Abraham Beresford Taylor was born in 1793, in Cranbrooke, Co.Fermanagh, the son of James Taylor. He joined the army as an ensign in the 82nd Regiment and served in the Channel Islands. He then gained promotion to lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion 89th Regiment. He fought in the North American war against American insurgents, first at Chrystler’s Farm which prevented 3,000 Americans capturing Montreal. Taylor was severely wounded in the leg at Lundy’s Lane near Niagara Falls. He then fought at the siege of Fort Erie; the unsuccessful attack on 15 Aug and the repulse of the enemy sortie on 17 Sep.
On its return to the UK the 2nd Battalion 89th was disbanded and he served in the 1st Bn. He served with them in India and fought in the 3rd Mahratta War of 1818 against the Pindaris. The battalion operated in Southern Konkan, attacking the forts at Loghur, Koarree and Ryghur. In the Sawant Wari campaign of 1819 he was appointed Brigade Major and QM of the 1st Brigade and was at the capture of Roree - the Gibraltar of the Western Ghats. In 1821 he went on leave for 3 years. On his return he served with 1/89th in Burma.
Taylor was promoted to captain in April 1825 and took part in the campaign of 1824-5 in lower Burma. He saw fierce fighting at Rangoon in December and on 8 Dec 1824 was one of 7 officers and 54 men who were sent to capture some guns which were threatening British shipping. The small force needed reinforcement and an attack was made on three stockades at Dalla. The operation was a success although Taylor was again wounded but not severely. However, two days later he led a recce party of 20 men from his battalion and 30 men of the Madras Native Infantry through the jungle. He was also at the capture of Panang, the assault of Donaby and the occupation of Prome.
He fell ill in Prome and had to be sent to Calcutta. He returned to England in January 1831, and in 1833 was promoted to major unattached. Two years later he was appointed major in the 9th East Norfolk Regiment and went back to India. In 1837 he was made a Knight of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order (KH). In November of that year, the CO of the 9th, Colonel McCaskill was elevated to the command of the Meerut Division and Major Taylor was temporary CO. He took the regiment from Hazaribagh on an arduous cold weather march to Agra, arriving in March 1840 without having lost a single man. McCaskill regained command of the 9th in October 1840 but in Dec 1841 was again removed to command a brigade.
The disaster in Afghanistan saw the destruction of the British army and their families in the retreat from Kabul in the winter of 1841/42. Taylor prepared his regiment for the advance into Afghanistan as part of General Pollock’s Army of retribution. The 9th distinguished themselves in the forcing of the Khyber Pass where they had to scale steep mountains to clear the tribesmen who occupied the heights. Taylor was warmly praised by Pollock for his ‘spirit, coolness and judgement’. Subsequent actions were carried out at Mamoo Khel, Jagdalak, Tazeane and Haft Kotal as well as the re-occupation of Kabul and the destruction of Istaliffe. His efforts were rewarded by the award of the CB.
The next active service was the First Sikh War of 1845 in which Taylor commanded the 9th at Moodki on 18 Dec 1845. In that battle McCaskill was killed and Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor was promoted to the command of a brigade which included the 80th Foot and the 41st Bengal NI. But two days later the army fought the Sikhs at Ferozeshuhur, and Taylor led his brigade ‘with distinguished gallantry’ to assault the Sikh trenches. He was killed in the heat of battle, covered in wounds. The date of his death was 22 Dec 1845.
On 14 Mar 1839, Major Abraham Beresford Taylor was married at Hazareebaugh to Eliza Matilda Lister, the daughter of Lieut-Col Lister of the Indian Army. Lt-Col Taylor's medals which sold at Noonans for 7,800 pounds in Sept 2005, are the Companion of the Order of the Bath, the Cabul 1842 medal and the Sutlej 1845-46 medal for Moodkee 1845, with a clasp for FEROZESHUHUR. The miniature portrait of Taylor c1817 shows him as a lieutenant in the light company of the 89th Regiment which had black facings.
1811 Ensign in the 82nd Foot 14 Feb
1812 Lieutenant in the 89th Foot 24 Dec
1825 Captain 22 Apr
1833 Major 19 Apr
1835 exchanged to the 9th Regiment
1841 Lieutenant-Colonel 23 Nov
Regimental Details | Commanding Officers
