Thomas Tait (1881 - 1941)

Born 11 Jan 1881 in 33 Sheriff Brae, Leith, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy (Baird) Tait — married 14 Dec 1904 in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 12 May 1941 at age 60 in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Aidan Bizony [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Tait Name Study.

Thomas Tait was born in Scotland.

Thomas Tait is a Military Veteran.
Served in the British Army 1899-1910
Served in South Africa (1901–1902) with the 1st Batt. Cameron Highlanders

Early Life

Thomas Tait was born in South Leith, Midlothian, Scotland on 11 January 1881, the son of William Tait and Isabella White.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Military Service

A 17-year-old Presbyterian^[6] in Edinburgh, Scotland, Tommy—who had been apprenticed to Mr J. Best, a contractor at the new dockworks—enlisted in the 3rd Battallion of the Scottish Militia's 1st Regiment of Foot (the Royal Scots) on 20 December 1898.^[7] He was living with his father, William, at 4 St Andrews Wynd, South Leith when he enlisted with the Royal Scots.^[7]

Tommy would enlist into the 1st Battallion, F Company of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders on 4 August 1899, aged 18.^[8] As well as a deployment to Gibraltar (22 Dec 1899–9 Aug 1901), Tommy served from 10 August 1901 to 10 October 1902 in the South African Campaign.^[9] While serving in South Africa, Tommy encountered a pamphlet by Daniel de Leon which spurred him to join the Scottish Socialist Labour Party in 1912.^[4][10]

Deemed medically unfit for service, Tommy was discharged from the Cameron Highlanders on 20 June 1910 after nearly 11 years' service in the military.^[11]

Family

He married Dorothy Baird at 35 George IV bridge, St Giles, Edinburgh, Scotland on 14 December 1904.^[9][12] With RD Robertson presiding, Tommy and Dorothy's marriage was witnessed by Robert Manson and James Baird.^[9] Tommy and Dorothy had eight children together:

1. Thomas Tait^[9][13]
2. Henry Tait^[9][13]
3. William Tait^[14][15]
4. Robert Tait^[16]
5. Elizabeth Isabella Tait^[12][13][17]
6. Dorothy Tait^[13]
7. Mary Tait^[13]
8. Louis Tait^[12]

Tait married second Lilias Hutcheson.^[5] Tait would later divorce Hutcheson.^[18]

Political Career

Tommy first discovered socialism while serving in South Africa after reading a pamphlet by Daniel De Leon.^[10] He joined the Socialist Labour Party in 1912.^[10]

Tommy stood for election as the Communist Party's candidate for a councillor in South Leith in November 1920.^[10] Although never elected, he stood for election to the Edinburgh council 17 times.^[10]

Death and Legacy

After having eight children and a successful career in politics, Tommy died at 3 am on 12 May 1941 at 60 years old in at 7 Anandale Street, St Andrews, Edinburgh.^{[4][5][10][15]} Tommy died from stomach cancer which may have metastasised to his liver.^[5] Worker's Weekly published an obituary to Tommy Tait on 16 May 1941.^[4][10]

William Tait donated his and his father's minute books, pamphlets, correspondence, and periodicals to the University of Sterling in 1978. This saw the creation of the University's Tait Collection whose minute books span 1883–1949.^[4][15]

Research Notes

Research Question: How did Tommy die?

Hypothesis 1: Tommy died of stomach cancer.

1. Family legend suggests Tommy died of Stomach Cancer - Bizony-2 02:18, 28 February 2020 (UTC)
2. There is reference to a 'T. Tait Memorial Committee' publishing something in September 1942. This published document is held by Nuffield Library, Oxford and mentioned in their catalogue (https://www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/media/2920/trotskyist-2018.pdf) - Bizony-2 02:18, 28 February 2020 (UTC)
3. Death certificate states cause of death as carcinoma of the stomach with secondary growth on the liver. - Bizony-2, 10 Jul 2023 at 13:12 BST.
4. Hypothesis supported.

CASE CLOSED

Research Question: Did Tommy serve in the Boer War and, if so, in where?

Hypothesis 1: Tommy served in the Boer War and served in the Cameron Highlanders.

1. Found a reference to Tommy having the military service No. 4884. More investigation required as to relevance to the hypothesis. - Bizony-2 10:57, 8 August 2020 (UTC)
2. Stevenson, Graham. "Tait Thomas." Graham Stevenson: Books, Pamphlets, Articles, and Speeches. Created 6 Apr 2012 supports the hypothesis. More investigation required. - Bizony-2 10:57, 8 August 2020 (UTC)
3. Found reference to two T Taits in the South Africa, Second Boer War British Service Register, 1899-1902 (with service numbers 3568 and 4823). Information insufficient. Further investigation required. - Bizony-2, 7 Jul 2023 17:36 BST.
4. Vital dates, locations, and family groupings on military records for Thomas Tait (service no. 4884) confirm that Thomas Tait had the service no 4884. Thomas Tait served in the South African Campaign from the Cameron Highlanders. Tommy definitely served in the South African Campaign.
5. Hypothesis supported.

