A life-long love story

Frankie
Through an archway off Walton Street in Jericho, Oxford, is St Sepulchre’s Cemetery. The residents of the cemetery include two masters of Balliol College, the superintendent of Oxford University Press,  and many other people.
Frankie
One of them is Frank Taylor (Frankie). There is the image of an MG racing car, made in Abingdon, on his well kept grave.  Frankie died in it.

The night before an Isle of Man race the world beating racing driver Kaye Don wanted to test out some improvements to his MG. He took along his friend, and mechanic, Frankie. They drove at night without lights, and cornering at 60 MPH hit another car. The MG overturned. Frankie died as a result of injuries received. Kaye Don was imprisoned for four months for reckless driving and that ended his career as a racing driver.
Frankie
Frankie had only been married to Phyllis for ten months. She visited his grave for 66 long years until in 2000 her ashes were interred next to her young husband. That devotion is remembered locally as a life-long love story. Her tablet says ‘Now reunited’

4 thoughts on “A life-long love story

  1. Mark Hotson

    Plenty of history here. Frank Taylor was my Great Uncle, brother to my Grand Mother , Margaret Knight. It is her plaque you see above Phylis’.
    From a very early age my grand mother always tried to persuade me not to involve myself in motorsport. Quite simply the family was devastated by Uncle Frank’s death. The race for which Don and Frank were testing was to be Frank’s last- a vow he made to his bride.
    I was always told that Don Kaye was driving recklessly as a result of alchohol-hence the prison sentence.
    The head stone and ‘grave’ serve as a memory for all my family. The people from this era like my grandmother , Phylis and Frank were people who understood the true values of life. God rest them all.

    Reply
  2. Paul Tayler

    Hi Mark.
    i am a family tree member of the Oxford Tayler’s and live in New Zealand. i have always been aware of Frankie Tayler as my father visiited the grave site in 1937. i have inherited the love of racing and currently race a vintage sports car.
    went to the IOM 2008 and found the site of the dreadful accident.
    Hope you receive this info and contact me>.
    Regards Paul Tayler

    Reply

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