Blackburne in Birmingham 1898

[Gerard Killoran]

From the Birmingham Daily Gazette - Monday 19 October 1896 p.3

THE CHESS CHAMPION IN BIRMINGHAM.

On Saturday night Mr. J. H. Blackburne concluded his week's play in Birmingham with a concurrent exhibition at the roams of the Bohemian Chess Club, Priory Cafe, Old Square, encountering a fairly strong team, playing 20 games. winning 12 and losing two to W. R. Taylor, sen., and W. R. Taylor, jun., and drawing six. The following game is probably the most interesting of the series :—

[Event "Simul, 20b"] [Site "Birmingham"] [Date "1896.10.17"] [Round "?"] [White "Blackburne, Joseph Henry"] [Black "Taylor, W. R. (sen)"] [Result "0-1"] [Source "Birmingham Daily Gazette - Monday 19 October 1896 p.3"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O Be7 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bd5 Nc5 8. Re1 O-O 9. Nxd4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Ne6 11. Qg4 f5 12. exf6 Bxf6 13. Nc3 c6 14. Bxe6+ dxe6 15. Qc4 Qa5 16. Bd2 Qf5 17. Ne4 Bxb2 18. Rab1 Be5 19. Rb3 Qg6 20. Ng5 Bc7 21. Nxe6 Bxe6 22. Rxe6 b5 23. Qxc6 Qg4 24. Qd5 Rad8 25. Rd6+ Kh8 26. Rf3 Bxd6 27. h3 Qxf3 0-1

I have failed to identify either W. R. Taylor - other than the senior of the two was a long term member of the Birmingham St. George's Chess Club - as was Roland H. Taylor, who was possibly his brother. Can anyone do better?

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

I think William R Taylor senior was William Richards Taylor, born in Birmingham in 1853:
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/pe ... s/GN5V-PR3
his occupation is given as cabinet maker in just about all of the censuses he appears in.

and William R Taylor junior was also William Richards Taylor, born in Birningham in 1877:
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/pe ... s/GPHK-W5X
his occupation was a bit varied.

William Richards Taylor senior did indeed have a brother called Roland:
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/pe ... s/PQKQ-Q63

[Gerard Killoran]

Great sluething Jon

It seems that William Richards Taylor snr died in 1935

TAYLOR William Richards of 71 Woodstock-road Handsworth Birmingham died 14 January 1935 Probate Birmingham 9 May to Royden Ernest Stephen Taylor metal pattern maker. Effects £1216 0s. 7d. (England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 for William Richards Taylor)

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Thanks Gerard. Unfortunately his eldest son, Royden (I wonder why, as the eldest son, he wasn't called William Richards?) only survived his father by four years:
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/pe ... s/GN5V-1CZ

[Gerard Killoran]

William Richards Taylor jnr seems was in the census of 1901, but not 1911.

There is a William Taylor of Birmingham, also born in ,who might be the same person, and the following could explain his disappearance.

in the UK, Registers of Habitual Criminals and Police Gazettes, 1834-1934

Name William Taylor
Event Type Conviction
Conviction Age 28
Birth Date 1877
Birth Place Birmingham
Conviction Date 30 Oct 1905
Charge Larceny
Sentence 8 mos &1 yr
Jail Birmingham

and

For stealing a parcel from New-street Station, William Taylor, aged 29, a tube drawer, was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment, to be followed by a year's police supervision. (Birmingham Daily Gazette - Thursday 02 November 1905 p.6)

Followed by

Ireland, Prison Registers, 1790-1924 - Ancestry.co.uk.jpg (97.47 KiB) Viewed 3285 times

He was convicted of defrauding a steam ship company by not paying his fare and given 14 days imprisonment.

[Gerard Killoran]

I hope this is the same person as the lad who beat Blackburne.

Ancestry.co.uk - Birmingham, England, Calendar of Prisoners, 1880-1922.png (996.1 KiB) Viewed 3279 times

[John Saunders]

Adapting a colloquialism once used by well-known chess player Brian Walden when interviewing PM Maggie Thatcher, "come off it, Gerard".

1. William Taylor must be one of the commonest names in the kingdom and you'll need a great deal more evidence to convict.
2. William Richards Taylor was born in the 2nd quarter of 1876, not the 1877 of his namesake criminal.
3. He was indeed in the 1911 census, living at 146 Linwood Road, Handsworth with his wife of eight years, Annie Kate Taylor, aged 39. His occupation was electrical mechanic with a meter manufacturer. No children.

