Charles Taylor – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Defence

Stoker Charles Taylor – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Defence

Early Life

Charles Taylor was born in 1885 in Neath, the son of Robert Taylor and Phoebe Davies. He spent his childhood in a large working‑class family typical of late‑Victorian South Wales.

1891 Census

By the 1891 Census, the Taylor family were living at Old Swansea, 72 Neath Road, Glamorgan. Charles’s father, Robert, aged 38, was employed as a Stone Mason, while his mother Phoebe, aged 27, cared for their young and growing household. Their children at the time were Charles (7) and Minnie (5)—both attending school—alongside Margaret (3) and William Oswald (1). This census presents a picture of a young, expanding family rooted in traditional skilled labour.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census shows that the family had moved to 10 Pentreharne Hill, Swansea. Charles’s father Robert, now 46, was still a Stone Mason, though recorded as an Invalid, which would have placed a heavy burden on the household. Phoebe, aged 37, managed the home and their large family, which had grown considerably. The children living with them were Charles (16), working “Bearing Off” at a brick works; Minnie (14); Margaret (13); William Oswald (11); Leslie (9); Violet Maud (7); Robert (4); Jessie May (2); and Fred (9 months). The census reflects a household where older siblings were already contributing to the family’s support due to their father’s poor health.

1911 Census

Following the death of Robert Taylor, the family had relocated once again by the 1911 Census, now living at 5 Morfa Terrace, Landore, near Swansea. Phoebe, now 46 and widowed, was recorded as a Housekeeper, supporting a large multigenerational household. Her children at home were Charles (26), working as a Smelting Furnace Man; William Oswald (21), employed at a Furnace in a Mill; Lesley (19), a Hawker; Violet May (17), a Factory Worker; Robert (14), a Plumber Boy; and the younger children—Jessie May (12), Frederick (10), Arthur James (8), Margaret Pearl (6), and Catherine (5)—all attending school. This census reflects a resilient family relying on the combined efforts of older siblings to maintain financial stability.

Naval Service of Charles Taylor

Among Phoebe’s children was Frederick Taylor, who later enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve, serving as a Stoker aboard H.M.S. Defence. Stokers performed some of the most physically demanding and hazardous work in the fleet, labouring in the ship’s boiler rooms to maintain steam pressure and ensure the cruiser remained operational.

H.M.S. Defence

H.M.S. Defence

H.M.S. Defence was a Minotaur‑class armoured cruiser, the last and most powerful cruiser of her type built for the Royal Navy. Constructed at Pembroke Dockyard, she was launched in 1907 and commissioned in 1909. Displacing more than 14,000 tons, she carried a formidable armament of 9.2‑inch and 7.5‑inch guns, supported by smaller quick‑firing weapons and torpedo tubes, and she was protected by an armour belt up to 6 inches thick.

Before the First World War, Defence served in several prestigious and strategically important roles, including escorting the Royal Yacht Medina during King George V’s voyage to India in 1911–1912, and later acting as flagship on the China Station. At the outbreak of war, she reached the Mediterranean to support operations there and then moved to the South Atlantic before joining the Grand Fleet in 1915 as part of the 1st Cruiser Squadron.

Battle of Jutland and the Loss of H.M.S. Defence

On 31^st May 1916, H.M.S. Defence took part in the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of the First World War. While closing to engage what was believed to be a damaged enemy vessel, the cruiser came under intense and concentrated fire from several German battlecruisers and battleships. Multiple heavy shells struck Defence, causing the ship’s magazines to explode in a devastating blast.

H.M.S. Defence was destroyed within moments, with the loss of all hands—more than 900 officers and men—including Stoker Charles Taylor.

Death and Commemoration

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Charles Taylor
Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth
credit - findagrave

According to the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, Stoker Charles Taylor was killed on 31^st May 1916 during the destruction of H.M.S. Defence at the Battle of Jutland. With no known grave, he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, which honours Royal Navy and Royal Naval Reserve personnel lost at sea whose bodies were never recovered