CASE CLOSED

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland Census 1881," Ancestry online database. Leith South, Leith, Midlothian, Scotland; enumeration district 42, household schedule no 64, p 11, lines 2–8; General Register Office for Scotland, Reels 1-338, Ancestry Roll cssct1881_299.

   Name	Age	Relationship
   William Tait	50	Head
   Isabella Tait	33	Wife
   William Tait	8	Son
   Margaret Tait	6	Daughter
   Agnes Tait	4	Daughter
   Charles Tait	2	Son
   Thomas Tait	2 M	Son

2. ↑ Ancestry.com. Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

   Name: Thomas Jait

   Gender: Male

   Birth Date: 11 Jan 1881

   Birth Place: South Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland

   Father: William Jait

   Mother: Isabella White Jait

   FHL Film Number: 232688

   Reference ID: v 692-2 p 47

3. ↑ "Scotland Census 1891," Ancestry online database. Leith South, Leith, Midlothian, Scotland; enumeration district 17, household schedule no 26, p 7, lines 13–19; General Register Office for Scotland, Reels 1-409, Ancestry Roll CSSCT1891_364.

   Name	Age	Relationship
   William Tait	58	Head
   Isabella Tait	43	Wife
   William Tait	18	Son
   Margaret Tait	16	Daughter
   Agnes Tait	14	Daughter
   Thomas Tait	10	Son
   James Tait	3	Son

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} Archives contributors. "Papers of William C Tait, 1889-1941, socialist labour politician (Reference: GB 559 MS 41) ." University of Stirling Archives & Special Collections. Accessed 28 Feb 2020.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Scotland Statutory Register of Deaths. Death certificate no 329, died 12 May 1941, registered 14 May 1941; Thomas Tait ; St Andrews, Edinburgh, Scotland.
6. ↑ "UK, Militia Attestation Papers, 1806-1915,"Fold3 online database. Description on Enlistment of Thomas Tait, 1st Royal Scots, service no 7505. The National Archives of the UK, reference no WO 96/9.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "UK, Militia Attestation Papers, 1806-1915," Fold3 database online. Militia Attestation of Thomas Tait (service no 7505), 1st Foot (Royal Scots), 20 Dec 1898. The National Archives of the UK, reference no. WO 96/9.
8. ↑ UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Soldier Service Records, 1760-1920," Fold3' online database. Short Service Attestation of Thomas Tait (service no 4884), Cameron Highlanders, 4 Aug 1899. The National Archives of the UK, reference no. WO97, piece 6036.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4} UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Soldier Service Records, 1760-1920," Fold3 online database. Military History Sheet for Tait, Thomas, Service No. 4884, Cameron Highlanders. National Archives of the United Kingdom, Kew, Surrey. National Archives Reference No. WO 97.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6} Stevenson, Graham. "Tait Thomas." Graham Stevenson: Books, Pamphlets, Articles, and Speeches. Created 6 Apr 2012. Accessed 14 Jul 2019.
11. ↑ UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Soldier Service Records, 1760-1920," Proceedings on Discharge for Pte Thomas Tait, Service no 4884, Cameron Highlanders, Chelsea no. 91782. The National Archives of the UK.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2} Dubyna, Vima. Personal recollection, 2 Mar 2020, as told to Aidan Bizony via e-mail.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4} "Tait Family." Taken from Dorothy Tait's personal collection and sent to Phoebe Tait via e-mail, 7 Dec 2019. Copies e-mailed to Aidan Bizony by Phoebe Tait, 2 Mar 2020.
14. ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2FKN-8JC : 1 October 2014), William Campbell Tait, 1909; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Andover, Hampshire, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1 15.2} Shipway, M. (1994). 'Obituary for William Campbell Tait (1910/11-1994)'. Encyclopedia of Trotskyism On-Line: Revolutionary History 5(4). https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/revhist/backiss/vol5/no4/shipway.html.
16. ↑ Certificate of Birth. Robert M. Tait. 4 Dec 1911. Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England. Copy in possession of Aidan Bizony.
17. ↑ "California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997," Ancestry online database]; Ventura, California, United States, Elizabeth Isabella Grant, 18 Mar 1997.

    Name	Elizabeth Isabella Grant [Elizabeth Isabella Tait]
    Social Security #	549609677
    Gender	Female
    Birth Date	3 Sep 1913
    Birth Place	Other Country
    Death Date	18 Mar 1997
    Death Place	Ventura
    Mother's Maiden Name	Baird
    Father's Surname	Tait

18. ↑ Dubyna, Vima. Personal recollection, 3 Mar 2020, as told to Aidan Bizony via e-mail.