M'lud, I appeal to the High Court of the EC Forum that William Richards Taylor (jun) be released from wrongful virtual imprisonment without a stain on his character.

[John Saunders]

Having (hopefully) decriminalised W R Taylor (junior), I must thank Gerard for starting this fascinating thread and Jon for proving the family connections. The record of the Taylor clan in their regular simul confrontations with Blackburne is quite striking.

Gerard has already revealed that father and son both beat JHB on 17.10.1896 - a remarkable achievement - but brother/uncle Rowland Taylor also beat him four years earlier. In the same simul 16-year-old W R Taylor drew. Perhaps we should nickname the Taylor family the 'Blackburne Bashers of Birmingham'.

[Event "Simul - Blackburne 12+4=1-"] [Site "Birmingham, St Georges CC"] [Date "1892.10.21"] [White "Blackburne, Joseph Henry"] [Black "Taylor, Rowland H"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C52"] [PlyCount "64"] [EventDate "1892.10.21"] [EventType "simul"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2025.05.21"] [SourceQuality "1"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O dxc3 8. e5 Nge7 9. Ng5 Nxe5 10. Nxf7 Nxf7 11. Bxf7+ Kxf7 12. Qh5+ Ng6 13. Qd5+ Kf8 14. Qxa5 b6 15. Qxc3 Bb7 16. Bb2 Rg8 17. Nd2 d6 18. f4 Qd7 19. Nc4 Qc6 20. Rf2 Re8 21. Rc1 Re4 22. f5 Nf4 23. f6 gxf6 24. Qxf6+ Ke8 25. Ne3 Nh3+ 26. Kh1 Nxf2+ 27. Qxf2 Qd7 28. Rc2 Qe7 29. Re2 Qe6 30. Bc1 Kd7 31. h3 Re5 32. Kh2 Rxg2+ {Source: Birmingham Daily Gazette, 22 October 1892. Blackburne won 12, drew with A MacKenzie, J F L Gopsill, F Hollins, W R Taylor (jnr), lost to R H Taylor (uncle of the latter). "... must be regarded as the best played during his present visit."} 0-1
in 1889 brothers Willam and Rowland Taylor drew with Blackburne in the same simul...
[Event "Simul - Blackburne 20b"] [Site "Birmingham"] [Date "1889.11.19"] [White "Blackburne, Joseph Henry"] [Black "Taylor, William Richards"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C30"] [PlyCount "50"] [EventDate "1889.11.19"] [EventType "simul"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2025.05.21"] [SourceQuality "1"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 Bc5 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. h3 Bxf3 6. Qxf3 Nf6 7. Bc4 Nc6 8. d3 Qd7 9. Ne2 O-O-O 10. f5 d5 11. exd5 Nxd5 12. Bxd5 Qxd5 13. Qxd5 Rxd5 14. Nc3 Rd7 15. Ne4 Bb6 16. Rf1 Nb4 17. Kd1 f6 18. Bd2 Nc6 19. Bc3 Rhd8 20. Ke2 Bd4 21. g4 h6 22. Kf3 b6 23. Kg2 Ne7 24. Bxd4 Rxd4 25. Nc3 a6 {Source: Birmingham Weekly Mercury, 25 January 1890} 1/2-1/2
[Event "Simul - Blackburne 20b"] [Site "Birmingham"] [Date "1889.11.19"] [White "Blackburne, Joseph Henry"] [Black "Taylor, Rowland H"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C52"] [PlyCount "65"] [EventDate "1889.11.19"] [EventType "simul"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2025.05.21"] [SourceQuality "1"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bg4 9. Qa4 Bd7 10. Qb3 h6 11. Bxf7+ Kf8 12. e5 Nge7 13. Nh4 g5 14. Ng6+ Nxg6 15. Bxg6 Qe7 16. Bb2 Kg7 17. Be4 Rhf8 18. Na3 Bf5 19. Bxc6 bxc6 20. Nc4 Rab8 21. Qa3 Bb6 22. d5 Kh7 23. Rae1 Rbe8 24. Qc3 Qg7 25. Nxb6 axb6 26. Qxc6 Bd3 27. exd6 Rxe1 28. Rxe1 Qxb2 29. Qxc7+ Kg8 30. f3 Qd4+ 31. Kh1 Qf2 32. Qe7 Bf1 33. Qe6+ {Source: Birmingham Weekly Mercury, 28 December 1889} 1/2-1/2
It wasn't all one-way traffic, however. I couldn't find a British source but Deutsche Schachzeitung gave the following...
[Event "Simul - Blackburne, 12bds"] [Site "Birmingham"] [Date "1891.10.18"] [White "Blackburne, Joseph Henry"] [Black "Taylor, Rowland H"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C52"] [PlyCount "39"] [EventDate "1891.10.18"] [EventType "simul (corr)"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2025.05.21"] [SourceQuality "1"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O dxc3 8. Qb3 Qf6 9. e5 Qg6 10. Nxc3 Nge7 11. Ba3 b5 12. Nxb5 a6 13. Nd6+ cxd6 14. exd6 Nf5 15. Rfe1+ Bxe1 16. Rxe1+ Kf8 17. Qb6 Rb8 18. Qxc6 Qf6 19. Qc7 Ra8 20. Bb2 {Source: Deutsche Schachzeitung, December 1891, p375} 1-0

