This is the story of Thomas Henry TAYLOR who was Head Potter at Denby Pottery and my great grandfather. Thomas Henry TAYLOR was the grandson of Thomas TAYLOR and Eliza OWENCROFT of Nottingham. His parents were Thomas TAYLOR and Eliza SILLS daughter of George and Mary SILLS of Belper, Derbyshire, who were married in Gloucester Feb. 5th 1860 at the parish church of St. Michael. Thomas Henry was born Dec. 30th 1860 when Thomas and Eliza were visiting her parents in Belper. He had a sister Mary Elizabeth TAYLOR born in Gloucester Dec 5th 1862 and Sarah Sills Taylor born Gloucester Nov,25 1864. Unfortunately Sarah died at Derby Aug. 20th 1865 and Eliza died in Nottingham Nov 6th 1865 leaving Thomas Henry and Mary motherless. Thomas remarried on May 24th 1866, rather quickly perhaps but possibly to have a mother for his two remaining children.

His second wife was Mary Ann (often known as Polly).She was the daughter of John and Sarah SLANEY and widow of John BROWN of Nottingham who I believe was a well known medium in the town. Mary Ann had a daughter , Anna who was to marry a Fred NICHOLLS in Quincy and move to California. The pressures of his other brothers and sisters and his father who had all emigrated to America eventually prevailed upon Thomas and his new wife to join them. They left on the steamship "France" arriving in New York July 7th 1868. Of this second marriage just one child was born in Quincy March 28 1873 and this was Clara Eliza Taylor. She later married and became Clara WELLS living in Chico California. Thomas and Mary Ann had taken Mary Elizabeth TAYLOR along with Thomas s new stepdaughter with them to New York but left behind in in Belper Thomas Henry TAYLOR with his grandparents George and Mary SILLS. In 1871 they lived at The Gutter, Belper, along with his aunt Sarah SILLS then aged 17. Does anyone know what happened to her?

The SILLS were naturally heartbroken at the death of their daughter Eliza and to lose both grandchildren too would have been too much. Thomas also thought leaving his son behind would be a help to his grandparents in their old age if they brought him up. For some years there does not seem to have been much contact between the two Thomas TAYLOR’s. I imagine the SILLS may have been understandably bitter regarding the remarriage of Thomas and did not encourage any contact. However, eventually letters arrived irregularly from America but do not seem to have been answered by Thomas Henry when he was young. In one letter Thomas said " I did not willingly leave you in England". However you can easily imagine the thoughts of young Thomas on that point. Thomas Henry TAYLOR grew up and commenced work at Denby Pottery at the age of 11, as an apprentice and was to stay there for 56 years. When he retired he was Head Turner. He enjoyed his work making pottery in his spare time too. He made all types of Art Pottery, majolica ware, puzzle jugs and had 100 different designs for vases. Thomas Henry also made domestic wear, pots and utensils and sent some out to his father in U.S.A. in Quincy.

They wrote to each other once or twice a year and exchanged photographs. Thomas Henry sent the local paper out to his father who often asked after people he had known in Belper. Thomas Henry TAYLOR married Lucy Helen REDFERN of Belper. Her father Francis REDFERN was the local postmaster but had been born in Pittsburgh U.S.A. and returned to England with his mother and siblings when his father, a stonemason died. They had two children George Redfern TAYLOR and Thomas Taylor who was my grandfather. George for some years was a potter too. He married but had no children. Thomas Henrys son Thomas married May PARKES 18 May 1816 at the Baptist Chapel, Ripley, Derbyshire. Their son another Thomas Henry was my father. Thomas Henry was very supportive when his sister Mary, who had married a Thomas BISHOP in U.S.A. died leaving a daughter Ruth. He offered to adopt Ruth and give her a home in Belper and bring her up but his offer was refused. Ruth BISHOP married Ernest CASPARI but they had no children that I know of.

Thomas Henry wrote to her and after his death my grandfather Thomas TAYLOR continued to keep up the correspondence until she died in the 1950s. Apart from his pottery, and writing letters, Thomas Henry had other hobbies. He loved gardening and spent many happy hours there with his grandchildren helping him. He was much loved by them. He also was very good at limericks and won several prizes from the News of the World for them. He was interested in spiritualism as was his father. When Thomas Henry TAYLOR died in 1928 he was a highly respected resident of Marehay near Denby Pottery. He was held in high esteem by both the management and workforce at Denby Pottrey. His bearers were fellow workmen. He is buried in Ripley cemetery with his wife Lucy Helen Taylor.

I would be delighted to hear from anyone with connections or information regarding the above names. Kathryn A. Campbell, 4 Conyers Ave, Birkdale, Southport. PR8 4SZ. U.K.

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