David Dickson Taylor was born in Liverpool but both his parents were from Scotland. His father, James Taylor from Stirling, was the main Liverpool agent for Bernards, a Scottish brewery that is now part of the Scots and Newcastle brewing firm according to Jim, David's son. They had their offices at 110 Duke Street, for those that know Liverpool.

David's mother, Sarah Taylor, née Dickson, was the daughter of David Dickson, a dyer from Leith. Confusingly, that isn’t the only example in the family of a Taylor marrying a Dickson, as it happened in the next generation when David Dickson Taylor married Mary Dickson, from Downpatrick, in Northern Ireland. Their son James was also given the middle name of Dickson. It is not known yet if there were any connections between the Scottish and Irish Dicksons, but certainly many Scots settled in Ireland over the centuries.

The photograph shows David Taylor with his daughter Lily.

Click here to open a new window with source citations for the tree above.

While David's father, James Taylor, was working for the brewery he was also buying property in the Liverpool area. Consequently, as his sons grew up they were pressed into service for the family business, collecting rent and maintaining the properties.

In the 1901 census David and Alexander were living at the family home, 20 Anfield Road, with both listed as "plumber and painter own account". Meanwhile their elder brother, another James, was a licenced victualler at 121 Walton Breck Road, the Salisbury Hotel, which was listed in a directory as being run by James Taylor as early as 1894.

By 1911 the younger James and his family had moved to 13 Chepstow Avenue, Egremont, Cheshire where he worked as a rent collector and it is known that his father had acquired property on the Wirral, in Wallasey. David was also a rent collector, for an estate agency, and living at 14 Jolliffe Street, while Alex, at 14 Anfield Road, described himself as "House Painter for Estate Agent". It seems likely that both these estate agencies were actually the family business. The youngest son, John, also worked as a house painter and was still living at home at 20 Anfield Road.

There must have been quite a sizeable portfolio of property to support all the brothers and their growing families. We have some evidence in the form of a rent book from the 1950's which lists 22 houses in adjoining streets still being rented out by David Taylor.

50 Sleepers Hill; odd numbers from 1 to 29 in Norgate Street; even numbers from 8 to 18 in Anfield Road.

The rent book also informs us that 50 Sleepers Hill and the Norgate Street houses were bought on October 9th 1900 and cost £2010 but they were subject to an annual ground rent of £30. Even numbers 2 to 18 Anfield Road cost £2300, so perhaps numbers 2, 4 and 6 had been sold off over the years. Or maybe they had been transferred to another member of the family and were still earning rent.

Jim Taylor and his parents David Dickson Taylor and Mary Dickson in Summer 1937.

Note the trouser style - “plus fours” were apparently named for the extra four inches of material needed to give the overhanging, baggy look below the knees.

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Here are some explanatory notes for the family members featured in the links below.

Wartime letters from David Dickson Taylor's son James Dickson Taylor
James Taylor and Mary Adam, David Dickson Taylor's grandparents in Stirlingshire
David Dickson Taylor's maternal ancestors in Leith
David Dickson Taylor's paternal ancestors in St Ninians, Stirlingshire
John Johnston, David Dickson Taylor's great grandfather from Leith
James Taylor, born 1846, father of David Dickson Taylor
Tom, an unknown cousin of James Dickson Taylor
A cemetery in St Ninians with Adam burials

Index to Jim Taylor's WWII letters James Taylor and Mary Adam The Dicksons of Leith

St Ninians and the Adam familyJohn Johnston James Taylor brewer's agent

Tom's wedding cake Kirk O'Muir Cemetery