake Wakatip Mail  16 September 1875  Page 2
We hear that a man named Taylor (one of two brothers who were till lately, Martin's Bay settlers) has been found drowned in the Oreti River. The body was lying on Saturday in an out-house near Fletcher's Accomodation house, when Mr J. M'Bride of this town identified it as that abovenamed, who, we hear, was travelling down on foot about fortnight previous to meet his brother at Invercargill.