John Edward Taylerson was born in Durham and christened on 13 January 1855. Before 1881 he and his widowed mother moved to London where he studied. He established a business in Wandsworth. His London works include: Lloyds Shipping Register (we think this is 71 Fenchurch Street, 1901, by T. E. Collcutt though the listing thinks the sculptural work is probably by Frampton), Thames House (the listing does not mention Taylerson), and the majority of sculpture in wood and stone at St John's, Holland Road, Kensington.
Source: Mapping Sculpture.
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, states that John Edward Taylerson was born on 8 December 1854 in Norton, Durham, the third of the eleven children of William Taylerson (1827-1876) and Margaret Talerson née Knaggs (1826-1919). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1854 in the Stockton Registration District, Durham and he was baptised on 13 January 1855 in Norton, Durham.
His ten siblings were: George Ord Taylerson (1850-1854); William Taylerson (1853-1939); Hannah Louisa Taylerson (1857-1871); Edith Ann Taylerson (1859-1859); Frances Ann Taylerson (1860-1937); Elizabeth Jane Taylerson (1862-1862); Alice Ord Taylerson (1863-1947); Frederick Taylerson (1866-1902); Florence Taylerson (1869-1885) and Bessie Taylerson (1871-1946).
In the 1861 census he was shown as aged 6 years and living in Denisons Terrace, Chilton, Ferryhill, Durham, with his parents and three siblings: William Taylerson; Hannah Louisa Taylerson and Frances Ann Taylerson. His father was described as a railway engine driver.
He was shown as a 16-year-old scholar in the 1871 census, residing in Durham Cottage, Union Road, Faversham, Kent, with his parents and six siblings: William Taylerson - a pupil teacher; Hannah Louisa Taylerson - a scholar; Frances Ann Taylerson - a scholar; Alice Ord Taylerson - a scholar; Frederick Taylerson - a scholar and Florence Taylerson. His father was still listed as a railway engine driver.
When the 1881 census was undertaken he was shown as aged 26 and an ecclesiastical sculptor living at 31 Robertson Street East, Battersea, Surrey (now Greater London), with his widowed mother who was listed as a tea dealer and provision merchant and five siblings: Frances Ann Taylerson - an assistant schoolmistress; Alice Ord Taylerson - an assistant grocer; Frederick Taylerson - a scholar; Florence Taylerson - a scholar and Bessie Taylerson, together with a male boarder who was also a stone carver.
On 26 July 1886 he married Louisa Ann Lawrence (1856-1911) at St John's Church, Deptford, Kent (now Greater London), where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 31 years, a bachelor and a sculptor, living at 90 Holland Road, Brixton, the son of William Taylerson, a deceased engine driver, whilst his wife was described as aged 28 years and a spinster who was residing at 5 Batsford Road, Deptford, the daughter of William Lawrence, a deceased pawnbroker.
The 1891 census shows him as aged 36 years and a stone carver, living in a seven roomed property at 70 Sugden Road, Battersea, London, with his wife and three children: Ewart Stanley Taylerson (1887-1976); Elsie Christine Taylerson (1888-1979) and Margaret Bessie Taylerson (1890-1962), together with his sister Bessie Taylerson who was a school teacher.
Electoral registers for 1891 and 1892 confirm he was listed at 70 Sugden Road, Clapham, but from 1894 to 1896 he was registered at 30 Fontarabia Road, Clapham and from 1897 at 22 Marney Road, Clapham.
In the 1901 census he was described as aged 46 years, an employer and architect's sculptor who was residing at 22 Marney Road, Battersea, with his wife and their four children: Ewart Stanley Taylerson; Elsie Christine Taylerson; Margaret Bessie Taylerson and Vera May Taylerson (1898-1963), together with a female domestic servant.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as aged 56 years and a sculptor, carver, modeller in marble, stone, wood, ivory, etc., still living in their eight roomed property at 22 Marney Road, Battersea, with his wife and two of their daughters: Elsie Christine Taylerson - an elementary teacher employed by the London County Council and Vera May Taylerson - a schoolgirl.
He completed his 1921 census return form showing himself as aged 66 years, 6 months, a widower and a sculptor in marble, stone, wood, etc, an employer whose place of work was 76 Mallinson Road, Battersea, London, SW11. He was still residing at 22 Marney Road, Battersea, which he now listed as a nine roomed property, with his daughter Vera May Taylerson, who was a civil servant employed by the Ministry of Health at Buckingham House, Buckingham Gate, London, SW1.
He was still shown at 22 Marney Road in the 1925 edition of Kelly's Directory of Brixton, but electoral registers in 1926 show him listed at 41 Foxley Road, London, SW18, the home of Harold Ewart Gordon Robinson and Elsie Christine Robinson. Later that year on 26 November 1926 he is shown on the manifest of the SS Modasa of the British India Steam Navigation Co. Ltd., embarking at the Port of London bound for Port Said, Egypt, as a 1st class passenger, giving his occupation as a sculptor, aged 71 years and residing at 41 Foxley Road, SW18. He was also shown as making a further journey to Port Said, Egypt, when he embarked from the Port of Liverpool on 4 August 1933 aboard the MV Worcestershire of the Bibby Bros. & Co. Steamship Line, where on the manifest he is shown as travelling 1st class, aged 78 years, of no occupation and living at Downsway, Higher Green, Ewell, Surrey.
The 1939 England and Wales Register, that confirms his date of birth as 8 December 1854, shows him as a retired sculptor living at Hazelhurst Farm, Masons Bridge Road, Redhill, Surrey.
His death was registered, as aged 87 years, in the 4th quarter of 1942 in the Hampstead Registration District, London and probate records confirm that his address had been 9 Ornan Road, Hampstead, but that he died on 28 November 1942 in the New End Hospital, Hampstead. Probate was granted on 19 January 1943 to Harold Ewart Gordon Robinson who was an insurance official. His effects totalled £344-3s-4d.
The Deceased on Line website shows that his body was buried on 9 December 1942 in Lambeth, London. Our image is that of a portrait painted in 1930 by his daughter, who by then was called Vera May Hill.
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