War Memorial
Private James Taylor (service number 94424) was a son of Leigh, born in the village and baptised at St Mary's on 9 March 1893. His parents, William and Isabella Taylor, raised a large household at Blackhoath; by the time of the 1901 census, seven sons and four daughters were recorded.
Before military life, James worked for Mr Drummond at Palmers Farm in Penshurst. He enlisted in the Kent Cyclist Battalion under the number 1875, and his brother Fred joined the same regiment. The two brothers made the journey to India together. In India, James was moved to the Machine Gun Section, stationed at Abbottabad, and he later served with 222 Company of the Machine Gun Corps.
As the war drew to a close, James fell ill with influenza and pneumonia. After ten days of sickness he died on 17 November 1918, aged 25, while still serving in India. His loss was noted in The Courier on 24 January 1919, which recorded the deep respect in which he was held by those who knew him.
He is commemorated on the Karachi War Memorial in Pakistan, and his name also appears on the Leigh War Memorial at home.