The John Taylor - Mary Clarke Property in Pickering Township

Following an ocean crossing of more than six weeks, our ancestors, John Taylor and Mary Clarke arrived in Quebec on 2 July 1836. They spent several months in Toronto where John Taylor teamed grain and flour to and from the mill on the Humber River, now the site of the Old Mill Inn. In the spring of 1837, they moved to and settled in Pickering Township in what is now the Province of Ontario but was then known as Upper Canada. In Pickering Township, they settled on the north half of Lot 32, Concession 1. The nearest hamlet was Cherrywood.

At the time, it was a wilderness of pines and hardwood trees. The appearance of the area has changed dramatically since the family settled. Thankfully, in the midst of today's urban landscape there remains an area of natural beauty: the Altona Forest. The Altona Forest has been designated an environmentally significant area due to its ecological and historical importance.

An 1860 landowner's map shows that the north section of Lot 32, Concession 1 had been further subdivided and that half was owned by John Taylor and half by S. Hollinger. 

Here is an approximate outline of the Taylor property if go looking for it today. You can see that the modern boundaries are Finch Avenue and Altona Road in Pickering...

2018 map showing location of John Taylor's property.

The History of Cherrywood by George Cober contains an error on page 7, saying that the Taylors settled on Concession 2 when in fact it was Concession 1. Page 4 of a monograph entitled, History of Pickering lists the correct information for Taylor's property as Lot 32, Concession 1...

Thanks to Becky George, Local History & Genealogy Librarian at the Pickering Library for her assistance in locating John Taylor's property.

Taylor Descendants of the First World War

The following list represents just a few of the descendants of John Taylor and Mary Clarke who served during the First World War.

Cecil Pugh Annis

Service number: 404007

Lance Corporal Cecil Pugh Annis was born 24 June 1897 in Scarboro, York County, Ontario to Levi Garry Annis and Sarah "Annie" Pugh. Cecil was an 18-year-old farmer when he enlisted on  5 April 1915 at the recruiting office in Toronto. In July, he arrived in France and joined the 3rd Battalion (the Toronto Regiment). 

 

In the battle for Mount Sorrel (1916), he was wounded in his forehead and his back, and he spent the next few months in hospital in England. He returned to the trenches on the Somme and was wounded again a few weeks later, more seriously this time. With his right eye gone and other eye damaged, he spent the next year and a half recuperating from his injuries.

 

In December, 1917 he was finally well enough to go home and he was discharged from the army as medically unfit for duty.

 

Death Due to Service

 

He hoped to return to his studies at Malvern Avenue Collegiate where he had been a star player on their rugby team. However, Cecil developed heart disease in addition to his other health issues. 

 

Lance Corporal Cecil Pugh Annis died at home in Scarborough on 20 September 1918, a result of his injuries and heart disease, less than two months before the war ended. He was 21. 

 

His funeral was with full military honors. He is buried in Washington United Church Cemetery, Scarborough, Grave C1344. This cemetery was used by the Annis pioneers as a burial ground and was donated to the church. Washington United Church Cemetery is located at 7 Scarborough Golf Club Road in Scarborough Village, a suburb of Scarborough in Toronto, Ontario.   

Annis family headstone. Photo by Annis Family Association.

Inscription on headstone: "Cecil Annis son of Levi G. & Annie Annis died of war wounds Sep. 20 1918 in his 22nd year. He saved others. Himself he could not save." Photo by Islington at Find-A-Grave.

Cecil Pugh Annis was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.

Cecil Pugh Annis' Family Tree:
John Taylor & Mary Clarke (great-grandparents)
Sarah Taylor & Andrew Annis (grandparents)
Levi Garry Annis & Sarah Anne "Annie" Pugh (parents)

Frank Lankin

Frank Lankin was born 18 Jun 1892 in the small community of Woodham in Blanshard Township, Perth County, Ontario to Samuel Lankin and Martha Faircloth. He was a 24-year-old married bookkeeper when he enlisted in Chicago on 5 June 1917 and served with the U.S. Army. He and Mattie Hanson married in Chicago in 1916 and had a daughter, Lois Frances Lankin in 1921. Frank and Mattie later divorced. In 1942 at age 50, he enlisted for World War Two. Frank Lankin died 4 July 1955, age 63.

Frank Lankin's Family Tree:

John Taylor & Mary Clarke (great-grandparents)

Emily Taylor & James Lankin (grandparents)

Samuel Lankin & Martha Faircloth (parents)

Robert Gordon Taylor, Sr. 

Private Gordon Taylor of Exeter. Photo courtesy of Barbara Dawn (Agnew) Miller.

Collar badge from the Royal School of Infantry, like the badge worn in the photo of Private Gordon Taylor.

Private Gordon Taylor was born 11 December 1893 in Exeter, Ontario to John W. Taylor and Charlotte H.B. "Lottie" Shinner. Gordon's father was the Reeve of Exeter.

Gordon's father in 1914.

The newspaper reports that Private Gordon Taylor passed the examination of the mechanical transportation branch of the British army with a score of 95 per cent, and will leave in a few weeks for the front. Source: The Exeter Advocate, 16 December 1915, page 8.

Gordon Taylor was a single, 21-year-old mechanic when he enlisted on 12 October 1915. He was a transport driver during his time overseas.

The Exeter papers reported about him throughout the war years.

Private Gordon Taylor thanks the citizens of Exeter for a military wristwatch. Source: Exeter Times, 23 December 1915, page 1.

Private Gordon Taylor (on active service in France) sent relics from the Hindenburg Line to his father, John W. Taylor. The relics were placed on exhibition in the window of B.W.F. Beaver's dry goods store in Exeter. Relics included a German helmet, a rifle grenade, several pieces of shells, etc. Source: Exeter Times, 24 May 1917, page 8.

Gordon Taylor arrived home on leave "looking well, but thin." Source: Exeter Advocate, 19 Jul 1917, page 1.

Private Gordon Taylor returning to the front. Source: Exeter Times, 16 August 1917, page 1.

The paper reports good news as five Exeter boys including Gordon Taylor are expected home from overseas on the evening of Wednesday, June 4th, 1919. Source: Exeter Times, 29 May 1919, page 1.

At some point, Gordon moved to the United States. In 1925, he married Norine Adeline Galbraith and in 1926 they had a son, Robert Gordon Taylor, Jr. In 1942, Gordon enlisted again, this time in WWII, age 48. Gordon Taylor died age 59 in Los Angeles, California in 1953. He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale.)

Robert Gordon Taylor's Family Tree:
John Taylor & Mary Clarke (great-grandparents)
John Taylor & Margaret Jane Mason (grandparents)
John W. Taylor & Charlotte H.B. "Lottie" Shinner (parents)


John Franklin Taylor
 

Frank Taylor. Photo courtesy of Barbara Dawn (Agnew) Miller.

John Franklin "Frank" Taylor was born 7 March 1882 in Exeter, Ontario to John W. Taylor and Charlotte H.B. "Lottie" Shinner. Frank was Private Gordon Taylor's older brother. Frank moved to the United States for awhile and served with the U.S. Navy although I haven't been able to find his service records. He was a carpenter. Frank suffered ill health and had both legs amputated. Frank Taylor died age 80 in Exeter, on 10 March 1962. He is buried in Exeter Cemetery.

John Franklin "Frank" Taylor's Family Tree:
John Taylor & Mary Clarke (great-grandparents)
John Taylor & Margaret Jane Mason (grandparents)
John W. Taylor & Charlotte H.B. "Lottie" Shinner (parents)