Those were the only game scores I could find but there were probably other Blackburne-Taylor confrontations in what seemed to be annual autumn simuls given by Blackburne at St George's CC in Birmingham.

[Gerard Killoran]

Thanks John for ruining my fun, but I do hope that the other William Taylor eventually turned his life around.

As for R. H. Taylor, it seems he was Rowland Harry Taylor, but also Roland Harry Taylor.

He was born about 1874 and was active in Birmingham chess circles until at least 1950.

The 1881 Census has him living at 86 Geach St. Birmingham
Roland H. Taylor
Mother: Mary A. Taylor
Father: William Taylor
Sibling: Eliza Taylor

In 1901 Roland H. Taylor aged 26 is still living with his family and is employed as a Librarian

in 1911 Rowland Harry Taylor aged 36 is married to Lily (nee Eaton) aged 28 and is still a librarian. He signs the census form.

In 1921 Roland H. Taylor aged 46 is married, working as a Commission Agent (probably some kind of salesperson), and living in Birmingham with his in-laws, but for some reason, not his wife.

In 1939 Rowland Harry Taylor is back living with Lily but gives his d.o.b. as 6th June 1885 (a mistake, or did he knock 10 years off to get a job?) and is described as a 'Relieving Officers Clerk A. R. D. Seconded for Relief' i.e. a sort of social worker for the poor.

Although his father was yet another William Taylor, he did not have a brother called William, so it could be just a coincidence that he played in the same team as W. R. Taylor Père et fils.

Beating Blackburne in 1892 would have made him about 18 at the time. (or just a 7 year old prodigy, going by the 1939 register) and the 1948 BCM has R. H. Taylor drawing twice against Ritson Morry in the 'Birmingham Post' cup.

To confuse matters even further, the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 has this record:

Name: Roland H Taylor
Birth: abt 1875
Death: Jul 1936 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England

I'm confused.

[John Saunders]

I think there is a stronger candidate for chessplayer R H Taylor.

Jon had previously told us that W R Taylor and R H Taylor were brothers and I still think he is right.

Roland Taylor was born in 1863 in West Bromwich, Staffordshire. In 1871, still referred to as Roland Taylor, he is living in Hall Road, Handsworth with parents William & Elizabeth Taylor and (amongst others) brother William R Taylor, born 1853, who is a cabinet maker. Roland later adds the middle name 'Hand' and by the time of his marriage in 1899 he was using the name 'Rowland Hand Taylor' (the marriage lines give his occupation as 'cabinet maker' and his father's name as William, although his father's profession of 'gentleman' might have been a bit fanciful. The clincher is probably his address - 123 Hall Road, Handsworth - which is where he and his family were living in 1871). He died 30 Nov/Dec 1954 in Cambridge (Nov acc. probate record, Dec. acc. to a newspaper death notice). I think Hand was his mother's maiden name (an 1846 marriage in Aston points to this, though it was Eliza rather than Elizabeth Hand). The probate record acknowledges two different forename spellings, Rowland and Roland, along with the middle name Hand.