Charles William Gray Taylor (5 February 1879 – 21 September 1950) was a Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1942/3.

Life

Taylor was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

in 1879 to mason Alexander Taylor and Jane Davidson Taylor. Before the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he was minister of

Uddingston Uddingston ( sco, Uddinstoun, gd, Baile Udain) is a small town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the north side of the River Clyde, south-east of Glasgow city centre, and acts as a dormitory suburb for the city. Geography and boundaries ...

church. In the

(1916/17) he was an

Army Chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term '' ch ...

. In 1918, he was translated to St George's Church, on

Charlotte Square 300px, Robert Adam's palace-fronted north side Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street and was intend ...

Edinburgh's New Town The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original neo-classical and Georgian period architecture. Its best known street is Princes Stree ...

. In 1928 he became Convenor of the Foreign Mission Committee to the Church of Scotland. In 1933 the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

awarded him an honorary doctorate (DD). One of his most important roles as Moderator was his presence at the re-inauguration of St Paul's Cathedral in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in September 1942 alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, following the cathedral's bomb damage in 1941. In 1945 he was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. In 1946/47 he was Chairman of a Committee looking at Rehabilitation of Young Offenders and was also involved in reforms in the Scottish Prison System in 1948/49. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the

1950 Birthday Honours The King's Birthday Honours 1950 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate the o ...

He died on 21 September 1950. He is buried in Dean Cemetery the grave lies in the south-east section not far from the main entrance.

Family

He was married to Catherine Beatrice Taylor (1883-1966) who is buried with him. She wrote a biography of her husband entitled "Taylor of St George's: A Memoir of C W G Taylor" which was published in 1967 after her death.

Gallery

Memorial to CWG Taylor.jpg, Memorial plaque to Taylor CHARLOTTE SQUARE WEST REGISTER HOUSE (FORMER ST GEORGE'S CHURCH).JPG, St George's Church,

Edinburgh (now West Register House)

References

20th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland Scottish Freemasons Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 1879 births 1950 deaths Clergy from Edinburgh {{Scotland-reli-bio-stub