BORN HULL 1853. SON OF CHRISTOPHER ROYAL AND MARY RUSSEL. A FISHERMAN. HE MARRIED MARY HALL GRAY, AT HULL, IN 1871 – HIS WIFE MARY LIVED AT 27 , WALCOTT STREET, HULL, & 40 MENZIES ROAD, ABERDEEN (CWGC ADDRESS). THEY HAD FOUR CHILDREN. THEIR SON JAMES HERBERT ROYAL, DIED IN 1914, AGED 37.
CHRISTOPHER ROYAL SERVED AS A COOK ON THE STEAM TRAWLER, “TAURUS”. HE DROWNED AT SEA, ON 14/07/1917, AGED 63. COMMEMORATED AT TOWER HILL.
Taurus (A-655), built by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd., Hull in 1883 and owned at the time of her loss by G. Craig, Aberdeen, was a British iron steam trawlerl of 128 tons. On July 14th, 1917, Taurus was presumed sunk by a mine from the German submarine U-71 (Walter Gude), east of the Shetlands. 9 persons were lost.
1. BARKER, THOMAS WRIGHT (47), Mate, FV Taurus, Mercantile Marine, †14/07/1917, Son of the late Joseph and Hannah Barker; husband of Susannah Barker (nee Owston), of 7, Chapel Lane, Aberdeen. Born at Grimsby, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 2. DAVIES, ALFRED (51), Second Engineer, FV Taurus, Mercantile Marine, †14/07/1917, Born at Swansea, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 3. KNIGHTS, BENJAMIN JOHN (18), Deck Hand, FV Taurus, Mercantile Marine, †14/07/1917, Son of Herbert and Hannah Malinda Knights, of 329, Hardygate, Aberdeen. Born at Aberdeen, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 4. MATTHEWS, GEORGE (44), Second Fisherman, FV Taurus, Mercantile Marine, †14/07/1917, Son of the late Chas. and Elizabeth Matthews; husband of Mary Jane Matthews (nee Forbes), of 62, Nether Kirkgate, Aberdeen. Born at Stratford-on-Avon, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 5. MCDONALD, JOHN (37), Deck Hand, FV Taurus, Mercantile Marine, †14/07/1917, Husband of Mary McDonald, of 17, Claremont St., Aberdeen. Born at Aberdeen, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 6. MCGREGOR, WILLIAM SIM (25), Engineer, FV Taurus, Mercantile Marine, †14/07/1917, Husband of Mary McGregor, of 4, Hanover St., Aberdeen. Born at Stirling, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 7. MCKENZIE, THORNTON (18), Fireman, FV Taurus, Mercantile Marine, †14/07/1917, Son of Mary Elizabeth Long (formerly McKenzie, nee Goate), of 86, Abbey Rd., Tory, Aberdeen, and the late William McKenzie. Born at Aberdeen, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 8. ROYAL, CHRISTOPHER (65), Cook, FV Taurus, Mercantile Marine, †14/07/1917, Husband of Mary Royal, of 40, Menzies Rd., Aberdeen. Born at Hull, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 9. SHARMAN, WILLIAM , Skipper, FV Taurus, Mercantile Marine, †14/07/1917, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial
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