Private Robert Taggart Barbour
Robert Taggart Barbour was born on 7 July 1895 at 90 Foyle Road, Londonderry, the sixth of ten children of writing clerk (later railway commercial clerk) Robert Barbour and his wife Sarah (née Crawford). Soon after, the family moved to Newry and then to Belfast. By the time of the 1911 Census Robert was living at 13 Salisbury Street, Belfast, with his parents and six of his seven surviving siblings and working as a commercial clerk in the linen business.
Barbour enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 24 May 1915 (No.1590 – later Corps of Hussars No.71459). His brother James Albert Victor Barbour joined the regiment the next day.
Whether he served overseas with the regiment in 1916 or 1917 is not known at present, but it seems more likely than not.
In January 1918 Barbour embarked for Egypt with a draft of North Irish Horsemen from the Antrim reserve depot. There he was attached to the 1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment). He served with that regiment in the Palestine campaign.
On 1 August 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
After the war Barbour returned to Belfast. On 4 July 1924 he married Susannah Chestnutt. By 1949 he was living at 84 Tate's Avenue and working as a clerk. He died on 17 June that year and was buried in the City Cemetery, Glenalina Extension.
Crescent Presbyterian Church Roll of Honour, Belfast
Image courtesy of Nigel Henderson, History Hub Ulster.