PEN PICTURE OF EDWARD F TAUNTON
Whilst John Bates Lawrence is identified as the man who was most prominent in the formation of the Society, it was the actions of Edward F Taunton which led to one of the most significant hinge-points in Royal Liver’s existence – the formation of the Delegation System in 1886. Co-incidentally, both men began their working careers at sea but there it seems the similarity ends as Edward F Taunton came from a well-educated middle-class background in the West Midlands.
As the fledgling Liverpool Lyver Burial Society (the original name of Royal Liver) began its life at Pickop Street, Liverpool in 1850, Edward Taunton was born in the same year in Rugeley, Staffordshire; he was the second son of a local Doctor. At an early age, Edward was placed at Downside College, a “ very distinguished place of learning” which had produced many celebrities of the day. He then graduated to London University from where he matriculated with credit.
A career as a mariner was cut short by the onset of Yellow Fever and the young Edward Taunton was forced to redirect his energies. Fortunately for the Society he was able, in 1876, to secure an appointment at Royal Liver’s Head Office as a Clerk. It is recorded that he rose rapidly in the service and esteem of the Society and that, within a relatively short period, he reached the senior position of Chief Clerk.
Despite the favourable regard with which he must have been held by those in Office and without concern for the possible loss of his own high position he had the courage to lead the agitation for reform which ultimately gave birth to the Delegation System. The following extract from Royal Liver’s archives summarises his actions and, sadly, his untimely death:-
“In due course, the existence of certain abuses came to his knowledge and finding himself unable to reconcile the facts with his ideas of right, he forfeited a lucrative and prominent position in the Society by initiating an agitation for the reforms which were eventually endorsed by the vote of a majority of the Society’s Agents, Collectors, Members, etc., and which were also subsequently approved by the solid vote of the first Annual General Meeting of the Society’s Delegates held on 27th July, 1887.
Sadly, overwork and worry demanded their inevitable price and on Mr Taunton being attacked with pleurisy, blood poisoning and death intervened. Edward Taunton died on 2nd August, 1887 at the tragically early age of 37, leaving a widow of four sons.”
It is a sad irony that the man whose brave actions and prolonged struggle which achieved so much should only serve the Society as Secretary from March, 1886 to the following summer of 1887. It is perhaps fitting that his family name continued to be associated with the Office of Secretary when his brother, Frank H Taunton, succeeded him in that position, in which he served from 1887 to 1917. We shall encounter Frank Taunton with greater familiarity later in these pages and elsewhere on this Website.