Veteran Cricketer of Maidenhead George Taylor, and his wife Eliza Taylor

Monument to George and Eliza Taylor, All Saints' Churchyard, Boyne Hill, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.

"In Loving Memory of 

George Taylor 

who entered into rest 

Oct 22nd 1904 

Aged 73 Years 

- Looking Unto Jesus - 

Also Eliza 

the beloved wife of the above 

Died Feby 24th 1912

 Aged 84 Years."

George Taylor was born in White Waltham, Berkshire in 1831 to John Taylor, an agricultural labourer, and his wife Margaret Buckland, a day school mistress.

George first appears on the 1841 Census aged 10 years, living with his parents in Waltham Lane, White Waltham, Berkshire.  He is still there ten years later on the 1851 Census aged twenty, now working as a carpenter. 

Eliza Taylor was born Eliza Duckett in 1828 in Maidenhead, Berkshire to John Duckett, and his wife Martha Hamilton, a laundress.  Eliza first appears on the 1841 Census aged 14 years, living with her widowed mother and siblings in Market Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire. In 1851 she was working as a housemaid for Samuel Cooper and his family in West Street, Henley, Oxfordshire.

In 1853 George Taylor and Eliza Duckett marry in Maidenhead Berkshire.  Their first child, a daughter, Margaret was born in 1854 in White Waltham, followed by Agnes in 1857, Gertrude Eliza in 1859, and Augusta Eliza in 1860,

On the 1861 Census George, Eliza, and their family are living in Victoria Street in Maidenhead, Berkshire.  Sadly, young Gertrude Eliza was to pass away a few months after the 1861 Census was taken. However George jr was in 1862, followed by Gertrude Alice in 1864, Kate in 1867, and John in 1868

In 1871 the family moved to 6 Portland Terrace, West Street in Maidenhead.  Margaret now 16, has left the family to work as a nursery maid for Rev William B Hole, vicar of St Luke's church in Maidenhead, and his family.   Agnes now 14, is working as a nursemaid for the Smith Family in Boyne Hill, Maidenhead.

1881 and the family is still living at 6 Portland Terrace, West Street.  George Jr is now an apprentice carpenter, working with his father.  Joining the family is four-year-old Morris William Cole, George and Eliza's grandson, son of Margaret and her husband Augustus Samuel Cole.

In 1891 George, Eliza, Augusta, Kate, and John have moved in 19 West Street, Maidenhead.  Eliza is taking in work as a laundress, probably to help ends meet as George is now 60 years old.  Kate is working as a dress maker, and John as a groom and cab driver.  Not long after the 1891 Census was taken, George and Eliza's eldest daughter Margaret passed away.

1901 and George, Eliza, and Augusta have moved to 52 West Street.  Living with them at the time is their nineteen-year-old granddaughter Edith A Cole, daughter of their late child Margaret and her husband Augustus Samuel Cole.

Just three years later George Sr passed away aged 73 years.  George's death was reported in the Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer on 28th October 1904 -

"Death Of An Old Cricketer

The death took place on Saturday evening last of Mr. George Taylor, at his residence, 54, West Street, Maidenhead, where he and his family had resided some 38 years.  Mr. Taylor was 73 years of age and was born in Maidenhead (all official records state White Waltham). From his youth he proved himself a most excellent cricketer, and played in many of the best matched of the Maidenhead Cricket Club and also assisted many of the neighbouring clubs.  He was founder of the late Maidenhead Grosvenor Cricket Club, and owned several prize bats, balls and caps, awarded to him for distinguished service.  He played cricket up to within a few years ago, and at the Coronation Sports won a race for men over 60 the prize being a salad bowl. 

Mr. Taylor had been in failing health for some time and his death was not unexpected.  He was greatly respected throughout the town and district, and his demise will be heard of by many of his old cricketing friends with great regret.  He leaves a widow and a grown up family of two sons and four daughters.  The funeral took place on Thursday at 2 o'clock."

On 2nd November 1904 the Maidenhead Advertiser reported on George's funeral:

"Funeral

The funeral of Mr. George Taylor, the veteran cricketer, took place at All Saints' Church, Boyne Hill, on Thursday afternoon, the Rev. Cannon Drummond officiating. Several members of "Court Prince Albert", A.O.F., attended. The funeral arrangements were well carried out by Mr. G. Littleton, Norfolk-park." 


1911 and the widowed Eliza is still working as a laundress at the age of 83.  Living with and assisting her in the laundress business is her daughter Augusta Eliza and her granddaughters Edith Alice Cole, and Kate Augusta Nicholls.  Eliza was to pass away almost a year later in 1912 aged 84.

Augusta Eliza Taylor never married and died in Maidenhead in 1941 aged 80.